TL;DR
- The R²one is a PS1-inspired FPGA device that supports most retro consoles.
- It has ports for original memory cards and controllers, plus an expansion port for physical games.
- The console will launch later this month at a special price of $149 for friends and founders.
FPGA devices like the Analogue Pocket have captured the hearts of retro gamers in recent years, with hardware-level emulation that (almost) perfectly matches the original. A new device from Taki Udon builds on the thirty-year-old original PlayStation with a design that gets major nostalgia points.
The R²one is compatible with all FPGA MISTer cores, from the ColecoVision to the Nintendo 64 and Sega Genesis. However, it’s clearly designed with the PS1 in mind, with slots for original memory cards, controllers, and even the PS1 Light Gun. It’s got fully modern trappings, too, with three USB-A ports, a USB-C port, a microSD card slot, an ethernet port, and even a headphone jack. There’s also support for analog and digital outputs (topping off at 1440p), plus NFC, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi support.
Hidden on the bottom is an expansion port, where an optional add-on allows the R²one to play PS1 disks. Taki Udon hasn’t revealed what the expansions will look like or how much they will cost as of this writing, but it does open the door to other add-ons for cartridge-based games in the future.
Starting at $149 for founders, this is one of the most affordable FPGA devices you can buy.
The console’s price will start at $149 for friends and founders, which means people who have purchased devices from Taki before and people who pre-order. You can sign up for the newsletter to receive a notification when the initial batch is available, which will be later this month. It will launch in at least two colorways, white and black, with additional colors like retro grey or blue also a possibility.
At that price, it’s one of the most affordable FPGA consoles on the market. For reference, the Analogue 3D, an N64 FPGA console, costs $250. The founders and friends pricing won’t last long though, and the additional cost of the disk reader add-on might push it over the edge.
While both are technically emulated, FPGA devices like the R²one have a few advantages over software emulation, which you’ll find in most retro gaming handhelds. In general, they offer a more accurate experience and lower latency. The biggest advantage, of course, is the ability to play your favorite physical games decades after a console has gone out of production.
