Commodore Reveals First New Computer Under New Ownership
On June 28, noted Youtuber and video game journalist Peri Fractic (Christian Simpson) revealed on his Retro Recipes channel that he was the new acting CEO of Commodore. He ended this video that something new was in the works as a consequence, and has now revealed it: the Commodore 64 Ultimate.
While new Commodore devices have surfaced over the years, these were typically licensed by one of the many companies that owned a convoluted share in the brand. However, Frantic has consolidated all these into one coherent company. And with the resurrection of the brand, new social media channels have also surfaced.
The new ‘wearecommodore’ X account celebrated the Ultimate reveal with a post on July 14: “Wow. Over 1,000 preorders on day one! Thank you for the love and support. The Commodore 64 Ultimate – not an emulator, not a PC – is helping power the Commodore IP comeback.”
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The Future We Were Promised
The original C64 remains the world record holder for best-selling desktop, even though the company slipped into bankruptcy and irrelevance as game consoles took over the market. Recently, Fractic has been making a big deal about how the return of Commodore feeds into the idea of honoring the past while innovating for the future.
The Ultimate 64 does this in multiple ways. The most obvious is in its chunky design that replicates the original’s beefy case and thick keys. Although modern keyboards are thin enough to jimmy locks, the Commodore 64 Ultimate could be used to break a window; Commodore was known for its robust construction and the Ultimate at least follows suit.
But while the looks might scream ‘retro’ the components don’t. “The first official Commodore 64 in over 30 years is here – a faithful recreation of the original motherboard on FPGA hardware,” the company said on its official site.
Using an FPGA means Commodore can configure the motherboard to act however it wants, as a normal CPU tends to be more limited in what it can achieve. The company goes into more detail regarding the FGPA on its site, to make it clear that it’s designed to replicate the original Commodore set-up; this new computer is categorically not running emulation software. This flexibility extends to how the Ultimate 64 handles other hardware: “Plug in dusty old cartridges, CRT TVs, datasettes, or disk drives – it all works.”
The Looks And The Lifestyle
The Ultimate 64 is currently available for pre-order in three versions: Basic Beige (that most closely resembles the original C64), Starlight (a snazzy LED/light-up case) and the super-pricey Founder’s Edition, which includes a wealth of fancy extra bits:
“24k gold-plated badges, satin gold keys, a translucent amber case, commemorative Commodore gold seal ‘share’ certificate, “I Rebooted C=” tee, 24k gold Commodore badges ‘dog tag’ necklace, and a gold label holographic serial number sticker starting at 00000001 – that boosts the mission to reboot Commodore.”
Other than the extra bells and whistles, each Ultimate is functionally identical, with the same FGPA motherboard, four USB connections, a “cassette-style USB packed with 50+ titles” and three outputs, including HDMI. Each also features two joystick/paddle ports and built-in wifi, but “no social media” as the official site puts it.
“A simpler, distraction-free computing experience. A chance to learn how computers really work. A fun, inviting way to introduce your kids to BASIC coding. And for the kid still within.”
Make Your Mark on History
Fractic was very clear in his previous videos that he couldn’t accept crowdfunding from the public to help get the new version of Commodore off the ground. However, with making this new device a preorder direct from him/Commodore, he seems to have found a way around this.
Every pre-order bought goes straight towards making a device. The usual ‘buyer beware’ disclaimers apply, but Fractic is up-front about these on the product pages. Final design and shipping dates are subject to change (they’re currently expected to release Ultimate 64s in October and November this year) and pre-orders can be cancelled with a full no-quibble money-back guarantee.
The Basic Beige is being sold for $ 299.99, with 8,477 still available. The Starlight currently retails for $ 349.99 and has 9.356 available, while the fancy Founder’s Edition will set collectors back a chunky $499.99, but with the added bonus that only 5,386 are left.
Whether these prices will work for or against Fractic’s desire to rebuild Commodore remains to be seen, but his mission statement at least goes a long way to selling the idea: “This isn’t just nostalgia. It’s a reboot with a purpose. A course correction. A chance to build futuristic technology, that loves you back.”
