The Super Retro Champ Set to Launch, Mixing Nostalgia with Modern Gaming Expectations

The journey of My Arcade's Super Retro Champ, a notable handheld device designed to nostalgically yet innovatively play Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis games, is coming to a hopeful end as it is slated for release this year. Revealed again at CES 2025, this handheld game console, first introduced four years ago, offers a unique chance to play classic 16-bit titles through the original cartridges.

The device's design has held true to its initial 2020 reveal, maintaining a familiar format for users who enjoy traditional gaming interactions. However, anticipated pricing adjustments bring the price up from a proposed $110 to $149.99, reflecting the typical cost increases seen across many tech revivals.

Functionally, the Super Retro Champ runs cartridges from both SNES, which sit slightly above its top slot, and Genesis games that fit seamlessly at its bottom, offered in its international variations like the Super Famicom and Sega’s Mega Drive. Unlike other devices, it does not support ROM files but stays true to physical cartridge usage, a fitting tribute to its retro name.

The handheld features a six-inch display encased by notable bezels and is controlled by a traditional gamepad layout comprising a directional pad and essential action buttons. Although the Super Retro Champ tours itself as portable, its scale is sizable, suggesting use on a tabletop with its built-in stand, dual controllers, and compatible power adapter fulfilling stationary play more rather than travel.

Beyond functional aesthetics, the Super Retro Champ also supplies an HDMI out port, enabling gamers to enjoy their catalogue of games on larger television screens. However, despite this modern porting capability, the 16-bit titles presented won't match the crispness of HD technology, hearkening back to the distinctive, less-pixelated compositions from bygone CRT television sets.