Retro gaming is getting revived with FPGA tech? Here's what we know

The newly announced ModRetro M64 uses an AMD FPGA chip to recreate Nintendo 64 hardware behaviour, offering an alternative to software emulators for retro gaming enthusiasts

Retro gaming enthusiasts have no shortage of ways to revisit classic titles today. Software emulators can run decades-old games on PCs, smartphones, and modern consoles, while companies continue to release hardware inspired by iconic gaming systems of the past. Now, AMD’s FPGA technology is being used for a different approach altogether, recreating retro gaming consoles at a hardware level.

 

ModRetro recently revealed its new gaming system, M64, powered by an AMD Artix 7 FPGA. It essentially allows original game cartridges and controllers to work on modern displays while preserving the experience as closely as possible to the original system.

 

What is the ModRetro M64

ModRetro M64 is a gaming console designed specifically for Nintendo 64 titles. Scheduled to launch on July 28, the device supports original Nintendo 64 cartridges and controllers while adding modern features such as HDMI connectivity and native 4K video output.

 

According to ModRetro, the M64 follows the same preservation-focused philosophy behind its earlier Chromatic handheld. Rather than functioning as a general-purpose retro gaming device, the company says the system has been built around Nintendo 64 games.

 

At the heart of the M64 is an AMD Artix 7 FPGA chip, which ModRetro says serves as the foundation for recreating Nintendo 64 hardware behaviour.

Emulators already exist. How is AMD’s FPGA approach different

Software emulators have existed for decades and remain the most common way to play classic games on modern hardware. These programs allow one device to mimic the behaviour of another through software, making it possible to run older games on PCs, smartphones, and dedicated retro gaming devices.

 

ModRetro says the M64 takes a fundamentally different approach. The company describes the system as “Not Emulation. Recreation” and says the device is designed as a hardware-level recreation of the Nintendo 64 rather than a traditional software emulator.

 

According to ModRetro, its FPGA implementation recreates the Nintendo 64 architecture “transistor by transistor” and is intended to deliver ultra-low latency while preserving the behaviour of the original hardware as accurately as possible.

 

While software emulation and FPGA recreation ultimately pursue the same goal of keeping older games playable, ModRetro argues that recreating the hardware itself offers a more authentic preservation path for the Nintendo 64 platform. For the uninitiated, FPGA stands for Field-Programmable Gate Array, a type of chip that can be reconfigured after manufacturing to perform specific hardware functions.

Is ModRetro the only company doing this?

No. While FPGA-based retro gaming remains a niche segment compared to software emulation, ModRetro is not the only company pursuing this approach. One of the most notable examples is Analogue 3D, an FPGA-based Nintendo 64 system announced by Analogue. Like the M64, Analogue 3D is designed to work with original Nintendo 64 cartridges and output games to modern displays. The company also positions its product as an alternative to conventional software emulation.

 

Both products target a similar audience: players who still own original Nintendo 64 game collections and want to play them on modern hardware without relying on software emulators.

 

The existence of both products suggests that FPGA-based console recreation is becoming an increasingly visible part of the retro gaming market. While software emulation remains the most common way to play older titles, companies are betting that some players are willing to pay for hardware designed specifically to reproduce the behaviour of classic gaming systems as closely as possible.