The Nintendo 64 is reborn with the ModRetro M64 and its AMD Artix UltraScale+ chip, a revival that is already intriguing

The Nintendo 64 no longer remains confined to collectors’ windows: with the ModRetro M64the cult console returns to the living room in a completely new form. After the Chromatic dedicated to Game Boy games, ModRetro is tackling Nintendo’s 64-bit game with a home machine designed for original cartridges and for current 4K televisions, all without going through classic software emulation.

At the heart of this M64, an FPGA chip AMD Artix UltraScale+ promises to recreate the hardware logic of the N64 at the silicon level, where many solutions simply simulate it. An official partnership with AMDfanless 16nm engraving and an already dated launch give this revival an unusual seriousness, to the point of giving rise to a question: is this the best way to replay the N64 in 2026?

ModRetro M64: how the AMD Artix UltraScale+ brings back the Nintendo 64?

Concretely, the ModRetro M64 relies on an FPGA, a reprogrammable component that can mimic the operation of a dedicated chip. For a gamer, this means rebuilding the original console circuit by circuit in a reconfigurable chip, rather than letting software imitate its behavior with varying degrees of success.

Sumit Shah, Head of Product Management and Marketing for the Adaptive and Embedded Computing Group at AMDsummarizes the issue: “AMD’s Artix UltraScale+ FPGA technology helps redefine what’s possible in retro gaming by allowing developers to recreate the behavior of the original hardware with extraordinary precision. By emulating chip logic directly at the hardware level, ModRetro can preserve the authenticity of classic gaming while bringing these iconic experiences to a new generation of gamers.” According to Notebookcheck, this approach must guarantee faithful timings and minimal input lag.

For Torin Herndon, CEO of ModRetrothe choice of chip was central: “The selection of the FPGA was by far the most critical decision in the M64 design process. We needed something that would serve as a stable backbone to build the most accurate hardware emulation of the Nintendo 64 for many years to come AMD’s Artix UltraScale+ FPGA was the only option capable of delivering the cost-optimized performance per watt needed to tackle this project.” 16 nm engraving also allows high frequencies to be maintained without a fan, therefore in complete silence.

What does the ModRetro M64 promise to everyday Nintendo 64 fans?

The M64 is a dedicated home console that directly accepts original cartridges from Nintendo 64with modern HDMI output and four controller ports on the front. ModRetro highlights synchronization very close to period hardware, reduced latency and wide compatibility, even if the official list already mentions around fifty games presenting more or less annoying bugs.

Under the hood, the machine is based on an N64 core from the MiSTer project and adapted to the platform AMD Artix UltraScale+with an announced opening to third-party developers for updates and homebrew. On the handling side, ModRetro will offer a dedicated controller M64 Prowireless via Bluetooth, with interchangeable analog sticks to aim for both competitive gaming and faithfulness to the original sensations.

Proof that the M64 is not only aimed at nostalgia, several new physical games are announced at launch: Extreme‑G: Turbo Fusion, Xeno Crisis, Xibalba 64 and the return of Buck Bumble. Enough to give the N64 a second active life, and not just a museum.

ModRetro M64: price, release date and interest for French players

According to ModRetro, the M64 will be available from July 28, 2026, with shipping expected the same day. The first contributors will be able to obtain it for 199 dollars (around 185 €), then the console will increase to a public price of around 230 dollars (around 215 €). The controller M64 Pro is announced at 90 dollars (around €80). On the American market, the machine is clearly below the bar of Analogue 3Dconcurrente FPGA plus onéreuse.

For a French player, the calculation is less direct: no European prices or distributors have been confirmed. When importing from the United States, you will have to add VAT, customs fees and delivery, which can easily increase the overall bill to around €250 to €300 for the console with Pro controller. The M64 therefore remains, at least at launch, a niche item for N64 enthusiasts.

The good news is that ModRetro has already proven its industrial seriousness with the Chromatic. It remains to be seen whether the promise of hardware fidelity, the updates to the MiSTer core and the real compatibility of the catalog will follow over time. Between anticipated import and waiting for the first tests, French Nintendo 64 fans will closely observe this revival signed AMD.