Evercade’s various devices might not be at the top of a lot of lists, but there’s a pretty good chance that you’ve considered them. The company is looking to shake things up a bit, as it announced the all-new Evercade EXP-R and VS-R.
Evercade EXP-R
Evercade EXP-R with Duke Nukem Cartridge
By in large, there aren’t very many differences to be found when comparing the EXP-R to the previous EXP. The biggest change seems to be in the color scheme that is being used, while Evercade also confirms that the EXP-R does not include a mini HDMI port. As for why this is the case, Evercade states that was done “to make this a focused handheld experience.
When it comes to any internal changes, Evercade provides the following information:
The Evercade EXP-R has a new, more efficient chipset with the same top speed that runs cooler than the original Evercade EXP. The battery will be the same capacity and, in long-term use, we expect better battery life. There is no additional chip for HDMI inside which helps with power consumption.
One other change is that the EXP-R will no longer feature built-in Capcom titles. Instead, the handheld console does not include any built-in games, but Evercade is including the newly-announced Tomb Raider Collection 1 cartridges.
Evercade VS-R
Switching gears to the Evercade VS-R, it’s basically the definition of an iterative update. Evercade even says as much, stating that it “made some very minor changes to the electronics. Other than that, it remains the same. This means that you’ll find the four USB-A ports on the front, power button on the top, an HDMI port on the back, and the dual cartridge slot.
Instead, the biggest change seems to come in the form of the colorway, as it matches up with the new EXP-R. Speaking of similarities with the EXP-R, Evercade is also including the aforementioned Tomb Raider Collection 1 cartridges. However, you won’t find any games built-in, so you’ll have to start your collection from scratch.
Evercade VS-R Controller
You might be asking yourself why Evercade is announcing two new retro gaming devices, especially when they aren’t even available until July. Well, that’s because both the Evercade EXP-R and VS-R are cheaper than their predecessors. Both of these new Evercade devices come in at just $99, which is $30 less than before.
It seems that in order to hit the sub-$100 price, Evercade had to make a concession and that was its partnership with Capcom. Evercade says it’s still working with Capcom, “but in this instance we saw the benefit of delivering a better price point for the console rather than continue to offer the built-in games as part of the package.” Lastly, both the Evercade EXP and VS systems are set to be discontinued, so if you’ve been holding off, you don’t have much longer.
Pre-orders for the Evercade EXP-R and VS-R retro gaming consoles are set to kick off on April 30th. From there, they are expected to officially launch sometime in July. In the meantime, if you want to jump on the Evercade train, start collecting some cartridges now so you’ll have games besides Tomb Raider to play.
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