These days, you can’t get much real work done on a computer with a 6502 CPU. The same goes for the Ricoh 2A03, an unlicensed derivative of the 6502 that powered the original Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). But the design of the NES triggers so much nostalgia that it makes many of us wish that we could swap out our desktop computers for one of these consoles. The Japanese version of the NES even had a keyboard; it’s as if it were meant to be!
A device maker called Acemagic knows how you feel, and they are working on the perfect mini PC to help you scratch that retro itch. The Acemagic Retro X5 mini PC looks just like a miniature NES console, but inside it is packed with modern hardware. This makes it possible to get real work done on the Retro X5. Or if you’re so inclined, it would make for just about the perfect little emulation machine.
The computer comes equipped with a powerful AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor with 12 cores (and 24 threads) that runs at up to 5.1GHz. This processor has an AMD Radeon 890M iGPU onboard as well. It may not be impressive to the serious gamer, but it does pack a big punch for a mini PC. There is also an AMD XDNA 2 neural processing unit that provides up to 50 TOPS of compute power for AI workloads.
Expandable memory and storage allow the Retro X5 to scale to fit the needs of a variety of users. However, despite the nice specs, if you really need a high-performance system, you won’t be buying a computer built into a faux NES case. This machine is all about nostalgia, and it happens to provide a good general computing and light gaming experience as well.
Acemagic has not provided a price or release date for the Retro X5 just yet, so whether or not it is a good value remains to be seen. Be sure to stay tuned to Hackster News for the latest updates as they come in.
