What Is RGL’s “Full Size Amiga”? A500 Maxi, A600, or CD32?

Last Updated on February 4, 2024

The Retro Games Ltd roadmap pictured above highlights its plans for 2024. These plans include what it describes as a “Full Size Amiga Console.” Initial expectations for this device were a scaled up version of the A500 Mini.

But what if that’s not the case?

Full size Amiga vs. full size C64

Much has been written about the potential for a full sized Amiga “maxi” console from Retro Games Ltd. After all, this would follow the pattern established with TheC64 Mini and TheC64. While the mini is a compact system with no working keyboard, TheC64 is almost identical to a classic Commodore 64, down to the operational keyboard.

It makes sense, therefore, for a potential “A500 Maxi” to feature a keyboard you can use. And by that, I mean one complete with a numberpad.

Casting my mind back to owning an Amiga 600, I recall being utterly deflated that I couldn’t play Railroad Tycoon. The reason? Placing tracks relied on the number pad, and doing do efficently needed the diagonal numbers – 7, 9, 1, and 3.

This was my primary reason for buying an Amiga 1200!

Could it be an A600 or even a CD32?

As sensible as a full keyboard might be, however, there is a strong chance that whatever RGL’s “full size Amiga” is, it doesn’t have a number pad. In fact, it may not even have a keyboard.

I’ll let that sink in for a moment.

There is a growing feeling – echoed in both recent issues of Amiga Addict and The Retro Hour podcast – that whatever Amiga-shaped objet de retro is heading to us from Retro Games Ltd, it isn’t the one we’re expecting.

Two primary alternatives are being cited:

• An A600-sized full sized system, with a 78 key keyboard (or thereabouts)
• A CD32 remake (naturally, without a keyboard, but would it have a working CD-ROM drive?

Both offer interesting propositions. Given how The400 Mini came out of leftfield this year, at this stage I wouldn’t put anything past RGL when it comes to delivering on its “full size Amiga” roadmap destination.

Although it’s fair to say, whatever RGL has in store for later this year, it’s unlikely to be a CDTV…