Analogue’s no-show and the next big thing in mobile controllers

👋 Hello and welcome to another edition of The Memory Core newsletter. I'm still working on a few major stories for future newsletters, but I have a couple of interesting developments to share with you this week.

First, Analogue's big announcement day passed this week, and there's good news for N64 FPGA emulation, but probably not what you're expecting.

Plus, a new category of mobile controllers that could finally make it comfortable to play retro games on your phone.

And as always, there's a news roundup at the end with all the rest. Without providing context, there's a new McDonald's commercial you need to watch.

P.S. If you haven't already, consider signing up to get every new edition in your inbox, free of charge.

ModRetro steals the show on Analogue’s big day

Every year since 2017, Analogue has made a big announcement on October 16th. It’s when the company traditionally announces new products and pre-orders, so it’s a date that fans, customers, and retro gaming/emulation newsletter writers pay close attention to.

Here’s a quick rundown of previous years (taken from Reddit):

So when October 16 rolled around this year, everyone with an Analogue 3D pre-order was on the edge of their seat. Could this be the day we finally get a firm release date?

The answer is no. Analogue’s big announcement this year was essentially no announcement. Here is the full text:

While it’s upsetting that Analogue has nothing exciting to say about progress on the Analogue 3D a full year after pre-orders started, what’s worse is that the announcement itself is no longer trustworthy. The company states the A3D is “on target to ship in Q4 of this year,” but at this point, it’s hard to take the company at its word.

For reference, here’s a quick breakdown of the release dates and delays so far:

October 2023 (first announced): Scheduled for 2024
October 2024 (pre-orders start): Delayed to Q1 2025
March 2025: Delayed to “by July 2025”
July 2025: Delayed to “late August 2025”
August 2025: Delayed to Q4 2025

Perhaps worse than the delays is the language used in each announcement. The July 2025 delay claimed, “Late August, the wait ends: reviews go live with everything we’ve been saving for this moment.” The next delay wrote, “It’s at 99%…. The last 1% is where we’re focused.”

And throughout all of this, the company hasn’t even shown the Analogue 3D in action. Fans clung to a press video discovered last month on Analogue’s own website, but yesterday’s announcement didn’t even acknowledge its existence.

However, there was one company that made a major announcement on October 16, and that’s Analogue’s main competitor, ModRetro. Last month, I revealed that its N64 FPGA console, the M64, will be open-source and run MiSTer cores, and today we’ll get our first glimpse at the actual hardware.

Note: ModRetro founder Palmer Luckey is also the founder of Anduril Industries, a defense tech company that designs weapons and surveillance systems. Learn more here and here.

Announced via Twitter, ModRetro will have a working M64 console at the Portland Retro Gaming Expo at booth 601 from October 17-19. The company confirmed to me that the demo unit will be open to the public and fully playable.

I’ll be watching social media for pictures (let me know if you’re there!), but the Tweet did include an illustration that showcases the design, seen above.

Unsurprisingly, it looks very similar to the N64, but the buttons in the front look very different. Knowing ModRetro, it’s sure to come in a variety of flashy color options.

Regardless, it’s starting to look more and more like we will see at least one N64 FPGA device launch this year. It just might not be the Analogue 3D.

The magnetic controller revolution has begun

Mobile controllers have been in a funny spot for a while. We’ve gone from clip-on mounts to telescopic grips, but now, a new contender is finally snapping into place.

MCON, which was successfully Kickstarted to the tune of $1.7 million in January of this year, is finally available for purchase. Technically it’s a pre-sale, since it won’t ship until mid-January, but the product design is finished and it has some interesting new elements.

If you haven’t seen it, it’s a flat, compact controller that attaches to the back of your phone via magnets. It’s compatible with the iPhone MagSafe standard, as well as other magnetic standards, magnetic cases, or any other phone thanks to the included magnetic ring sticker.

By pressing a button on the top, the controller slides out, much like a PSP Go. You can then slide it back into place when you don’t need it, or detach the controller from the backing plate. The plate then serves as a kickstand for the phone, allowing you to continue playing via Bluetooth 5.4.

Ohsnap, a smartphone accessory maker that partnered with MCON creator Josh King last year to make this a reality, didn’t pull any punches when it came to the hardware. It has TMR sticks, textured analog triggers, deployable grips, a gyroscope, Bluetooth multi-connect, and more.

The company also put out a very well-produced short film to promote it. It’s completely unnecessary and doesn’t really showcase the controller much, but it’s pretty neat if you’re into that kind of thing.

The bad part of all of these premium features and marketing is that the controller is pretty expensive. It retails for $150, with a temporary discount reducing the price to $145. It also has a full ecosystem of accessories:

MCON: $144.99 ($149.99 retail)
MCON Travel Sleeve: $29.99
MCON Dock: $69.99
MCON Key Cast: $29.99

The Travel Sleeve is just a fancy case, but the controller itself has a cover to protect the sticks while not in use. The Dock and Key Cast offer a convenient way to connect your phone to an external display, although there are far cheaper options to do this.

