Years after its announcement, and after many delays, the Polymega is finally officially available. The Playmaji machine is immediately compatible with games from five CD consoles. And compatibility with various cartridge consoles is also offered via modules sold separately. And if a certain number of these modules are already on the market, Playmaji does not intend to stop there. One of the upcoming modules has just been revealed.
Playmaji has just announced that a new module will soon make the Polymega compatible with Nintendo 64 games. This is the site Nintendo Life who obtained the information via an interview with Bryan Bernal, the CEO of Playmaji. Like the other modules, the EM05 “Ultra“will allow you to play your Nintendo 64 games on an HD screen. And it will also allow you to transfer your cartridges to the console’s internal memory.
Bryan Bernal explains that this Nintendo 64 module has been the most requested by gamers. According to him, the interest of such a module is justified by the absence of legal solutions to play original N64 games. It is obviously still possible to use a real Nintendo 64. Connecting the console to a modern screen is not, however, the easiest.
Facilitate access to Nintendo 64 games
In terms of compatibility, Playmaji mentions a minimum of 90% compatibility at launch. This percentage will increase over time through updates. However, do not expect options to improve the rendering of games. The American consoler prefers to focus on the authenticity of the experience. The idea for Playmaji, whether on N64 or other compatible 3D consoles, is to be as true to the look that games had on screens at the time.
As for how to play these Nintendo 64 games via the Polymega, several solutions will be available to players. For example, they can use the original N64 controllers or the controller delivered with the Polymega. But they can also use the RC05 Ultra Retro Controller delivered with this new module. The latter was produced in collaboration with Retro-Bit and is a wired version of the Tribute64 controller from Retro-Bit. Bryan Bernal said in passing that this new controller was also designed to facilitate the use of Saturn games that exploited the analog controller from SEGA.
The Polymega, a constantly evolving machine
Unfortunately for those interested, Bryan Bernal does not reveal the precise release date of his Nintendo 64 mod. His arrival is currently scheduled for 2022. On the other hand, it indicates that other modules are planned in addition to this Ultra module. However, these will not only be used to increase the number of compatible consoles. According to the boss of Playmaji, these modules can be used to “to improve“the gaming experience.
What’s more, he recalls that a virtual store is still in preparation. And that its development is at an advanced stage. This store will be used to offer games from third-party publishers as well as new games developed in-house by Playmaji.
Subsequently, the manufacturer also plans to make the Polymega compatible with modern gaming services via the cloud. On paper, the Polymega could therefore end up being compatible with a huge number of games.
Polymega, the ultimate neo-retro console?
As a reminder, the Polymega alone is compatible with Mega-CD, Saturn, PlayStation, PC-Engine CD and Neo Geo CD games (all regions combined). Various additional modules allow it to run NES, Mega Drive / 32X, Super Nintendo, and PC Engine games. Last year we were able to test a pre-production version of the console. Our file on Polymega, accompanied by a long presentation video, is available at this address.
The purchase of a Polymega undeniably represents a significant financial investment. But at a time when manufacturers and publishers limit legal access to their old productions, it represents a good solution to continue playing / preserving its collection of retro titles.
What do you think of this announcement? Does it increase your interest in Polymega? Have you had the chance to try it? If so, what did you think? Tell us all in the comments below.
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