Commodore 64 Ultra: The Return of the '80s Legend
If you're nostalgic for afternoons spent in front of giant pixels, endless loading times, and the beautiful sounds that emanated from its chip, this news might thrill you. Commodore , the historic personal computer brand that made computing and video game history, is returning to the market with the Commodore 64 Ultra , a tribute to the machine that fueled the dreams of millions of enthusiasts in the 1980s.
The announcement comes in the wake of an unusual corporate development: Commodore Corporation was recently acquired by a group of enthusiasts led by popular YouTuber Christian 'Peri Fractic' Simpson , who has become interim CEO.
The purchase was made possible by the support of a group of unspecified and mysterious backers. Simpson called them "a few millionaires and a couple of billionaires" and even mentioned Musk.
After all, without massive support, none of this would have been possible, as the deal, according to the YouTuber himself, would be worth between $1 and $3 million . That's certainly a lot, but not too much considering the brand's historic value as a merchandising machine.
The Commodore 64 Ultra will come in three price ranges: the "BASIC Beige" (€256.79), the "Starlight Edition" with a translucent body (€299.59) and the prestigious "Founders Edition" (€427.99), featuring an elegant amber finish and 24-karat gold details .
The new incarnation is not a software emulation similar to the one marketed a few years ago under the name The C64 , but uses an advanced AMD Artix-7 FPGA, a processor capable of guaranteeing a declared compatibility of over 99% with the over 10,000 original games from the 80s and 90s .
FPGA technology was in fact created to emulate not the software but directly the hardware architecture, greatly increasing the fidelity of the emulation and allowing the use of even older media.
Underneath its retro exterior, the Commodore 64 Ultra hides modern technology: it supports 1080p HDMI video with almost no latency, offers Wi-Fi and Ethernet connectivity, and allows you to load games via USB, if you really don't feel like digging around for old cassettes or 5.25" discs.
The “Founders Edition” model also offers exclusive details like a commemorative gold stock certificate and a collectible “I Rebooted C=” T-shirt.
The operation led by Simpson and his associates aims precisely at the nostalgic hearts of old fans , while also trying to attract new generations curious to discover where the digital age we live in today comes from.
Not surprisingly, the new management promises a strategy based on passion and authenticity, avoiding more popular crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter and Indiegogo, preferring an independent campaign to minimize costs.
A good starting point for a seemingly impossible undertaking: reviving an iconic but long-neglected brand.
Peri Fractic and his 25-person team certainly got off to a good start. The main board, based on the Ultimate 64 Elite II, an existing FPGA recreation of the C64, sold for $300 on its own.
The basic version of the Commodore 64 Ultra costs the same but also includes a custom case and a modernized keyboard. If you're interested in these components, the deal is impressive.
Availability and pre-ordersIf you want to secure a piece of this story, pre-orders are already open, although shipping won't begin until October or November .
As always, it's important to remember that this is crowdfunding , and even if everything seems extremely reliable, there's always the risk that nothing will be delivered or that there will be delays, not to mention any additional costs related to shipping and customs.
Who knows, perhaps this return truly marks a new beginning for one of technology's most beloved and tormented icons, and perhaps it will bring other old computers back into fashion.
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