The Retro Gaming Console That Could Change the Game – Literally
You might remember when Valve tried to launch a line of Linux-based gaming consoles called Steam Machines back in the day. Yeah, they didn’t quite catch on. But now, a clever guy named Rodrigo Sedano is trying to revive the idea with a twist – a retro gaming console that runs EmuDeck, a program that allows you to play classic games on your Steam Deck.
Sedano is the mastermind behind EmuDeck, which has gained a huge following among Steam Deck enthusiasts. His new project, called EmuDeck Machines, is a console-sized PC that comes preloaded with EmuDeck and a wireless controller. And the best part? It’s crowdfunding on Indiegogo right now.
The console itself is housed in a Sega Dreamcast-inspired shell and comes with an Intel N97 or AMD 8600G chip, depending on the model. The AMD version is said to have "Steam Deck-beating" performance, according to Sedano. The console also has four USB ports for additional controllers or peripherals.
Now, you might be thinking, "But what about the risks of crowdfunding?" And you’re right to be skeptical. There are plenty of stories about projects that promised the world but never delivered. But Sedano seems to be taking the right steps to mitigate those risks. He’s registered his company in Spain, locked down suppliers, and promises to offer hardware support and a warranty.
And here’s the thing – he might not even need Valve’s support to make this happen. He’s preloading Bazzite, a promising fork of the SteamOS interface with a different underlying operating system (Fedora). Bazzite founder Kyle Gospodnetich has given EmuDeck their blessing, and it’s not currently helping EmuDeck tweak the software.
So, what does this mean for the future of retro gaming consoles? Could this be the start of a new trend? We’ll have to wait and see how the crowdfunding campaign goes, but if Sedano can deliver on his promises, this could be a game-changer (pun intended).
