THE CRUNCH
Analogue has announced the Mega Sg+ and Super Nt+, revised editions of its retro consoles that play original Sega and Nintendo cartridges. The machines use a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a chip configured to recreate the original hardware directly rather than approximating it through software emulation. The company claims purpose-built 1080p output for 2D games, zero lag and total accuracy, backed by what it describes as more than a decade of in-house FPGA development.
The compatibility lists are broad: the Mega Sg+ is said to work with the 2,180-plus Sega Genesis, Mega Drive, Master System, Game Gear, Mark III and SG-1000 cartridge library, while the Super Nt+ covers more than 2,200 Super Nintendo and Super Famicom games. Both get a redesigned industrial look, Bluetooth and 2.4GHz wireless controller support, and hot-swapping of cartridges without powering down, provided you quit the current game first.
Quality-of-life touches extend to turning the consoles on and off from a controller, and a USB-C power supply and cable are included in the box. Pre-orders open on 19 October via the Analogue website, with shipping in December. Each console costs $219.99, with the Mega Sg+ offered in Japan, EU and US variants and the Super Nt+ in Classic, SF and Black.