Overall, it’s a tough sell at this price point. I wish the company had limited the scope more to keep the price lower, but if you can afford it (or backed it at the $100 early bird price), it looks like a very interesting option.

However, MCON isn’t the only magnetic controller on the way, with Abxylute’s M4 Snap-on Gamepad hot on its heels. First announced in August, it’s roughly half the size of MCON, with a much simpler design.

Instead of sliding, the controller swings out from the back of the phone. The controls are much more compact and resemble those on a clamshell handheld, such as the ANBERNIC RG 35XX SP.

Like MCON, the controller can detach from the magnetic ring, which then turns into a kickstand for tabletop gaming.

The Kickstarter page for the M4 Snap-On Gamepad just went up this morning, and the campaign is expected to begin in early November. There’s no word on pricing yet, but it’s a simple device, so it should be relatively affordable.

No matter which one comes out on top, it’s clear we’re entering a new era of magnetic mobile controllers. I’m looking forward to testing whether or not they can deliver on the promise of a truly portable phone controller.

Handheld highlights

‼️ It turns out the ANBERNIC RG DS is real! The company officially announced the Nintendo DS clone using the same “leaked” footage that it previously said was fake. The best news? It will cost less than $100. [YouTube]

🤏 Miyoo finally revealed the Miyoo Mini Flip, a smaller version of the clamshell Miyoo Flip V2. It has the same 2.8-inch screen as the Miyoo Mini, although pricing hasn’t been revealed as of writing. It goes up for sale on October 19. [YouTube]

🆕 The MANGMI AIR X is now available for purchase. I reviewed it a few weeks ago, but at $80 it’s an absolute steal. It ships right away, and if you get it this weekend, it comes with a free case. [Website]

🚀 Speaking of affordable devices, the crowdfunding campaign for the AYANEO Pocket AIR Mini launched today, and it looks like a killer entry-level handheld. It ships later than the AIR X above, but the smaller 4.2-inch 4:3 screen is a better fit for most retro consoles. [Indiegogo]

FPGA Focus

💯 The MiSTER NES core has achieved perfect accuracy (according to the Accuracy Coin test), and these changes have now been incorporated into the Analogue Pocket openFPGA core for perfect accuracy there, too. [YouTube]

👀 As mentioned above, keep an eye on social media for details about the ModRetro M64, which will be showcased for the first time at the Portland Retro Gaming Expo starting today. [X]

The Emulator Report

🖥️ DOSBox Pure is a new version of the emulator coming out tomorrow, and it might be the ultimate way to play DOS games. It has save states, CRT filters, MIDI synth emulation, 4K support for 3Dfx Voodoo games, and so, so much more. [YouTube]

👾 Batocera v42 dropped, with a wide range of newly compatible hardware, including the Odin 2, Odin 2 Portal, Retroid Mini V2, and Retroid Flip 2. Check out the full changelog for more details, because it’s a big one. [YouTube] [Changelog]

🦔 The Sega Saturn emulator Ymir has been making rapid progress, with v0.2.0 landing this week. It brings numerous compatibility improvements, as well as low-level CD Block emulation for improved accuracy. [GitHub]

🤖 Work on the Android port of PS3 emulator RPCSX continues, with a new test build released earlier this week. There is no changelog available, but it’s the first new build in over a month. You can download it to start testing on your device, but temper your expectations. [GitHub]

🎙️ Gardiner Bryan published an extensive interview with two PCSX2 developers about their inspirations, progress on the emulator, and more. [Website]

🔜 On that note, the developers of ARMSX2 have discontinued a macOS port, since the PCSX2 devs stated they will continue to support ARM JIT on Apple Silicon in the interview above. The team also launched a new website and expects the Play Store listing to go live very soon. [Discord] [Website]

👦 The Playdate Game Boy emulator Crankboy released v1.1 with improved audio and bug fixes. You can download it now for free via Patreon. [Patreon]

Retro archives

🍔 McDonald’s Japan released a promotion video for a new Street Fighter collaboration, and it goes way harder than it needs to. I highly recommend watching the video, which took me right back to my days fiddling with MUGEN. [X]

▶️ TombForge is a new custom engine for creating modern Tomb Raider levels. It’s still a work in progress, but it’s exciting news for fans of early Tomb Raider games. [X]

📈 Time Extension put out a great interview with Bruce Lowry, who helped bring the NES to the US and make Nintendo into the household name it is today. There are lots of fascinating insights for fans of retro gaming. [Time Extension]

💿 Orc Face Games put out a disk containing the top 10 Dreamcast homebrew demos from its game jam at the end of 2024, and you can order one for free, just paying the cost of shipping. You can also download the digital version and burn your own disk or emulate the games. [Orc Face Games]

😔 Tomonobu Itagaki, creator of Dead or Alive and Ninja Gaiden 2004, has sadly passed away at the age of 58. He posted a final goodbye message to his fans, which you can read at the link. [IGN]

That's all for this week. If you happen to be at the Portland Retro Gaming Expo, reach out and let me know about the M64 and all the other cool things you find!

Signing out,

Archivist Rowan

113 Cherry St #92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2205
Unsubscribe · Preferences