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M64 console teased by ModRetro's Palmer Luckey

Nintendo 64 fans might have another option for playing their physical carts.

Sam Chandler

March 18, 2025 8:35 PM

ModRetro

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Nintendo 64 is one of those enduring consoles that captures and retains the love and admiration of players. While the original hardware is almost 30 years old, newer software and hardware has continued to pop up over the years. And now ModRetro, the team behind the Game Boy Chromatic, has teased what appears to be a new N64 console, the M64.

"This is your last chance. After this, there is no turning back.

You take the blue pill - the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill - you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes."@modretro pic.twitter.com/fktoC96HvB

— Palmer Luckey (@PalmerLuckey) March 18, 2025

In a cryptic post on social media on March 18, 2025, Palmer Luckey shared an image of two pills, one red and one blue, along with a quote from the Matrix. These pills each featured a different M64 logo design, presumably giving users a chance to choose which logo they prefer. But this also seeks to confirm that the company is working on a new Nintendo 64 product, similar to the ModRetro Chromatic.

As Phil Hayton of GamesRadar points out, this will likely be an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) system featuring a metal shell and open-source firmware. Fans of retro hardware usually need to jury rig a series of cables and adapters in order to get older consoles running in a somewhat appropriate manner on modern TVs. The hope for the ModRetro Nintendo 64 is that it includes some HDMI compatibility so that players don’t need to rely on external adapters.

The M64 is looking to be another big name on the block when it comes to Nintendo 64 hardware. The Analogue 3D was announced in October 2023, and it is set to feature 4K resolution, compatibility with every single N64 game (region free), Bluetooth LE, dualband WiFi, and will be “engineered in FPGA. No emulation.” Unfortunately, it has seen a slight shipping delay until July 2025.

Fans of the Nintendo 64 will now just need to wait and hear what sort of specs are on offer with the M64. Keep it locked to Shacknews as we bring you more on retro gaming.

Sam Chandler

Head of Guides

Hailing from the land down under, Sam Chandler brings a bit of the southern hemisphere flair to his work. After bouncing round a few universities, securing a bachelor degree, and entering the video game industry, he's found his new family here at Shacknews as Head of Guides. There's nothing he loves more than crafting a guide that will help someone. If you need help with a guide, or notice something not quite right, you can message him on X: @SamuelChandler