ZUIKI Announces The "X68000 Z SUPER" & "X68000 Z XVI"

Update #2 [Thu 6th Feb, 2025 16:00 GMT]: ZUIKI has finally announced its plans for the follow-up to the X68000 Z, revealing two new models of machine called the "X68000 Z Super" and "X68000 Z XVI" (thanks Game Watch).

The X68000 Z Super features the same SoC and memory as its predecessor (the X68000 Z), but is slightly larger (227mm x width 96mm x depth 169mm) and introduces Wi-Fi communication, as well as additional SCSI, MIDI, and D-Sub ports. A ‘Nano-ITX’ motherboard can also be built in, making it possible to double-boot with Windows. Meanwhile, the X68000 Z XVI features a new SOC chip as well as an increased memory capacity and all of the improvements included with the X68000 Z Super.

Both machines will be available to pre-order through the Japanese crowdfunding website Kibidango between February 8th to February 27th, with the X68000 Z Super costing 59,800 yen, while the X68000 Z XVI is available at several different price points.

The cheapest option available, for instance, is to buy an X68000 Z Super with a custom XVI kit for 74,800 yen and swap out the faceplate, and board yourself. However, there are also options to purchase a 2-unit set for 129,800 yen (featuring the X68000 Z Super and X68000 XVI), as well as a special premium set for 680,000 yen.

Currently, both devices are expected to launch in Fall 2025. No retail release is planned — at least for the time being — according to its creators.

Update #1 [Tue 4th Feb, 2025 13:30 GMT]: ZUIKI has published another tease of its new machine that it is now calling "The X68000 Z 2".

The teaser video was published on Twitter/X earlier today on the new X68000 Z account and is just over a minute long. It gives us a closer look at the mysterious new machine and drops some rather huge hints about some of the features we should expect from the device when it is released.

Looking at the video, for instance, it appears that this brand-new device will feature swappable face plates with the X68000 Super and X68000 X68000 XVI logos on, as well as a number of additional ports that weren't available on the original X68000 Z. This includes a SCSI port, options for MIDI IN, Out, and Out/Thru, and the ability to plug in existing joysticks and other accessories.

According to the tease, more information will be revealed on the Z-Club stream this Thursday, February 6th at 8pm JST. You will be able to tune into the stream here.

Original Article [Fri 31st Jan, 2025 14:30 GMT]: ZUIKI, the company behind the X68000 Z, has recently established a new Twitter/X account for the retro machine and has begun teasing a mysterious new model.

In case you're unfamiliar, the X68000 Z was first unveiled back in October 2022 and was designed to be a miniature recreation of Sharp's iconic Japanese home computer that originally debuted in the country back in 1987.

It was initially only available to those who supported the project on the Japanese crowdfunding website Kibidango, but later received a wider release in September 2023 with the launch of the X68000 Z Black Model.

The Time Extension contributor Ashley Day reviewed the machine for us back in December 2023, describing it at the time as "ludicrously expensive and more complicated to get working than your average mini-console" but "still a lot more affordable and simpler to use than the real thing". As a result, we're keen to see what changes ZUIKI is planning to make with this new version of the classic computer, and whether it also intends to make the experience more approachable for those who want to dig into the computer's library of games.

The company posted online that more details about the new model will soon be announced, but it didn't give an exact timeline on when exactly that would be.

It did, however, publish a curious image of the miniature X68000 Z, alongside two larger models of the machine, with the hashtags "#X68000" and "#X68000Z2", suggesting that the new version will be slightly bigger than the one released back in 2023.