NeoPico-HD update adds 720p HDMI output for Neo Geo owners

NeoPico-HD just crossed the line from clever preservation project to something a lot more everyday useful. Its new v0.1.4 update added 720p HDMI output, and that one change matters because it lets a real Neo Geo system land on modern flat-panel displays without the awkward scaling compromises that often make retro hardware look soft, laggy, or simply inconvenient.

The project is not software emulation. NeoPico-HD uses a Raspberry Pi Pico 2 to tap the digital video and audio signals straight from a Neo Geo MVS motherboard, then sends that signal out over HDMI. In practice, that means owners keep the original machine in the loop while getting a cleaner, more display-friendly output path. For people who have wanted to keep a Neo Geo on a living-room TV or route it through a capture card without leaning on expensive external scalers, that is the kind of upgrade that changes how often the hardware actually gets used.

The new 720p mode is the headline because it fits naturally with most flat-panel displays. That makes the setup far less fussy than juggling legacy resolutions that modern TVs do not handle gracefully. The project had already added 240p support recently, preserving the look many players want for classic arcade output, while 480p still remains available for users who prefer it, including those feeding PC CRTs or more traditional display chains. In other words, NeoPico-HD now covers the three use cases that matter most: authentic low-res output, a middle-ground progressive mode, and a resolution that slots more cleanly into today’s screens.

The update also expanded PCM1802 ADC audio support to AES and non-MV1C boards. That widens the pool of Neo Geo owners who can use the hardware without being funneled into the easiest board revision or a more specialized parts hunt. That matters in a scene where a lot of mods lose momentum because they only work on one model or demand premium components that push them out of reach.

NeoPico-HD remains open source, relatively low-cost, and built around a microcontroller rather than a high-priced FPGA board. That combination is why the 720p addition feels bigger than a simple spec bump. It makes the project look less like a lab experiment and more like a practical bridge between original Neo Geo hardware and the screens, scalers, and capture setups most people actually own.