Analogue 3D, the FPGA Nintendo 64-compatible console, has been delayed all the way from its announcement in 2023. Many people thought it was going to be difficult to deliver! NowForeign media actual machine evaluationFinally released, one thing can be confirmed: this machine is not a legend, it really exists, and its performance is quite amazing!
The biggest selling point of Analogue 3D is that it can output N64 games that originally only had analog signals to a 4K HDR TV using HDMI. The picture is clean, the input delay is extremely low, and the unique 3D blur of the original machine is retained, but it “looks much better.” With the built-in “native display mode”, it can simulate the scanning lines and luminescence of BVM/PVM or old CRT TVs. If you want a clean digital style, you can also switch to a completely filter-free mode, and then slowly adjust your TV.
The appearance design is more refined, smaller in size but stronger in texture.
In terms of hardware design, Analogue 3D is smaller and thinner than the original N64. It also has four controller jacks on the front, HDMI, USB-A, USB-C power supply and SD card slot on the back. The bottom is covered with anti-slip rubber, so it will not slip when placed on the TV cabinet. The console does not come with a handle, but the official cooperation with 8BitDo launched the 8BitDo 64 wireless handle. The layout has been changed to a modern double shoulder key design, and it still fully supports A/B/C button configuration and Z triggering. However, the operating feel will be a bit different from the three-pronged handle of the year. If old players want the original feel, they can also directly plug in the original N64 handle.
FPGA has a very high degree of restoration,Amazing measured performance
What really excites hardcore gamers is the performance space of Analogue 3D. The host uses Cyclone 10GX FPGA and has a built-in “advanced” option that allows automatic or manual overclocking for games. Works such as “Perfect Darkness” that struggled to run on the N64 at the time, after turning on the enhanced mode on Analogue 3D, the frame rate is obviously stable, and the overall experience is like installing a “Pro-level CPU” on the N64. Many old works are “unlocked” for the first time to a near-ideal state. This kind of smoothness that pushes old games to a level that was not possible back then is a feeling that the Switch Online N64 simulation cannot give at all.
Burning cards are not supported. The cassette must be wiped clean before you can play it.
Of course, it’s not perfect either. Analogue 3D is strictly locked in the “physical cartridge” ecosystem and does not support official ROMs. It also does not get along well with some EverDrive-type N64 flash carts for the time being. The contact points of some players’ cartridges are too dirty, and when they are plugged in, the host will judge it as an Unknown Cartridge, and they have to wipe it with a clean cotton pad until it shines before starting it. In addition, it does not have a 64DD compatible port, nor does it have a real-time save function for simulated saves. The overall philosophy is: if you want to play, just bring a real cartridge and play the same way as before, but the graphics and performance will help you reach the level of 2025.
This is a dream console for hardcore “N64 gamers”
Judging from the price of US$250, Analogue 3D is definitely not a “cheap memory machine”, but a high-end toy specially prepared for those people who “just want to have the most fun with physical cards.” For players who just want to casually relive the N64, Switch Online or PC emulators are still more cost-effective; but if you have a whole cabinet of original cartridges of “The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time”, “Star Wars Fox 64”, “Super Smash Bros.” etc. (like the owner of this site), Analogue 3D can now be regarded as the most beautiful, cleanest, lowest delay, and highest degree of freedom in screen adjustment. The only problem is, as always:The first batch has been sold out, the future replenishment rhythm still depends on Analogue’s face…