Evercade Nexus Could Be Blaze’s Biggest Retro Handheld Yet
A new handheld console is making its way to the gaming community, and it’s perfect for those wanting some nostalgia. The Evercade Nexus was just announced by Blaze Entertainment, and it’s the newest retro gaming handheld console.
While the handheld console is exciting news, Blaze Entertainment ensured to pique the interest of gamers with the addition of Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie. The games will be included in a single, physical cartridge. The official release boasts about their choice of creating physical card games: “No downloads, no codes – you own the games!”
Pre-orders for the console will be open on April 1st, but the console will not ship until October 2026. The official page shared that the price is as well, $199.99 / £169.99 / €199.99.
This is a huge deal in the gaming world right now, and not only because the price is staggeringly low compared to other consoles, considering the Switch 2 is $449.99, the Steam Deck is $549, the ROG Ally is $499.99, and the Legion Go is $749.99.
Evercade is going against normal modern handhelds. According to The Verge, the Evercade Nexus will not use an app store, will not play ROMs, and will not accept old Nintendo or Sega media.
Instead, the console will have its own cartridge line, which will cover more than 80 carts and over 700 officially licensed retro games. Meaning, this is perfect for gamers who miss the old consoles where you have physical media, look through manuals, and plug in carts to play.
With modern-day technology, especially with Nintendo Switch offering retro games through subscription deals, and only with digital games, this is the perfect option for those who want to go back to the golden days of gaming.
Evercade has worked hard on pushing against these modern changes, opting to stick to cartridges. Time Extension reported on Evercade’s broader family that includes the EXP, VS, Alpha, and Super Pocket lines, which are all tied into the same physical-media ecosystem.
Bigger Screen, Sharper Pitch
Besides keeping in line with physical media and offering an affordable handheld console, what makes this a great option? Compared with their older model, EXP-R, the Nexus takes a step forward when it comes to hardware.
The console features a 5.89-inch IPS display, twin analog sticks, wireless headphone support, Wi-Fi 6, a 5,000mAh battery rated for more than five hours of play, and a local multiplayer feature called EverSync.
The screen also switches from 4:3 to 16:9 and bumps the resolution up to 840×512, which makes the whole device feel more suited to later-era retro games instead of just earlier arcade and 16-bit favorites.
Speaking of retro games, let’s dive into the Banjo bundle pack. Both games have been enhanced and customized for the console, offering performance and graphical improvements along with widescreen support, twin-stick camera controls, D-pad control support, and even unlockable content.
Reports have shared that the Evercade Nexus is Blaze’s “most ambitious” handheld yet, especially considering that dual analog sticks can massively expand the number of titles the platform can bring to the console.
Why Collectors Will Notice
This is a huge win for collectors. The lack of physical media has put a damper on those who enjoy stocking their shelves with games.
Blaze has said some older releases move into “Legacy” status once they can no longer make new stock, while retailer Funstock still lists new standard cartridges at around £19.99.
On the other hand, Evercadia’s eBay tracker shows some out-of-print carts like Namco Museum Collection 1 listed between $90 and $170. That does not make every old Evercade cart rare, but it absolutely shows how this ecosystem can turn into a real collector hunt.
This is the perfect time for the Evercade Nexus to arrive. Not only has Nintendo lowered the price of digital media, making it the better, more affordable option, but cartridges also aren’t really around anymore due to the shift to Game-Key Cards.
The Nexus gives retro fans a more powerful handheld for later classic games, gives Evercade users another way into the same cartridge library, and gives collectors one more premium box to chase. For players who love retro gaming, the mix of recognizable classics and something physical to actually own might be too good to skip in 2026.
