Polymega

With the increased interest in retro gaming, there have been quite a few clone consoles for playing old games. They’re usually focused on cartridge-based systems such as the NES, SNES, Sega Genesis, etc. One part of retro gaming that has largely been left out has been the old CD based games, but not anymore. In comes the Polymega, with compatibility for 30 retro systems! The system can play Playstation, Sega Saturn, Sega CD, TurboGrafx 16/TurboGrafx 16 CD, NeoGeo CD, NES, SNES, and more. What’s more, it allows you to play your retro games on an HDTV without a separate upscaler.

This system is a modular console, so you buy different modules called “Element Modules” and connect them in to play the games from whichever retro system you want to. The base unit itself has a CD ROM built in with the ability to play CD ROM games from 15 different systems. It also comes with 5 games built into the device. Each Element Module comes with 5 built in games, the region free unit, and a low latency wired controller. The system allows you to save the games digitally, reducing the wear and tear of swapping the elements. There are no ports for any SD cards or memory cards, but this is to prevent piracy, especially considering the online store will be opening up Q4 2019 where you will be able to buy digital games starting at $3.99 for cartridge based games and $5.99 for the CD based ones.

Some may be thinking of a similarity with the failed Ouya, but this system not only has partnered with many big-name game publishers for the online store, they have partnered with The Video Game History Foundation to help it preserve video game history! Plus, the creators of it are no novices in the gaming industry either. They are a team of Developers who formerly worked for Insomniac Games, Bluepoint Games, and others. Two noteworthy titles under their belts are: Titanfall and Ratchet & Clank.

Now, the company does use emulation to accomplish all of this instead of FPGA boards, but it is understandable considering the wide variety of systems and games that it is compatible with. They do claim to use high-end emulators to minimize lag. It is a bit pricey with the base unit starting at $299.99 and the Element Modules at $59.99 each, but you can get a Deluxe Bundle at $499.99 (includes base and 4 elements) or an Ultimate Bundle at $649.99 (includes base, 4 Element Modules, an additional wireless controller, and additional retro controller for each system). This is a high price tag, but part of the proceeds go toward the retro gaming community in the form of grants managed by The Video Game History Foundation.

The system looks sleek and the ability to play games from that many systems is amazing, but the performance of the system itself and the execution of the online store will be what will make or break the system. I will be watching intently and hope to pick one up for myself to fully test this new retro hardware.

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