Update []:
The Verge has confirmed that the promising EmuDeck project is dead.
Apparently, only 40 orders were taken for the machine, and at least 100 were needed to make the project viable.
All backers have been refunded, and the EmuDeck team say they're already working on something else, which hints at another hardware-related project in the future.
Original Story: There were reasons to be sceptical of the turnkey, emulator-centric Steam Machine idea, and reasons to root for it too — but in the end, Sedano tells me he only got around 40 orders, and that he needed closer to 100.
He says he’s already refunded every backer, and did produce these two cases before shutting the project down.
The team behind the popular Steam Deck emulation offering EmuDeck has revealed that it is working on its first hardware project, dubbed EmuDeck Machine.
The venture has just launched on IndiGoGo, and offers a retro emulation mini PC (clad in a Dreamcast-style shell) running the Linux-based OS Bazzite. You'll still sign into your Steam account and get access to all of your Steam games, but you'll be able to access stuff like community-made Decky plug-ins and your ROM collection seamlessly.
Twinned with EmuDeck, the system aims to offer "automatic" and "zero config" access to your favourite retro games, but because it's available in two variants (the EM1 sports an Intel N97 APU, while the EM2 has an AMD Ryzen 8600G), you'll be able to play modern-day games, too.
In addition to this, a docking station for the EM2 variant is also on the cards. This will include an AMD Radeon 7600 desktop GPU to significantly boost the EmuDeck Machine's graphical grunt for AAA gaming.
Despite that, the focus here is very much on retro gaming, and putting players in touch with their favourite classic titles as easily as possible. Speaking to Overkill.wtf, EmuDeck project lead dragoonDorise said:
Getting a new PC can be a hurdle if you're not tech-savvy. I've been using an ITX build as my gaming rig for so long, trying to find that console-like experience. Now we can get that with Bazzite.
Pricing kicks off at €299 / £257 / $322 for the base EM1 EmuDeck Machine, while the base version of the EM2 costs €609 / £512 / $675. Shipping is currently planned for December 2024.
This isn't the first time a product like this has made it to market; the modular Polymega system also uses PC-based emulation and offers a massive database of games, with the catch being that you have to leverage your physical software collection.
[source indiegogo.com, via overkill.wtf]
Comments 12
I already own one of these, it's called a steam deck, and it's great!
Sega licensed the looks of the Dreamcast out then ?
The console-like experience implies an ease of use that runs counter to everything about emulation, from how you get the games into the emulator to the weird bugs/crashes that weren't there on original hardware.
I think the Polymega is actually great and got most of the way there with the console-lile experience, but boy howdy there were significant costs associated with the effort.
You can recreate some of that with a slick front-end for emulators (Reset Collection is a great one in my experience) but even the best of those will still require a fair bit of user mucking about to make them work and look their best, and all of that hurts the "console-like experience."
It's a cool thing to aim for and I wish them luck, but I think there are reasons this is still a (partially) unaddressed need in the market.
Looks lovely.
Edit: I take that back, the ports on the front contain old school USB, and the additional renders has "Dreamcast controller plug" shaped surrounds upside down. And the device seems about 1.5 times as tall and not as good looking.
Also so many hardware versions at launch, and a dock, leaves me cold.
@KitsuneNight I would imagine after 25 years since the original patent went in it has also long since expired so Sega probably doesn't have any kind of rights to a similar designed system for a console they no longer produce. If it had Sega and Dreamcast branding all over it then that would be a different matter.
Yeah for that price just get a Steam Deck. Or get a RPi5 and do pretty much all the same emulator things (except Cemu) for a way cheaper price.
The Polymega has nailed a modern console like experience for retro, but there are a lot of barriers to entry (cost, must have a physical collection, low availability). This is an interesting project I'd like to see more of. More retro consoles focusing on UI/experience is great.
So it's basically a Steam Machine that allows you to play emulate games as well. Kinda odd that those are its selling point since you could basically do all of that on an actual Steam Machine, Atari VCS, portable PC, Steam Deck, etc.
Retroid with Dock
BAM Consolized Emulator and you can go fufu and game.
@Poodlestargenerica My thoughts exactly! It seems silly at that price point to not just use a docked steamdeck for the same functionality.
@UK_Kev I agree, I've never seen market saturation as ludicrous as with retro gaming machines over the last 4-5 years. There's literally 10 new ones every month.
Had a feeling things would end this way. Instead of trying to be a proper mini-PC, this device should have aimed to be an emulation machine. Imagine if this thing has a focus on all of Sega's home consoles but also had the small bonus of being strong enough for some of Sega's more recent games all for 199. That would have been worth it. Couple this with a matching, optional disc drive for Sega CD, Saturn and Dreamcast repros, this would have been a killer device! It's a damn shame. Hopefully someone from China copies the Dreamcast style shell and sticks a mini-PC in it. It would make for a fun DIY "Super Sega" project.
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...