Blaze is teasing a new Evercade Nexus console, and the retro gaming glutton in me is hoping it'll be a PS2 era powerhouse

No one knows what the Evercade Nexus actually is yet, but Blaze just teased what could be a new best retro console contender with that moniker. All we officially know at the moment is that it's "coming soon" and you can sign up to the hardware maker's mailing list for more info, but I'm hoping we're about to get a next-gen system that will run PS2 classics.

Okay, I'll admit, I'm getting ahead of myself when it comes to the Evercade Nexus. Even some of the best retro handhelds out there with punchy chipsets can struggle to emulate 2000s consoles, and while even the budget-focused Super Pocket can run Tomb Raider, Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, and even N64 romps like Banjo Kazooie, the PS2 would be a sizable leap.

Still, it feels like releasing an Evercade system that can add PS2, Dreamcast, Gamecube, and Xbox classics to your cart collection would be a natural next step. After all, it's now six years since I checked out Blaze's first cartridge-running gaming handheld, and while it has since expanded the platform to cover bartop arcades with the excellent Evercade Alpha, the lineup still features the same architecture.

What I will say is that if the Evercade Nexus can emulate PS2-era games, it'll probably cost far more than the current-gen EXP home system. That console goes for $111.99, so I suspect swapping out the ARM Cortex-A53 chipset and adding more RAM will drive that MSRP much higher. If that is indeed Blaze's plan, you'll be looking at at least $200, with prices entering similar territory to the Retroid Pocket 5.

You could argue that even if the Nexus ends up costing a chunk more than current-gen Evercade systems, players might still be willing to invest. The gaming hardware realm is being ransacked by RAMageddon and the AI industry's ravenous hunger for components, so while over $200 for a retro machine might feel steep, it'll potentially be an affordable option next to price PC upgrades and potential PS5, Switch 2, and Series X/S price hikes.

The one thing that could prove to be a nuisance for the Nexus is having an MSRP close to high-end FPGA systems like the Analogue 3D or SuperStation. If it does end up costing the same as the N64 or PSOne remake consoles, then it might sit in a weird middle void that appeals to no one. Yes, the VS and EXP are more expensive than previous iterations, but they're still what I'd describe as affordable, and entering an upper price bracket might just encourage the "just use emulators on your PC" naysayers.

Not to be a complete dork, but I do also think it's worth focusing on the textbook definition of Nexus. It's derived from the Latin "nectere" or "to bind", and is usually used to illustrate something that sits at the centre while connecting to other elements. I don't know about you, but I'm hoping that means it'll potentially boast hybrid handheld abilities like the Switch 2, which could mean it's a portable console that connects to some sort of dock.

It's either that or the Evercade Nexus will feature more online capabilities, but I'm hoping that's not the case. Blaze's consoles are some of the last bastions of physical gaming, and I'm hoping it sticks to being a largely offline experience. Of course, all of this is mere speculation, and while it's fun to guess, we'll have to wait for an official system reveal.

I'll be keeping an eye out for more details, and while my PS2 ideas might just be a pipe dream, the fact that there's an Evercade wireless controller with dual sticks en route continues to fuel my suspicions.

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