The C64 And ZX Spectrum Are Being Reimagined As Nintendo-Style Clamshell Handhelds

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. 1.THEC64 Handheld and The Spectrum Handheld – Specifications
2. 2.THEC64 Handheld and The Spectrum Handheld – Games
3. 3.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.