A little over a year ago, The PractitioNERD covered a project from Retro Computers pitching a new version of the classic ZX Spectrum on Indiegogo as a console/controller hybrid where you could play 1,000+ games on a TV. Now, the startup has returned with the Vega+, a portable successor that swaps the Spectrum’s classic aesthetics for a sleeker, modern and portable package. The system’s extensive library remains, only now you can play those classics on the go.
Allow me to reintroduce my…um, themselves… Retro Computers is backed by Sinclair Research, the company founded by the creator of the ZX Spectrum, Sir Clive Sinclair. The Vega+ — like the original Vega — has been unveiled as an Indiegogo project, so there’s no guarantee it’ll ever make it to market (as with all crowdfunding projects), however the portable’s predecessor did make it to market, however, so the company does at least has a successful track record.
According to the IndieGoGo page, a £100 donation will reserve a Vega handheld in either blue, red or white, while an extra £75 will upgrade your backer reward to the limited “BLACK” version, which also includes a tour around the company’s factory in Nottinghamshire. Details on the handheld itself are pretty scarce, but according to the renders (which are not final), they’ll be a basic D-pad, four circular face buttons and three “secondary action buttons,” a microSD card slot for loading additional games, volume buttons and a headphone socket that doubles as the TV connection port along to top.
Currently, Retro Computers stated that they have a “fully working prototype waiting to go into production.” However, should your impatience get the best of you, you can always take the Recreated Sinclair ZX Spectrum, a Bluetooth keyboard that resembles the original console and syncs with an iOS or Android device, for a spin.
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