PocketQuake Brings Quake to Analogue Pocket openFPGA via GitHub

PocketQuake was published to GitHub on February 22, 2026 as a focused technical port that adapts id Software’s 1999 Quake source to run inside the Analogue Pocket’s openFPGA environment, and it requires users to provide original Quake data files such as PAK0.PAK and PAK1.PAK from a legitimate copy of the game. The release is notable because it compiles and modifies the original engine rather than emulating a DOS-era PC, so the primary user task is assembling the PAK files before attempting a build or install.

Technically, PocketQuake is a C-based source port that compiles the 1999 id Software code to run natively within the Pocket’s openFPGA subsystem rather than as a full PC emulation layer. The project materials reference the runtime fragment "VexRiscv / RISC" verbatim in the repository text; that fragment is truncated in available notes and should be checked in the repo README to confirm the intended softcore or CPU target. The native adaptation approach reduces emulation overhead and lets the port execute directly on the handheld’s custom hardware configuration.

Input and gameplay were explicitly reworked for a handheld environment: the original PC Quake’s mouse-and-keyboard precision and multiple key bindings were remapped to the Pocket’s physical buttons and shoulder triggers, with movement, aiming, and weapon selection redesigned to fit the device layout. The port is described in community notes as playable and technically impressive, demonstrating how open-source 3D engines can be adapted to FPGA-enabled handhelds without full-system emulation.

Analogue Pocket context matters for this port. The Pocket, built around an Altera Cyclone V FPGA, was announced in October 2019 and released on December 13, 2021, and its openFPGA framework arrived with firmware 1.1 in July 2022. Firmware 1.2 and 2.0, released in December 2023, fixed sleep/wake and save state issues and added features such as docked-aspect switching and custom color palettes; firmware 2.2 later added support for Lynx, TurboGrafx-16, and Neo Geo Pocket Color cartridge adapters. Those firmware milestones underpin the platform’s current ability to run third-party openFPGA cores and source ports like PocketQuake.

Repository and ecosystem notes are specific and mixed: one listing shows the GitHub repository as `thinkelastic/PocketQuake` while other materials reference thinkelastic or an ambiguous spelling; the discrepancy means developers and builders should verify the exact repo name on GitHub. Installation guidance found on openFPGA core pages explicitly recommends updater tools: "I highly recommend the updater tools by @mattpannella and @RetroDriven. If you're running Windows, use the RetroDriven GUI, or if you prefer the CLI, use the mattpannella tool. Either of these will allow you to automatically download and install openFPGA cores onto your Analogue Pocket. Go donate to them if you can." The broader openFPGA ecosystem remains active, with openfpga-library entries showing recent core releases such as C64 by markus-zzz (0.2.7, Nov 29, 2024), Bagman by obsidian (0.9.0, Feb 28, 2025), and Genesis by ericlewis (1.0.4, Aug 1, 2025).

Licensing and source-code provenance remain practical concerns: one core author commented, "Indeed. The main reason why I haven't provided a license is that I didn't know how to deal with the different licenses attached to parts of the cores. Anyway, consider my own source code as public domain, i.e do what you want with it, for any use you want. (1/2)" and added, "If stated otherwise in the comments at the beginning of a given source file, the license attached prevails. That applies to my FPGAPCE project ()." Given mixed spellings of the repo and a truncated runtime fragment in published notes, verify the PocketQuake README on GitHub for the exact repository name, the complete "VexRiscv / RISC" target, build instructions, and whether any prebuilt binaries are provided before attempting to build or install on an Analogue Pocket. PocketQuake is a clear demonstration that a 1996-era Quake engine, via the 1999 id Software source release, can be refitted to run as a native, high-performance title inside the Pocket’s openFPGA ecosystem.