Press release:

DATE: April 30, 2026 12:00 BST

LETCHWORTH, UK: Blaze Entertainment and Retro Games Ltd are delighted to announce two new portable retro game consoles that answer the question – What if your favourite home computers of the 1980s were portable?

Introducing THEC64 Handheld and The Spectrum Handheld – two new handheld retro gaming consoles licensed by Retro Games Ltd and created by the makers of the critically acclaimed Super Pocket consoles. These two new handhelds are designed around the imagination of what a portable version of these classic home computers would look like in the 1980s.

Each handheld follows the colour scheme of the home computers and is inspired by the design choices of each original release. The clamshell case design takes inspiration from some of the most successful gaming handhelds of the past, while also evoking the style of portable computers, palmtops and organisers of the 1980s. Answering the question of what these classic home computers would be like if they were designed and made in the 1980s.
What do you get?:

The iconic home computers in handheld form
25 classic THEC64/The Spectrum games built into each device
Bring your own games using the MicroSD card slot
A sharp and bright 4.3″ screen at a high 800*480 resolution
Tailored game controls with customisable mappings
Tactile Plastic/Rubber function buttons unique to each handheld
Keyboard & Joystick support using the rear USB-A I/O
Front-facing stereo speakers and 3.5mm headphone jack
Rechargeable battery via USB-C Charging port (cable included)

Each console comes with 25 built-in games (full game lists are below) that highlight some of the best examples of gaming on both iconic platforms, such as Boulder Dash, Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe, Manic Miner, Head over Heels, and many more! The bespoke user interface highlights the games in a fun style inspired by the original computer interfaces, with all the modern features gamers have come to expect, like load/save states, screen options, information on the games, and more.

The consoles have a 4.3” IPS screen and front-facing stereo speakers for a great personal gaming experience, and a responsive D-Pad with four face buttons for easy handheld game play. Each console also has four function buttons designed to mimic the keys on the original devices and a menu/start/select button layout inspired by the same. These keys are tactile plastic on THEC64 Handheld and rubber on The Spectrum Handheld.

Plus, the fun doesn’t stop there as fans can bring their own games with the dedicated MicroSD slot on every device and can expand their handheld to support a USB keyboard or Joystick with the rear USB-A I/O port. Users can also select a variety of system options, allowing them to customise which historic system to emulate with their games. This will give users a multitude of customisable settings, system speeds, audio chip selections, and more.

“THEC64 and The Spectrum are two of the most iconic names in gaming history, with generations of players who hold them close to their hearts. Bringing these experiences into a brand-new handheld form feels like a natural next step, and we’re proud to bring these to both longtime fans and a new audience discovering them for the first time. We are delighted to be working with Retro Games Ltd to make this happen.” – Andrew Byatt, CEO, Blaze Entertainment.

Paul Andrews MD of Retro Games Ltd said:
“We are delighted to be working with Blaze Entertainment on the release of two amazing handheld devices, ‘THEC64 Handheld’ and ‘The Spectrum Handheld’. With an superb selection of classic games on each machine, Retro Gaming on the go just got even better!”

PRICING

The Spectrum Handheld and THEC64 Handheld will be available at Amazon, Funstock, and multiple Evercade retailers around Europe and the US. It comes with the console, a quick start guide and a USB-A to USB-C charging cable (plug not included, minimum spec in specifications below). Both handhelds will release in October 2026 with pre-orders open immediately.

PRICE: £109.99 | $129.99 | €129.99

COLLECTOR’S EDITION

Each handheld will also have a Collector’s Edition available exclusively from Funstock. Both will come with a hard shell carry case, designed and coloured to match the included handheld. There will also be a specially created magazine in each with THEC64 Handheld featuring Zzap Magazine and The Spectrum Handheld featuring Crash Magazine. Each magazine features expanded content about the games on each console along with other features.

THEC64 Handheld and The Spectrum Handheld Collector’s Editions are available only from Funstock and are limited to 2000 units each. Pre-orders are open right now from Funstock.co.uk, Funstock.eu, and Funstockusa.com.

