Forget emulators: These new handhelds are built to play Commodore 64 and Spectrum games

• Hyper Mega Tech has announced two new clamshell handhelds inspired by the Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum.
• Each device features a 4.3-inch IPS display, 25 built-in games, and a microSD slot for external ROMs.
• The handhelds are priced at $130 each and are scheduled to begin shipping on October 15, 2026.

Retro handheld gamers are spoilt for choice these days (if you ignore the RAM crisis at least). If you needed even more retro handheld options to spend your money on, Evercade’s sister brand, Hyper Mega Tech, has revealed two new handhelds inspired by the Commodore 64 and the ZX Spectrum.

Hyper Mega Tech’s C64 and Spectrum handhelds feature a clamshell design that pays homage to the era’s palmtops (h/t Retrododo). These new handhelds feature a 4.3-inch IPS LCD with a resolution of 840 x 480. There’s a quad-core 1.2GHz CPU on board, coupled with 256MB RAM. Both handhelds come with 25 built-in games and, thankfully, also feature a microSD card slot to let you play your own legally sourced game ROMs.