The Commodore 64 Ultimate takes me back to my very first days with a computer and I loved nearly every moment

25 Feb 2026, 16:00 · TechRadar

TechRadar Verdict

The Commodore 64 Ultimate is a labor of love disguised as a fantastic recreation of an important home computer. Near identical to the original, you can use your old hardware (even the cassettes!) and also access games online. It’s a little daunting at first, but soon becomes a triumph.

Pros

+Near-perfect replication of the original system
+You can use your old hardware, like joysticks or cassettes
+Easy setup
+Surprising amount of potential

Cons

-Daunting to figure out, particularly if you’ve never used one before
-Nostalgia factor may only last for so long

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Commodore 64 Ultimate: One-minute review

The Commodore 64 Ultimate is a modern recreation of the classic home computer from the 1980s. It’s a tremendous achievement, taking me straight back to my childhood with glee, and also making me wonder how on earth seven-year-old me had the patience to truly figure it out. Using it is wondrous and occasionally frustrating and slow, but for fans of that era, it’s hard to resist (assuming money isn’t an issue).

It’s so much more than just an emulated machine like if you’ve Nintendo Classic Mini or the PlayStation Classic. It provides compatibility with most of your old Commodore 64 hardware if, like me, you’ve kept a huge box of cassettes, cartridges, and joysticks, but you can also go online to download some games too.

Capturing that nostalgia has some downsides that are only truly apparent now that we’ve moved forward. Loading times are slow, albeit not as slow as back in the day, while knowing what commands to hit on the keyboard isn’t as intuitive as it once felt. However, a comprehensive manual goes some way to helping you remember how you used to do things, and ensures newcomers aren’t left in the dark.

Think of this as like a project rather than a brief flirtation, and you should be delighted with the Commodore 64 Ultimate. I enjoyed rediscovering how to complete simple routines in BASIC, but also playing old favorites, even if they weren’t exactly games I’d still play for dozens of hours anymore.

It’s a fantastic love letter to the computer that sent me down a lifelong path of loving technology, but it also reminds me how far we’ve come. At times, you’ll find yourself a little frustrated by a system that doesn’t feel as logical as it once did, but if you were here back at the start, you’ll always return for more. Just be ready for a bit of a learning curve.

(Image credit: Future)

Commodore 64 Ultimate: Price and availability

List price: $349.99 (around £260 / AU$524)
Currently available for preorder for March / April 2026
Beige and Starlight variants available

The Commodore 64 Ultimate is currently available for pre-order directly from Commodore. At the time of writing, it’s expected to ship in March or April 2026. The standard Beige variant is $349.99 (around £260 / AU$524) while the more futuristic-looking Starlight model is an extra $50, and the Founder’s Edition with 24K gold-plated badges is $549.99.

I went with the Beige version as it looks nearly identical to the one from my childhood (more on that in a moment), but even that model is pretty expensive compared to other retro games consoles and machines.

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