Evercade EXP-R is the latest flagbearer for the retro gaming revival

Blaze Entertainment is synonymous with retro gaming and its bet that we'd be happy to use cartridges rather than digital downloads is clearly paying off. Not only has it released more than 50 carts packed with classic titles over the last few years, it's regularly updating its consoles too.

The latest comes in the form of the Evercade EXP-R and Evercade VS-R – new versions of its retro gaming handheld and multiplayer home machine respectively.

They each come in a new charcoal grey colourway, with turquoise accents on their buttons. They are also cheaper than their predecessors, and come with a few tweaks – some to get the cost down.

The Evercade EXP-R, for example, ditches the Mini-HDMI port that allows for connection to a TV or monitor – it's strictly a handheld only this time. You also don't get the Capcom games collection that came with the existing EXP. The licence has run out, but that's reflected in the price.

It means you can get the handheld for just £99.99, $99.99 and €119.99 when it releases in July.

Everything else about it is similar to the standard model. Its still compatible with Evercade cartridges, has Wi-Fi on board, and comes with a TATE button to rotate the gameplay on the display to better suit vertical shoot-em-ups.

As for the Evercade VS-R, it has the same dual cartridge slot and four USB ports for local multiplayer.

It also sports a HDMI port to output 1080p graphics to a TV or monitor. You actually get some bonuses with this latest version though, including the addition of a TATE button for the first time – this enables vertical play if your screen supports it.

And you get Wi-Fi connectivity for good measure.

It will be priced at £89.99, $99.99 and €109.99 and available from July too. Both the VS-R and EXP-R will be available to pre-order from 30 April 2024 – so in a couple of weeks' time.

Evercade also recently unveiled its new Gigacarts, which will come in the same form factor, so will fit the new and legacy hardware (including the superb Super Pocket mini handhelds released at the tail end of last year). However, they will have much more capacity for games than the existing cartridges, so can include more advanced titles or larger collections.