Two new handheld gaming devices are bringing back the exact feel of 1980s home computers, complete with their famously weird rubber keyboards and obscure games most people have never heard of.
The Spectrum and THE64 handhelds aren’t trying to compete with Nintendo Switch or Steam Deck. Instead, they’re recreating the specific experience of using a Sinclair ZX Spectrum or Commodore 64 computer from the early 1980s. That means rubber keys that feel squishy when you press them, and keyboards that make loud clacking sounds.
More Than Just Nostalgia
What makes these devices interesting isn’t just the throwback design. They’re loaded with games that were huge in Europe and other parts of the world, but barely existed in America. Think text-heavy adventure games, quirky puzzle games, and experimental titles that game developers made in their bedrooms.
The Spectrum was massively popular in the UK, while the Commodore 64 dominated in Europe and parts of America. Both computers had thriving game scenes that were completely different from Nintendo and Atari. Many of these games have never been ported to modern systems.
Unlike modern gaming where everyone plays the same big titles, these handhelds are bringing back an era when gaming felt more personal and weird. Every game was an experiment, and many were made by just one person.
What’s Next
Both devices are available now for retro gaming fans who want something more authentic than downloading emulators on their phones. They’re not cheap, but they offer access to thousands of games that have been mostly forgotten by gaming history.
