Evercade announces Evercade VS: a new 4-player retro gaming console

Our friends at Blaze Entertainment have finally revealed what the mysterious Evercade VS is: it’s a home console version of the Evercade, featuring four USB controller ports, dual cartridge slots, WiFi updates and compatibility with all existing Evercade cartridges.

Check out the Evercade VS announcement trailer here:

Evercade VS is the first officially licensed retro gaming console to output in 1080p; the other “mini consoles” we’ve seen to date are limited to 720p, as is the Evercade handheld. The included WiFi features will initially be used for firmware and game updates as required, but some sort of online functionality — no details as to what yet — will be added in a later system update.

The Evercade VS console’s dual cartridge ports allow for two separate game cartridges to be inserted at once, allowing full access to all the games on each without needing to change media. Save states are cross-compatible between the handheld Evercade device and the Evercade VS console, allowing you to start a game at home and take your current progress on the go with you.

The Evercade VS features a revamped menu system over the original handheld’s user interface, providing more information about games as well as a more visual means of navigating through the titles on each cartridge.

Evercade VS will include USB controllers, which are based on the Evercade handheld’s form factor but include two additional shoulder buttons to cater to the increasing number of ’90s PS1 games that are starting to appear on the platform. Blaze notes that handheld owners needn’t worry, however; controls will be remapped for the handheld (which only has two shoulder buttons) as required, so no-one will miss out on being able to play new Evercade games if they only have the handheld.

USB controllers — including those which use wireless USB dongles — will also be supported, and with a special cable (which will be sold separately) you can even use an Evercade handheld as an additional controller for the Evercade VS.

And finally, there’s a mysterious “purple cartridge” numbered separately from the existing red cartridges teased in the trailer… what could that be? We’ll have to wait and see, it seems.

The console is set to launch in November of 2021, with preorders opening in May of 2021. The Evercade handheld and its first 16 cartridges are available now, with another four carts — Indie Heroes, Worms Collection 1, CodeMasters Collection 1 and Intellivision Collection 1 –also announced and on the way soon.

Find out more about the Evercade and the Evercade VS on the official website.

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Pete Davison

Pete is Rice Digital's editor, and a proud champion of any and all games involving pretty girls hanging out, saving the world or both. His first waifu was Rit from Rod Land.

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