Polymega/Retroblox: New 1080p "Clone" 2600 to PCE-CD to PS1

[bmoc]

A few other things to share after poking around their forum and Facebook page.

-SNES CD support is a possibility. They are going to look into any legal ramifications before proceeding.

-They have permission from some open source emulator developers to use their code. However, given the nature of their "Hybrid Emulation" system, pretty much anything they get will require a full rewrite.

-They are hoping to start delivering their product 8-10 months after being funded.

-Retroblox has deflected many questions about Saturn support but hasn't outright said no. They have said no to PS2 support. I suspect Saturn support may be a stretch goal of the Kickstarter campaign.

[ElkinFencer10]

I absolutely understand the complaints and concerns that I've seen from some folks here, but I, personally, think this thing sounds awesome. The idea of having new consoles added through new modules in the future and new disc based systems added through updates really excites me. I'm not going to say for sure that I'd commit to it, but this is a Kickstarter that I would definitely strongly consider backing. I am a bit hesitant to back stuff on Kickstarter after getting burned several times, especially with pricier things like this, but I'm not going to rule it out entirely. I'd definitely be down for this as a regular purchase, though.

[Thierry Henry]

^^
As a regular purchase, I'd go for it too. Yes.

[Jagosaurus]

Interview with CEO in YouTube link below.

Sounds like Sega CD, PS1, and PCE CD all work natively with no additional modules. He clarifies what modules include (32x included in Sega module, what!).

Working proto shown.

Vid link:
https://youtu.be/OBqSKeLLcMI

[Golgo 14]

I'm excited about the Atari support.

Me too, but only if it includes 7800 support. Could be a real boon for the homebrew community.

[ElkinFencer10]

I'm excited about the Atari support.

Me too, but only if it includes 7800 support. Could be a real boon for the homebrew community.

I'd love to see some 5200 support, especially if there's a way for me to use literally any controller other than the actual 5200 controller.

[bmoc]

I'd love to see some 5200 support, especially if there's a way for me to use literally any controller other than the actual 5200 controller.

Seconded! The 5200 was my first console. I sold it because I didn't want to invest in controllers that actually work.

[arcadifvid]

is it possible that the cd drive would support more systems out of the box? or would it need additional modules? im really curious about this one.

[ElkinFencer10]

is it possible that the cd drive would support more systems out of the box? or would it need additional modules? im really curious about this one.

Everything before the PS2 just used CD-ROMs (technically the Dreamcast was a GD-ROM, but that's basically just a modified compressed CD), so all they'd need to do is update the firmware, and that's easy to do.

[bmoc]

I am 99% sure I read somewhere that additional CD/DVD based systems could be added via software updates.

Now that I think about it, I don't think they have commented on how they are handling original controllers for PS1. You will definitely be able to use Retroblox's wireless controller. But for original PS1 controllers, I suppose they would have to make an optional "controller module" or USB adapter. Sega CD and PC-Engine CD are covered via their respective cartridge/card modules.

(Wild speculation below)
I wonder if it would be possible to do some sort of partial FPGA Saturn module since it is so hard to accurately emulate. They might use a FPGA that only replicates the 3D CPU while using software emulation for the 2D CPU. That sounds like something that could be a thing with their "Hybrid Emulation" tech.