retrorgb.com

RetroRGB covers retro gaming hardware through short news posts and video roundups, with a focus on FPGA-based consoles and kits, video signal conversion, teardowns of new hardware, and emulator releases. The site is best used as a discovery feed: you go there to learn that a product exists, who makes it, and what it claims to do, then follow the linked video or vendor page for the full detail. It is not a step-by-step modding wiki, so expect headlines and excerpts rather than complete installation guides.

FPGA hardware and kits

FPGA hardware is one of the most visible categories on the site. Two examples from the current front page show the range:

• Sega Saturn themed MiSTerFPGA kit ("Mercury") — made by Df3mod, the creator of the MiSTer Ironclad. It is a complete MiSTer kit in a white injection-molded shell, named after the Saturn's original codename. According to the post, it includes everything you'd need except the DE-10 Nano, and it is also compatible with the MiSTer Pi. Pre-orders were opened at the time of posting.
• Modretro M64 — a completely open-source, FPGA-based Nintendo 64. The site points to a full teardown by Ken from What's Ken Making, and highlights the AMD Artix UltraScale+ FPGA used in the device as the most interesting part of the breakdown.

The pattern here is useful: RetroRGB tends to flag the board or chip inside a device, not just the product name. If you are comparing FPGA options, that detail is often the deciding factor.

Video conversion and signal quality

Video output is the other core topic. A representative post covers a zero-lag HDMI to YPbPr (component video) adapter compatible with 240p, 480i, 480p and above. It has a standard HDMI input, and the YPbPr plus left/right audio output cables are built in.

The site's own caveat is worth repeating: built-in cables are convenient, but they are unlikely to be as well shielded as something like HD Retrovision component cables. That is the kind of trade-off RetroRGB surfaces — convenience versus signal integrity — rather than a simple recommendation.

Teardowns, mods, and emulator news

Beyond new products, the site aggregates:

• Teardowns of newly released retro hardware, usually via embedded YouTube videos, as with the M64.
• Modding and hardware news, including kits and adapters aimed at original consoles.
• Emulator releases, such as Super ZSNES v0.310, which added Apple and Android TV support.

The Weekly Roundup series collects this material in both video and audio-only podcast form, distributed through services such as iTunes, Google, Stitcher, Spotify, and Amazon.

How to use the site

Treat each post as a pointer. The excerpt tells you what the item is and one or two notable facts; the linked video or vendor page carries the specifics you need before buying or installing.

RetroRGB is a news and information site for retro gaming hardware, mods, and FPGA-based consoles. It publishes short news posts, product teardowns, compatibility notes, and a weekly roundup, often linking out to YouTube videos and podcast feeds. If you follow hardware modding, upscalers, or FPGA recreations of classic consoles, it's a site worth checking regularly.

What RetroRGB covers

The site's focus is the hardware side of retro gaming rather than game reviews or emulation guides. Recurring topics include:

• FPGA hardware — kits and consoles built around FPGA chips, such as MiSTer setups and open-source FPGA recreations of classic systems.
• Video output and adapters — HDMI-to-component converters, zero-lag options, and compatibility with 240p, 480i, and 480p signals.
• Mods and teardowns — detailed looks inside modded or newly manufactured retro hardware.
• Weekly roundups — a recurring digest of retro hardware news, published as both video and audio-only podcast episodes.

How the content is structured

Most items are short posts that summarize a development and point to a longer source, usually a video. A few examples from the site's recent coverage:

The pattern is consistent: a headline, a short explanation of what changed or shipped, and a link to the full video or source. That makes the site useful as a filter — you can scan headlines and only dig into the items relevant to your setup.

Who it's for

RetroRGB is aimed at people who care about how retro consoles connect, display, and get modified:

• Hardware modders looking for new kits, adapters, and compatibility details.
• FPGA users tracking MiSTer and similar platforms.
• Collectors and enthusiasts who want a steady stream of retro hardware news without wading through general gaming coverage.

If you only play retro games through software emulation and don't care about video signals or hardware revisions, much of the site will be outside your interest. If you do care about those things, the weekly roundup is the easiest entry point.

How to use it

Start with the Weekly Roundup if you want a broad catch-up, then follow individual posts for the topics that apply to your hardware. Because many posts link to YouTube, you can treat the site as an index and watch only the videos that matter to you. The site also distributes the roundup through podcast services, so audio-only listening is an option if you prefer that format.

The RetroRGB Weekly Roundup is RetroRGB's recurring news digest, published as both a video and an audio-only podcast. Each installment collects the week's retro gaming hardware news into a single episode, and it's distributed through video platforms plus podcast services such as iTunes, Google, Stitcher, Spotify, and Amazon. If you want a periodic summary of retro hardware developments rather than reading individual posts, the Roundup is the format to follow.

What each episode contains

The Roundup is a summary format, not a single-topic article. Based on how RetroRGB presents it, an episode aggregates the notable items from that week — product announcements, community projects, and hardware releases — and presents them together. The site's own description of Roundup #533 lists it as available "as a video and on all audio-only podcast services," which tells you the content is identical across formats; you pick the one that fits how you consume media.

Individual stories that appear in a given week also run as standalone posts on the site. Recent examples from the same period give a sense of the subject matter:

• A Sega Saturn–themed MiSTer FPGA kit called "Mercury," a complete kit (excluding the DE-10 Nano) that is also compatible with the MiSTer Pi.
• A zero-lag HDMI to YPbPr component video adapter supporting 240p, 480i, 480p and above.
• A full teardown of Modretro's open-source, FPGA-based Nintendo 64, the "M64."
• A new release of the Super ZSNES emulator adding Apple and Android TV support.

The Roundup is where items like these get bundled into one weekly episode.

How to get it

Each Roundup post includes a video link, and the same episode is published to the audio-only podcast services listed above. If you already use one of those podcast apps, you can subscribe there and receive new episodes without visiting the site.

Who produces it

The Roundup is hosted by Bob, who runs RetroRGB and authors the site's posts. It's a regular, numbered series — the numbering (for example, #533) makes it easy to tell how long the feature has been running and to check whether you've missed an episode.

When to use the Roundup vs. individual posts

• Follow the Roundup if you want a periodic catch-up and don't need every story the moment it's posted.
• Read individual posts if a specific topic matters to you — for example, a particular FPGA kit, adapter, or emulator release — since those get their own full write-ups with more detail than a roundup segment can carry.
• Use the audio feed if you'd rather listen while doing something else; the content matches the video version.

One practical note: because the Roundup is a digest, details in any single segment are necessarily brief. When a Roundup item is relevant to a purchase or a build decision, follow the link to the standalone post or the original source before acting on it.

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.