The Vectrex Mini has been living in my nerdy noggin rent-free since its Gamescom reveal, and I've been praying it'll become a real retro console remake. However, it's safe to say I can put those fears to rest, as not only is the project's Kickstarter now fully up and running, but it has already completely smashed its goal by well over 300%.
Measuring in at "50% the size of the original", the Vectrex Mini might sound like many other plug-and-play remakes out there. Make no mistake, though, this tiny homage to one of history's lesser-known best retro console contenders uses a 5-inch AMOLED display to mimic its OG built-in CRT for Vector graphics.
It's also rocking 12 classic games, an analog controller, and colorful overlays to pop over the monochrome display. Simply put, the Vectrex Mini is hoping to capture the essence of the standalone Atari rival in every way, all while offering up modern perks like Bluetooth gamepad connectivity, Wi-Fi, and microSD card support for running your own library.
The project's lead, David "Flynn" Oghia, really seems to understand the Vectrex Mini assignment. I'm not even talking about small touches like the fact that it "doubles as the ultimate geek clock," which in turn gives it a purpose while sitting pretty on your desk. It's more than when I read the Kickstarter page; I'm totally sold on the detail and effort going into the tiny system, with everything from the plastic overlays to the authentic controller helping the project feel extra special.
On that note, the new Vectrex controller actually works with the original console since it comes with a DB9 dongle. I'll admit that my mind melted a little upon reading this, as gamepads for the '80s console are both scarce and extremely prone to faults, and mine is still on my workbench awaiting repairs. Little touches like that hammer home that this is a project of love, one that'll benefit fans even if they're not buying the entire system.
I could rant on about how Neo Retro, the company behind the Vectrex Mini is also creating a coffee table book dubbed "Electric Lines," or dive into niche details like the swappable stickers that'll help the console look like my Bandai Kousokusen model. But, the more important conversation to be had is regarding price, as even without the now sold-out Founder's Edition and Early Bird discounts, you're looking at $173 / £131.
Keep in mind that the Vectrex Mini is armed with an AMOLED screen, and that inherently should mean it costs more to make than standard lug and play devices. Yet, it somehow costs less than upcoming consoles like the recently announced Amiga A1200 Mini, and it's only slightly more than the Pac-Man Edition of the Atari 2600+.
That's not going to make you feel better if you missed out on the Founder's Edition $115 / £87 option, but still, I'm not offended by the standard pricing. If we were looking at just a plug-and-play box without a screen and all the extras, I wouldn't give this remake a second look. I'm also still wondering whether I could make a technically more accurate version using an FPGA device like the Analogue Pocket, as while it's one of the best retro handheld options for Game Boy games, it also happens to have a Vectrex core and HDMI output via the dock. Hmm.
Personal projects aside, I'm itching to get hold of a Vectrex Mini so I can both compare it to my original and just see how it fares as a modern retro console. The estimated release date right now is September 2026, but it's safe to say I'll be chatting about the tiny remake again before then.
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