Blaze just officially revealed the Evercade Nexus, and it's set to be a sequel to its original cartridge-based retro handheld. While it will technically use the same carts as before, it's set to embrace classics and indie capers alike with dual-analogue sticks, an "ultra bright" 5.89-inch IPS screen, and local "Eversync" multiplayer support. The part I'm really hyped about, though? It comes with Banjo-Kazooie and its Banjo-Tooie sequel.
Scheduled to launch this October for $199.99 / £169.99, Blaze says the Evercade Nexus features the "biggest Evercade handheld screen yet." It's certainly larger than the 4.3-inch handheld that introduced me to the platform back in 2021, but it also feels like a sequel to the original portable that's better equipped to handle more of the best retro consoles and brand-new indies when new collections eventually make their way to your shelves.
Yes, my theory that the Nexus could potentially run PS2-era games is potentially dead in the water, as I'm not seeing any internal spec changes. That said, Blaze is doubling down on the idea of running more advanced 3D releases, as it claims the portable offers "best-in-class emulation from over five decades of gaming." That covers everything from the Atari 2600 to the PS1, N64, and Sega Saturn, and it's now got features that directly target that generation.
Admittedly, the Nexus is set to bring features to the table that most handheld players take for granted. I mean, the idea of touting thumb sticks as a selling point in 2026 sounds a little silly, but the portable is about to put the PlayStation Portal to shame with non-proprietary wireless headphone support.
Super Pocket | from $59.99
EXP-R | from $129.99
VS-R console | from $119.99
Alpha arcade | from $279.99
The real feature that helps the Nexus feel like a next-gen sequel rather than just a refresh, though, is its new EverSync local multiplayer abilities. For a second, I was worried that the handheld was about to give in to the horrors of the internet, but Blaze has instead incorporated offline wireless connectivity that links consoles together. Just like playing Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on multiple Nintendo Switch systems, you'll also only need one cartridge to get stuck into multiplayer romps, which is nice given that households typically have less to spend on games right now.
I'm pretty convinced that the Nexus wants to become everyone's default retro handheld. Don't get me wrong, I stand by the fact that its cheaper existing Super Pocket cousin is far more than a novelty, and alternatives like the EXP-R and Evercade Alpha cabinet feel even more grown-up thanks to their Wi-Fi and physical library tracking abilities. Still, this Evercade refresh is gunning for emulation fans, and its modern console perks could prove to be an effective Cupid's arrow.
Visually speaking, the Nexus looks closer to a contempoary gaming handheld like the Steam Deck OLED, albeit much smaller and with symmetrical sticks at the bottom. That makes sense, considering we're probably going to see a bunch of Evercade PlayStation ports in the future, as Blaze is also set to pay tribute to the N64 with a "Nexus 64 Edition" that's limited to 2,000 units.
The 64 Edition comes with some neat extras, like a carry case, an Evercade poster, and a clamshell case for the Banjo-Kazooie cart. As you'd perhaps expect, it also features a get-up based on the OG Nintendo 64 gamepad, not unlike the gray 8Bitdo N64 controller, but the authentic colors do highlight the missing two yellow C-buttons. Thankfully, the specific port of Banjo-Kazooie included doesn't need these since it has thumbstick camera support, and I suspect future releases will make similar adjustments.
The Nexus packs plenty of new neat tricks, but it also retains elements like vertical TATE mode support for vertical arcade games, built-in library tracking for your cartridges, and USB-C charging. I'll naturally be looking to test whether the larger 5000mAh battery can actually provide over five hours of playtime, as Blaze claims, but I suspect the aforementioned local wireless and Bluetooth abilities will slurp up some of that newfound capacity.
In a statement accompanying the annoucement, Blaze CEO Andrew Wyatt says, "Nexus is the result of six years of listening and learning, delivering features our players have consistently asked for. It’s the evolution of Evercade, and a product we can’t wait for people to experience.”
While I do think fresh players will potentially come to the Evercade Nexus for its included Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie double pack, I reckon they'll stay for what could be a handheld force to be reckoned with. If Blaze can continue to get big publishers on board and indie devs alike, we could see hands that'd normally reach for emulation devices pick up the cart-based system, and it could even slowly become a threat to Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo's online-reliant approach to classic gaming.
If one thing's certain, it's that while $200 is pricer than I'd like, the Evercade Nexus is a physical gaming light in the darkness that is the handheld scene during RAMageddon. If you're not really into portable gaming, the fact that Blaze is cooking up a wireless Evercade controller means there's still hope for a more advanced HDMI console if AI doesn't send us back to the dark ages.
Pre-orders should be live from April 1, and there's a limited "64 Edition" set to land at Funstocks (Blaze's storefront), so watch this space.
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