Blaze Entertainment made a series of statements regarding this Evercade retro game consoles. Among other things, there is the company revealed updated and cheaper hardware.
Evercade -R series updates VS and EXP with a new look. Each of the new consoles coming in July comes with a bundled cartridge (more on that later). Previous consoles have been discontinued, but will be available while supplies last.
Blaze redesigned the handheld Evercade EXP-R with the goal of keeping costs down. To that end, Blaze removed two features: the 18 Capcom games built into the EXP and the Mini-HDMI output port. On the plus side, that means the latest version of the console is $100 (£100 in the UK and €120 in Europe), $30 less than the previous system.
The EXP-R features a new textured grip on the back that aims to improve comfort for longer gaming sessions. The system is charcoal gray with turquoise accents on the power, menu, start, and select buttons. Like its predecessor, the EXP-R includes Wi-Fi and a TATE button that allows you to switch to vertical gaming while maintaining the exact aspect ratio.
Rather than being a handheld device, the Evercade VS-R plugs into your TV. It has the same color scheme as the EXP-R, with a turquoise power button and front LED light. Like VSit has dual cartridge slots and four USB ports for controllers.
The console now supports TATE screen rotation and Wi-Fi connectivity for firmware updates. The console comes with a controller and power cable, but you’ll need to provide your own HDMI cable. Evercade VS-R will also drop support for Namco Museum Collection 1 and 2. In other words, with these changes, Blaze was also able to reduce the price of the VS-R to $100 as a new handset.
You may want to play some games on these systems. To this end, Evercade announced new cartridge format. The Giga Cart can hold larger games (such as those available on CDs) and will typically cost $25, compared to the $18 of regular Evercade cartridges.
Blaze plans to release two titles in the Giga Cart format this year and now we know what one of them is: the first set of threes Grave robber games. It’s not quite the remastered package with improved visuals that hit other platforms earlier this year. Tomb Raider Collection 1 Contains the original versions of the three games with OG character models and textures. While you can buy the basket separately and play on existing Evercade and Super Pocket devices, the Blaze bundles it with the Evercade EXP-R and VS-R.
