Compatible with NES, Super Nintendo and PS1 games: The Polymega all-in-one retro console finally has a release date
Four years after its announcement, the all-in-one retro console Polymega, which was initially called the RetroBlox, is finally ready to ship and first devices should be delivered as early as next week. September 12 is the official release date of the much anticipated classic console, which means that the wait is finally over for gamers who have preordered the system. Like the long development time already indicates, developer Playmaji had significant issues with the retro console, but they ultimately managed to solve these problems.
The Polymega utilizes a software based emulator in order to play classic games for the Sega CD, TurboGrafx-CD, Neo Geo CD, PlayStation and Sega Saturn out of the box. Even NES, Super Nintendo, Genesis, 32X and TurboGrafx-16 are supported with an additional US$80 module which includes a compatible controller as well as cartridge reader. The Polymega's hardware is based on an Intel chipset, and it features the usual modern interfaces like HDMI, Wi-Fi, a USB and SD card reader, a 32GB internal SSD as well as a vintage CD-ROM drive. The classic gaming console runs on a customized Linux version with a fairly neat user interface.
PlayStation 1 games like Gran Turismo 2 (from US$39 on Amazon) should run flawlessly from their original disc, but the Polymega apparently also supports ROM and ISO files from other sources. Fans of classic NES and Super Nintendo games, who don't want to tinker with software emulation, should certainly check the Polymega retro console out. For more information on the Polymega, the short review on Polygon is definitely worth a read. The base unit of the Polymega can be ordered for US$449, but delivery dates have already slipped to 2022.