Retro Games and Blaze unveil Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum handhelds

Retro Games Ltd and Blaze Entertainment have turned two of the biggest names in home-computer history into pocketable hardware. The C64 Handheld and The Spectrum Handheld are meant to scratch an old itch, not chase Switch 2 or Steam Deck on raw performance, and that makes the pitch pretty clear from the start: this is licensed nostalgia for people who still care about the Commodore 64 and Sinclair line as objects, not just software names.

Both machines are slated for an October release, with U.S. pre-orders already open and first units scheduled to ship on October 15, 2026. Standard models are priced at $129.99, while limited collector’s editions climb to $149.99. That puts them squarely in collector territory, but not absurdly so for the audience Retro Games and Blaze have been cultivating with compact recreations and cartridge-based retro releases.

The hardware details tell the rest of the story. Each handheld reportedly includes 25 preloaded games, a 4.3-inch IPS display, USB-C charging, microSD support for loading your own games, and the ability to connect a USB keyboard. The simplified controls are a practical workaround for the missing built-in keyboard, which is the one compromise you expect when a full-sized home computer gets shrunk into a clamshell. That design choice also gives the devices a more polished travel-friendly feel than the usual museum-piece retro box.

The Spectrum model lands with extra brand weight because Retro Games has already used the format before. Its existing full-size recreation of The Spectrum is preloaded with 48 genre-defining games, while THEC64 is described by Retro Games as a modern recreation with 64 built-in games. The company’s earlier THEC64 Mini and THEC64 releases already proved there was demand for official Commodore-branded hardware, and Blaze teamed with Retro Games on THEC64 Collection 1 for Evercade, a 14-game cartridge set that Evercade said marked the first time THEC64 games had been available on an officially licensed handheld device.

That history matters. These new handhelds look less like a one-off nostalgia stunt and more like the next step in a very deliberate licensing business built around curated memories of the 1980s. For original fans, they offer a familiar logo in a form that can actually travel. For retro-curious players, they are a neat entry point into two of computing’s most recognizable names. For everyone else, they are a reminder that nostalgia still sells best when it feels like hardware, not just a download.