Key Takeaways
- The Analogue 3D uses FPGA technology to emulate N64 hardware, providing perfect compatibility with all N64 games.
- Connecting original N64 consoles to modern TVs is cumbersome, making the Analogue 3D’s 4K output convenience worthwhile.
- While priced at $250, the Analogue 3D offers modern features like Wi-Fi, save states, and native controller compatibility.
The Nintendo 64 is a divisive console among retro game fans. It has a small but mighty library, locked behind imperfect emulation or original hardware that’s tricky to mod or use with modern TVs. The Analogue 3D promises to solve all of that—for a price.
The Analogue 3D Is More Than an N64 Emulator
There are many perfectly serviceable N64 emulators out there along with great emulation consoles, but N64 emulation isn’t and likely never will be a one-to-one match for original hardware. Inside the Analogue 3D there is no original Nintendo hardware. Instead, a special processor known as an FPGA is used to physically simulate the electronic logic of the N64’s hardware.
Now, Analogue’s website states the 3D uses “no emulation”, but that’s not 100% true. An FPGA isn’t software emulation, but it isn’t physically the same hardware as the N64. It’s still a form of emulation, but one that’s functionally identical to the original hardware. At least, insofar as the programmers of the FPGA have managed to properly replicate what goes on inside a real N64. Either way, the bottom line is that a good FPGA solution is indisputable from original hardware. This is true for players and the actual games, since, unlike software emulators, the Analogue 3D can boast complete and perfect compatibility with every N64 game ever made.
Using an N64 on Modern TVs Is a Pain
So why not just use the original N64? Depending on where you live in the world, they aren’t that hard or expensive to find. There are probably a few in your local thrift shop even.
Unless you also pick up a nice CRT TV while you’re there, you’ll find that connecting that N64 to your modern TV results in an awful experience. Your other option is to modify your N64 so that it directly outputs a clean HDMI signal, and that’s not too expensive, though it runs the risk of going wrong, and in many cases you’ll have to modify the shell of the console as well. External specialized scalers do exist, but the good ones are expensive enough to compete with simply buying something like the Analogue 3D in the first place.
None of which addresses a main selling point of the Analogue 3D, which is that it produces native 4K output, aiming to reproduce the “reference” CRT quality. Now, we’ll have to wait for the console to release in 2025 so that its claims can be put to the test, but there’s no particular reason to disbelieve it based on Analogue’s previous FPGA systems.
The Analogue 3D Promises Many Modern Conveniences
Apart from higher resolutions, there are so many enticing quality of life improvements on offer here that you can’t do with the original hardware, and where emulators can offer the same features, the actual games are not running accurately. The console works with variable refresh rate TVs, it has Wi-Fi, and lets you create save states, take screenshots, and basically enjoy modern console features.
The Price Is Almost Reasonable?
The biggest thing to give me pause is the price. At around $250, this is no impulse buy. Especially given that it will only play cartridges and not ROM files. If you’re someone who has a collection of N64 ROMs, then I suspect this is going to be the definitive way to enjoy them for the foreseeable future. You can even use your existing N64 controllers and accessories with it, and safely store your original console to preserve it.
FPGA technology, especially when produced in small quantities as this will inevitably be, is expensive. You could buy an Xbox Series S for this money, and that’s a good emulation system for almost everything. You could get a refurbished Steam Deck, which will also emulate virtually anything. Yet, if you already have an N64 cartridge collection, then something like the Analogue 3D makes perfect sense. After all, it’s less expensive than some of the actual games it’s designed to play.