The Commodore 64 is back. And this time, it's done right.

In July 2025, YouTuber Christian "Peri Fractic" Simpson of Retro Recipes completed the purchase of the Commodore brand and its associated IP for around $2.16 million. He assembled a dream team: original Commodore engineers (Al Charpentier, Jeri Ellsworth, Dave Haynie, Bil Herd), modern retro enthusiasts, and veterans like RJ Mical who worked on the Amiga.

What they've built is the Commodore 64 Ultimate. And it's exceptional.

FPGA Perfection

The C64 Ultimate uses an AMD Xilinx Artix-7 FPGA to recreate the original hardware with pixel-perfect accuracy. The specs are clean: 128MB DDR2 RAM (vs. the original 64KB), HDMI 1080p output, integrated Wi-Fi and Ethernet, dual real SID chip sockets (yes, your original sound chips work), and a Gateron Pro mechanical keyboard.

The case is indistinguishable from the original wedge. The keyboard is authentic. The ports are all where they should be. Everything feels like a 1982 machine built with 2025 engineering.

It Actually Works With Old Stuff

This is the big deal. The C64 Ultimate accepts original cartridges. It works with real datasettes and floppy disk drives via proper IEC serial ports. You can install your own SID chips in the ZIF sockets. But you don't have to. You can also load games from USB, network, or even browse thousands of programs via the built-in Commoserver network library.

The BASIC interpreter works. Write code, save to virtual floppies, move them to your modern PC using Cloanto's C64 Forever, and they're compatible. Developers now have a reliable platform for C64 homebrew.

The Numbers

Want to build an equivalent setup with original hardware? Here's what you'd spend (as of December 2025):

• Base C64: $85
• SD2IEC floppy emulator: $30
• Tapuino datasette emulator: $27
• Power supply (safe): $58
• Wi-Fi modem: $41
• Cables and adapters: $22

Total: $263

The C64 Ultimate? $299 (beige) or $349 (Starlight edition with RGB LEDs and translucent case).

For forty bucks more, you get a machine with zero capacitor issues, no dodgy SID chips, no dying VIC-II, and modern reliability. It's a no-brainer.

What This Means

The Commodore revival isn't nostalgia theater. It's a fully functional 8-bit development platform that works with original hardware and modern conveniences. The team's roadmap includes three major releases per year, with potential expansions to Amiga and other classic systems.

COMPUTE!'s Gazette magazine relaunched in July 2025 to cover the revival. The community on Reddit is buzzing. Preorders filled quickly.

The C64 is dead. Long live the C64.

Source: Tom's Hardware Review