What FPGA-based retro gaming solutions are featured on RetroRGB?

Updated

RetroRGB covers FPGA-based retro gaming hardware as news, teardowns, and compatibility notes rather than as a single buyer's guide. Two solutions appear in the site's recent coverage: the Sega Saturn-themed "Mercury" MiSTer FPGA kit from Df3mod, and Modretro's M64, an open-source FPGA-based Nintendo 64. Both aim to reproduce original console behavior in programmable hardware instead of software emulation.

MiSTer FPGA kits: the Sega Saturn-themed "Mercury"

Df3mod, the creator of the MiSTer Ironclad, opened pre-orders on a complete MiSTer FPGA kit themed after the Sega Saturn. RetroRGB notes the name "Mercury" was the original Saturn's codename.

What the kit includes, based on RetroRGB's description:

  • A white injection-molded shell
  • Everything needed except the DE-10 Nano
  • Compatibility with the MiSTer Pi

That last point matters if you already own a MiSTer Pi or plan to buy one instead of a DE-10 Nano — the kit is designed to work with either path. If you're starting from nothing, budget for the DE-10 Nano (or a MiSTer Pi) separately, since it is explicitly not part of the package.

Modretro M64: open-source FPGA Nintendo 64

RetroRGB highlighted a full teardown of the M64 by Ken from What's Ken Making. The M64 is described as Modretro's completely open-source, FPGA-based Nintendo 64.

The detail RetroRGB flags as most interesting is the chip at the center: an AMD Artix UltraScale+ FPGA. For readers evaluating the platform, that's the part that determines how much logic the device can implement and, in turn, how faithfully complex N64 behavior can be reproduced in hardware.

How to use RetroRGB for these topics

RetroRGB's value here is tracking, not spec sheets. The site mixes:

  • Product news — pre-order openings and new hardware announcements
  • Teardowns — component-level looks at FPGA devices, often via linked videos
  • Compatibility findings — for example, a zero-lag HDMI to YPbPr component adapter reported as compatible with 240p, 480i, 480p and above, with built-in YPbPr + LR audio cables

A practical workflow if you're deciding between these solutions:

  1. Read the RetroRGB post for the announcement or teardown, then follow the linked video for the full breakdown.
  2. Check the compatibility note that applies to your setup — for the Mercury kit, whether you have a DE-10 Nano or MiSTer Pi; for the M64, what the FPGA choice implies for the games you care about.
  3. Treat RetroRGB's coverage as a starting point for further research, since it reports on hardware rather than publishing standardized benchmarks.

What RetroRGB does not settle for you

The site's coverage doesn't answer every buying question. Current pricing, exact availability windows, and full performance comparisons aren't established in the material above, so verify those with the vendor or the original teardown before committing. What RetroRGB does provide is a reliable signal that these FPGA solutions exist, what's inside them, and where to look next.