Playmaji, the company behind the Polymega ecosystem, has announced a new hardware: the Polymega Remix. This portable device, pictured above, coupled with the free Polymega app (launching first on Windows 11-compatible devices), offers a plug-and-play solution to digitise CD-based retro games. Cartridge-based games are also supported via the Element Modules, which are sold separately. Once digitised, the game can be played via the Polymega App on a compatible device.

The Remix Base Unit comes with support for:

• Original CD/DVD game compatibility (via optical drive) for titles from consoles such as PlayStation 1, Saturn, Sega CD, and more.
• Original Cartridge game compatibility (via Element Modules, sold separately), for systems like NES, SNES, Genesis, Atari, and even Nintendo 64.

The Polymega App offers the same premium user experience as the full Polymega console, including advanced features such as:

• Virtual Display modes
• Patch support
• Custom playlists
• Extended Set game installations
• Polymega Collection game support

“Polymega Remix is all about flexibility,” said Bryan Bernal, CEO at Playmaji, Inc. “Whether you’re a retro game collector looking to digitize your physical collection or simply someone looking for a more portable way to enjoy your games, Polymega Remix is the perfect solution. The best part is, you can take your entire library with you wherever you go, and for an incredible price.”

Polymega Remix is priced at $199, and pre-orders will open on April 16, at 8 AM PST, with shipping expected to begin in May.

SOURCE: GBAtemp Inbox

 

[AndorfRequissa]

no ps2? its basically overpriced ewaste slop imo. a raspberry pi and many other systems can do more for cheaper. this is just a gimmick product imo

 

[The Real Jdbye]

This is supposed to be portable? I'm sorry, what? It looks about the size of a front loader NES.

 

[Evilengine]

If it came already with all the slots for different cartridges or at least that would be the main goal, I'd see the niche audience who would want to dump their own roms or write them to catridges. But like this it's a PC with a disc drive, anything a 10€ PC is able to do.. Or a USB one...

 

[The Real Jdbye]

no ps2? its basically overpriced ewaste slop imo. a raspberry pi and many other systems can do more for cheaper. this is just a gimmick product imo

Yeah, really, out of the box what does this do that a USB CD/DVD drive doesn't do? All of the cartridge stuff is neat, but there've already been universal cartridge readers that can plug into USB, and it doesn't even come included for $200.

Honestly though I think we're just not the target audience for this. This is meant for people that are really into archival, and having a more convenient way to archive any game you buy is probably worth the price to some of them.

I think even the CEO isn't sure who their target audience is, though, because I can promise you that most collectors are not interested in this. Collectors are purists more so than just about anybody else. I've lost count of how many times i've seen a collector get ahold of some rare prototype or something, that they were either unwilling or unable to dump simply because they didn't have the means or they weren't interested because the entire value to them is in the physical thing itself, and having a copy of that thing exist would somehow lessen their perceived value of the physical thing. Collectors and archivists are two entirely different breeds of people.

 

[LuminousGaze]

What a perfect waste of optical drives. Also portable? Portable optical drives are much cheaper, would actually be portable, and while you would have to find the appropriate software yourself to rip your discs, you could use the money saved to buy a cartridge reader (or at least go towards one), there are numerous options available for many game platforms, both console and handheld alike.

Polymega should worry about making sure they can stock whatever hardware they currently have before delving into a yet another hardware line. If I didn't trust Polymega before, I certainly don't now.

 

[MeowthBlep]

You can get a n64 dumper for like $30-40 jabludski

 

[SDA]

Sounds like a great concept... on paper, at least.

 

[SuffahBish]

Is that it in the picture? That just looks like the regular Polymega. I don't really see how that's portable?

 

[tech3475]

I think I'd rather just buy that cartridge dumper I've seen on Aliexpress for about £100 and use my existing ODDs.

 

[Marc_LFD]

If the AVGN was here he'd tell you what's portable.

 

[tech3475]

If the AVGN was here he'd tell you what's portable.

Nah, he'd just show us a different kind of dumper.

 

[AndorfRequissa]

Yeah, really, out of the box what does this do that a USB CD/DVD drive doesn't do? All of the cartridge stuff is neat, but there've already been universal cartridge readers that can plug into USB, and it doesn't even come included for $200.

Honestly though I think we're just not the target audience for this. This is meant for people that are really into archival, and having a more convenient way to archive any game you buy is probably worth the price to some of them.

I think even the CEO isn't sure who their target audience is, though, because I can promise you that most collectors are not interested in this. Collectors are purists more so than just about anybody else. I've lost count of how many times i've seen a collector get ahold of some rare prototype or something, that they were either unwilling or unable to dump simply because they didn't have the means or they weren't interested because the entire value to them is in the physical thing itself, and having a copy of that thing exist would somehow lessen their perceived value of the physical thing. Collectors and archivists are two entirely different breeds of people.

i fit the realm of both collector and archivist to a degree. Like I bought every single FF collectors edition along with the hardback collector edition walkthrough guides which still remain unopened. I then downloaded copies of those games and strategy guides so that I could play the collection without actually opening them.

I collected something that I wanted to retain the value of it by not opening them and then found a way to archive my purchase without opening the collection.

I spent alot of my hardearned cash as a kid collecting star wars stuff from the prequel trilogies. Going to taco bell and buying the happy meal boxes and buying Mountain Dew and Pepsi special edition collector cans. I put them in totes and about 15 years later when moving them found that the Mountain Dew and Pepsi became so acidic that it ate through the aluminum cans and then destroyed all the other collectables that I had in that tote. It was a horrible feeling collecting something that diminished from its age. It taught me a valuable lesson.

If you collect something try to find a way to archive it to preserve it if possible. Understand the ageing process of products and the aging process causes degradation try to have a backup way of keeping the collectible.

A good collector has to balance preservation with archiving.

 

[Bladexdsl]

$199?! I'll stick to emulation THANX

 

[littlemisskittn]

I could just get a DVD external drive for $30-40, a good one. Couple that with IMGBurn and I'm good. $199 for this?

 

[NostalgicMillennial]

Dude no PS2 what the fucking shit you omit the best console of all time what were they thinking

 

[littlemisskittn]

Dude no PS2 what the fucking shit you omit the best console of all time what were they thinking

Especially when there's really no such thing as a new CD drive anymore. It's at the very least a DVD/CD unit.

 

[KiiWii]

$199?! I'll stick to emulation THANX

Sadly, the N64 module (at least) is software emulation, it’s not even FPGA…

I’d love to have a go on the Polymega with the N64 module, to compare to my Analogue 3D.

 

[AlexMCS]

I even get the FPGA guys a little bit, but come on, people.
Emulation has been the answer for retro games since 1995, at least.

 

[chrisrlink]

let's see how fast the ESA get's on them despite 1:1 copies being legal