What do new Evercade devices mean for the platform?
Last Updated on April 23, 2024
A pair of new Evercade devices with refreshed livery, the new Evercade Giga Cart line, and a couple of leaked collections have raised a few questions about what is next for Blaze Entertainment’s retro line.
These consoles are called the Evercade VS-R and the Evercade EXP-R. “R” seems to mean “redux” or “refresh” but if you don’t already own either device, it might also indicate “right price.”
Sporting charcoal grey finish with turquoise blue highlights, the “redux” line is expected to hit shelves later this year. These systems will ship with a new “giga cart” collection. These consoles are not new Evercade devices, but they will feature with different packaging and be available at a lower price than the original Evercade VS and EXP handheld.
It seems, however, that the Evercade EXP-R comes without Capcom games preinstalled. There is also the matter of the removal of the mini-HDMI port… but that always seemed pointless to me, and I’ve never seen anyone use it outside of a review.
Don’t get me wrong; any port removal is disappointing.
What is the Evercade “Giga Cart”?
Earlier this week, Blaze announced the Evercade Giga Cart format, a new type of cartridge with the capacity to run games that were originally released on CD. This would seem to include games released on the original PlayStation, as well as some other platforms around the same time.
A few eyebrows have been raised; after all, CD games aren’t retro, are they? Well, yes they are. The original PlayStation is 30 later this year.
Of the Giga Cart, the Evercade team says “For us to produce a larger cart would mean a higher development and release cost, and the Evercade community has always been open to this if the reasoning behind it was so that they get more from the collection in the quality of the games provided. We believe we’ve found the right balance with Giga Cart.”
Gigacarts will have an RRP of £22.49/$24.99/€24.99, but the standard carts will retain their £17.99/$19.99/€19.99 RRP. Note that Evercade’s new Giga Cart line will feature a logo on the case indicating the type of cartridge inside.
The first Evercade Giga Carts will launch later in 2024.
Evercade game collections leak on Amazon
We’ll finish with the news that two collections that are set to be revealed imminently have been inadvertently leaked early.
Retro gaming Twitter account Wario64 spotted this on Amazon, an Evercade Thalamus compilation! Featuring 11 games (we’re guessing 8-bit and 16-bit titles), the listing was pulled soon after it was spotted.
Similarly, this was also pulled: a Tomb Raider collection! As you can see in the top-right corner of the box, this is an Evercade Giga Cart.
If true, this would almost certainly one of the best selling Evercade collections yet.
Leagcy Evercade collections retired
Sad news to close. Codemasters Collection 1 (which features some Sensible Software titles) and Technos Arcade 1 (which shipped with some versions of the original Evercade VS) are both being retired. The Codemasters Collection 1 is retired effective immediately; Technos Arcade 1 will be retired in June.
This means that while some retailers will retain whatever stock they have, Evercade will no longer manufacture and release new stock of these collections.
Other collections have been retired previously. This is a sad consequence of releasing games under licence, so if you are a completist, check out these items now. Codemasters Collection 1 and Technos Arcade 1 are both currently available on Amazon.
Gaming since 1984, retro gaming since 2004. Contributes to Linux Format magazine, TechRadar.com, and other publications.