PRICE: £129.99 | $149.99 | €149.99

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GAME LISTS:

THEC64 Handheld

A Pig Quest
Sam’s Journey
Nebulus
Boulder Dash
Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe
Paradroid
Hunter’s Moon Remastered
Knight ‘n’ Grail
Aztec Challenge
Krakout
Lee
Druid
Encounter!
Galencia
Ice Guys
Metal Warrior Ultra
Millie & Molly
Planet Golf
Shadow Switcher
Spherical
Squish ‘Em
Steel Ranger
X-Out
Yeti Mountain
It’s Magic 2

The Spectrum Handheld

Head Over Heels
Manic Miner
Skool Daze
Tiny Dungeons
Archon: The Light and the Dark
The Great Escape
Bounder
Switchblade
Nightmare Rally
M.O.V.I.E.
Avenger: The Way of the Tiger II
Bugaboo the Flea
Devwill Too ZX
Hammerfist
Hammer Knight
Penguin Attack
S1NCLA1R C1TY
Shovel Adventure
Snake Escape
Sorcerer Kid Adventure
Splat!
Tourmaline
Where Time Stood Still
Zynaps
Starquake

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FULL SPECIFICATIONS:

THEC64 Handheld/The Spectrum Handheld – W136mm x H26mm x D86mm – 235g
Form Factor- Clamshell Handheld Retro Gaming Console
Colour – Retro Beige (THEC64 Handheld), Classic Black (The Spectrum Handheld)
Controls – D-Pad and Face Buttons, Four mappable function keys and menu/start/select keys in tactile plastic (THEC64 Handheld) and rubber (The Spectrum Handheld)
Screen – 4.3″ 800*480 IPS high resolution screen
Processor – Quad Core 1.2Ghz
Memory – 256mb DDR RAM
Connectivity – 3.5mm headphone jack
Battery – 3+ hour 2000mAH battery
Charging – USB-C (cable included). 5v 1a minimum required for charging (mains adaptor not included)
Extras – USB-A I/O port for external keyboard or joystick, MicroSD port for additional game loading.
THEC64 Handheld Formats – Can select between C64 PAL/NTSC, C64C PAL/NTSC, C64SX PAL/NTSC, PET64 PAL/NTSC, C64 GS
The Spectrum Handheld Formats – Can select between Spectrum 48K, Spectrum 48K (NTSC), Spectrum 128K, Spectrum +2, Spectrum +2A, Spectrum +3, Spectrum +3e, Spectrum 16K. Spectrum CPU under/overclocking supported.

LINKS:

• HyperMegaTech! Website: https://www.hypermegatech.com

• Blaze Entertainment Website: https://www.blazeretro.com

• Retro Games Ltd Website: https://retrogames.biz/

About Blaze Entertainment

Blaze Entertainment, formed in 2018, are the creators of the Evercade – a retro gaming console that uses cartridges to deliver officially licensed, curated collections of retro and retro-inspired video games. Launched in 2020, the Evercade line-up has grown to over 500 games and continues to grow, with partnerships including Capcom, Gearbox Software, Atari, Bandai Namco, Interplay, Codemasters, Crystal Dynamics, Team17, IREM, Rebellion, SNK Corporation, Toaplan, and many independent game designers and publishers. Based in the UK, Evercade has found a passionate audience around the world of retro enthusiasts, offering a high-quality and low-entry gaming option providing nostalgia for gamers and a physical range of releases for collectors. In 2023, Blaze launched a second brand, HyperMegaTech! to create more retro and gaming-focused products for a more casual gaming market, starting with the Super Pocket console with licensed versions from Capcom and Taito.

Find out more at www.evercade.co.uk and Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky or X.

About Retro Games Ltd
Retro Games Ltd is made up of people with a combined games industry experience of over 100 years, having successfully produced and released many games across many formats, such the C64, Spectrum, GBA, Wii and more. Members of the team also successfully bought to market the C64DTV direct to TV C64 games console, and Nintendo Wii Virtual Console C64 games. Retro Games has an expanding team, and expanding range to include THEC64, THEC64 mini, The Spectrum, THE400, THEVIC20, THEA500 mini, multiple special editions, new pending releases to include THEA1200 amongst others TBA, and a range of peripherals such as THE JOYSTICK, THE MOUSE, THE GAMEPAD, THE QUICKSHOT II and more.

Find out more at www.retrogames.biz, on Facebook and X

Jonas “O.J” Ek
The Gaming Ground
Twitter: @TheGamingGround