Following its tease yesterday, Evercade maker Blaze has confirmed that it is teaming up with Retro Games Ltd to produce two new clamshell handhelds based on the ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64.
Entitled THEC64 Handheld and The Spectrum Handheld, each unit boasts 25 preloaded games, a 4.3-inch IPS display, simplified controls to compensate for the lack of a keyboard, and the ability to load your own games via MicroSD. You can also connect a USB keyboard using a USB-A I/O port.
On this page: The C64 And ZX Spectrum Are Being Reimagined As Nintendo-Style Clamshell Handhelds
1.THEC64 Handheld and The Spectrum Handheld – Specifications2.THEC64 Handheld and The Spectrum Handheld – Games3.THEC64 Handheld and The Spectrum Handheld – Price & Release Date
“The clamshell case design takes inspiration from some of the most successful gaming handhelds of the past, while also evoking the style of portable computers, palmtops and organisers of the 1980s,” says the press release. “Each console also has four function buttons designed to mimic the keys on the original devices and a menu/start/select button layout inspired by the same. These keys are tactile plastic on THEC64 Handheld and rubber on The Spectrum Handheld.”
Image: Blaze / Retro Games Ltd
THEC64 Handheld and The Spectrum Handheld – Specifications
The specifications of these devices are as follows:
Size
W136mm x H26mm x D86mm
Weight
235g
Colour
Retro Beige (THEC64 Handheld), Classic Black (The Spectrum Handheld)
Controls
D-Pad and Face Buttons, Four mappable function keys and menu/start/select keys in tactile plastic (THEC64 Handheld) and rubber (The Spectrum Handheld)
Display
4.3″ 840×480 IPS high resolution screen
Processor
Quad Core 1.2Ghz
Memory
256mb DDR RAM
Connectivity
3.5mm headphone jack, USB-A I/O port for external keyboard, MicroSD port for additional game loading
Battery
3+ hour 2000mAH battery
Charging
USB-C (cable included). 5v 1a minimum required for charging (mains adaptor not included)
Formats
THEC64 Handheld Formats – Can select between C64 PAL/NTSC, C64C PAL/NTSC, C64SX PAL/NTSC, PET64 PAL/NTSC, C64 GS
The Spectrum Handheld Formats – Can select between Spectrum 48K, Spectrum 48K (NTSC), Spectrum 128K, Spectrum +2, Spectrum +2A, Spectrum +3, Spectrum +3e,Spectrum 16K. Spectrum CPU under/overclocking supported.
Image: Blaze / Retro Games Ltd
THEC64 Handheld and The Spectrum Handheld – Games
Each unit comes preloaded with 25 games, but you can load up more using the MicroSD card slot.
THEC64 Handheld
The Spectrum Handheld
A Pig Quest
Head Over Heels
Sam’s Journey
Manic Miner
Nebulus
Skool Daze
Boulder Dash
Tiny Dungeons
Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe
Archon: The Light and the Dark
Paradroid
The Great Escape
Hunter’s Moon Remastered
Bounder
Knight ‘n’ Grail
Switchblade
Aztec Challenge
Nightmare Rally
Krakout
M.O.V.I.E.
Lee
Avenger: The Way of the Tiger II
Druid
Bugaboo the Flea
Encounter!
Devwill Too ZX
Galencia
Hammerfist
Ice Guys
Hammer Knight
Metal Warrior Ultra
Penguin Attack
Millie & Molly
S1NCLA1R C1TY
Planet Golf
Shovel Adventure
Shadow Switcher
Snake Escape
Spherical
Sorcerer Kid Adventure
Squish ‘Em
Splat!
Steel Ranger
Tourmaline
X-Out
Where Time Stood Still
Yeti Mountain
Zynaps
It’s Magic 2
Starquake
THEC64 Handheld and The Spectrum Handheld – Price & Release Date
Images: Blaze / Retro Games Ltd
THEC64 Handheld and The Spectrum Handheld will cost £109.99 | $129.99 | €129.99 each and are set to launch in October 2026. Pre-orders go live today.
Also available are ‘Collector’s Edition’ variants of each device, which ship with a hard shell case and
exclusive magazine – Crash with the Spectrum and Zzap with the THEC64. These units will only be available from Funstock.co.uk and Funstock USA, and are limited to just 2000 units each. They will cost £129.99 | $149.99 | €149.99.
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Damien has been writing professionally about tech and video games since 2007 and oversees all of Hookshot Media’s sites from an editorial perspective. He’s also the editor of Time Extension, the network’s newest site, which – paradoxically – is all about gaming’s past glories.