We have seen several recreations of the unforgettable ZX Spectrum in the past, and all of them ended up too far away from the original hardware. For some users, it is enough to get an equivalent experience, but those who want a more balanced combination of official specifications and the advantages of modern components may want to take a closer look at the ZX Spectrum Next.
Ten years on the market, dozens of clones, hacks, more than 24,000 games... what else can be said about the ZX Spectrum? Granted, it had plenty of technical problems and using its keyboard wasn't the most pleasant thing in the world, but its low cost made it the first computer of millions of people, and its extensive documentation has allowed us to squeeze its limited resources to the maximum. In 2017, the value of retro is hitting hard. We can still hear the shouts directed at Nintendo over the cancellation of the NES Classic, rumors about an SNES Mini variant are piling up quickly, and in essence, everything that made us happy during our childhood is coming back in one way or another. The problem is when those returns are half-hearted, and the ZX Spectrum was not immune. The Recreated variant is a glorified Bluetooth keyboard. The Vega line only offers portable consoles. For heaven's sake, where is our dose of Z80...?
Technical Specifications
Technically, the ZX Spectrum Next promises that through a Xilinx Spartan-6 FPGA, with a total of 512 kilobytes of RAM, which can be expanded to 1.5 MB (internal) or 2.5 MB (external). The chip runs at 3.5 MHz, the original frequency of the ZX Spectrum, but it also has a turbo mode that raises that number to 7 MHz. The motherboard includes a PS/2 port for connecting conventional mice and keyboards, HDMI and VGA outputs, 3.5 mm connectors compatible with loading games from tape, an expansion port, SD card slot, DB9 port (joystick), and as optional hardware we have a WiFi module, speaker, RTC, and an accelerator board, which is nothing more than a Raspberry Pi Zero connected via GPIO. The ZX Spectrum Next requires a 9-volt power supply, and with some modifications it is possible to install it in an original case (it includes ports to use the membrane keyboard).
Crowdfunding and Pricing
The ZX Spectrum Next surpassed its goal of £250,000 in less than 48 hours, a clear sign that the demand is there. The most economical way to get one is by ordering only the motherboard without optional elements or case, the price of which is £99 (€117). The complete edition exceeds €250, and the middle ground costs €207. The most advanced orders are delayed until January 2018, however, those who choose the board may receive it in August.
