by Update []: Blaze Entertainment announced it is delaying the release of both The C64 Handheld and The Spectrum Handheld. While both devices were originally scheduled to ship next month, the manufacturer has pushed the shipping date back to April 22, 2027.
Blaze issued the following statement on its website:
"After careful consideration, we have made the decision to move the release date from 15th October 2026 to 22nd April 2027. This date change applies to both standard and collector’s editions."
"During production, we identified areas where the product construction was not meeting our high standards. While we could address some issues quickly and release the products in 2026, we believe taking this additional time is the right decision to give you the best experience possible.
We know this news will be disappointing, and we’d like to thank you for your patience and continued support.
We cannot wait for you to get your hands on TheC64 and The Spectrum Handhelds when they launch on 22nd April 2027.
Thank you once again for your support and understanding."
Blaze notes that this delay does not affect the status of the Evercade Nexus, which is expected to begin shipping on October 30 2026.
Original Story []: Following its tease yesterday, Evercade maker Blaze has confirmed that it is teaming up with Retro Games Ltd to produce two new clamshell handhelds based on the ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64.
Entitled THEC64 Handheld and The Spectrum Handheld, each unit boasts 25 preloaded games, a 4.3-inch IPS display, simplified controls to compensate for the lack of a keyboard, and the ability to load your own games via MicroSD. You can also connect a USB keyboard using a USB-A I/O port.
"The clamshell case design takes inspiration from some of the most successful gaming handhelds of the past, while also evoking the style of portable computers, palmtops and organisers of the 1980s," says the press release. "Each console also has four function buttons designed to mimic the keys on the original devices and a menu/start/select button layout inspired by the same. These keys are tactile plastic on THEC64 Handheld and rubber on The Spectrum Handheld."
THEC64 Handheld and The Spectrum Handheld - Specifications
The specifications of these devices are as follows:
| Size | W136mm x H26mm x D86mm |
| Weight | 235g |
| Colour | Retro Beige (THEC64 Handheld), Classic Black (The Spectrum Handheld) |
| Controls | D-Pad and Face Buttons, Four mappable function keys and menu/start/select keys in tactile plastic (THEC64 Handheld) and rubber (The Spectrum Handheld) |
| Display | 4.3″ 840×480 IPS high resolution screen |
| Processor | Quad Core 1.2Ghz |
| Memory | 256mb DDR RAM |
| Connectivity | 3.5mm headphone jack, USB-A I/O port for external keyboard, MicroSD port for additional game loading |
| Battery | 3+ hour 2000mAH battery |
| Charging | USB-C (cable included). 5v 1a minimum required for charging (mains adaptor not included) |
| Formats | THEC64 Handheld Formats - Can select between C64 PAL/NTSC, C64C PAL/NTSC, C64SX PAL/NTSC, PET64 PAL/NTSC, C64 GS The Spectrum Handheld Formats - Can select between Spectrum 48K, Spectrum 48K (NTSC), Spectrum 128K, Spectrum +2, Spectrum +2A, Spectrum +3, Spectrum +3e,Spectrum 16K. Spectrum CPU under/overclocking supported. |
THEC64 Handheld and The Spectrum Handheld - Games
Each unit comes preloaded with 25 games, but you can load up more using the MicroSD card slot.
| THEC64 Handheld | The Spectrum Handheld |
|---|---|
| A Pig Quest | Head Over Heels |
| Sam's Journey | Manic Miner |
| Nebulus | Skool Daze |
| Boulder Dash | Tiny Dungeons |
| Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe | Archon: The Light and the Dark |
| Paradroid | The Great Escape |
| Hunter's Moon Remastered | Bounder |
| Knight 'n' Grail | Switchblade |
| Aztec Challenge | Nightmare Rally |
| Krakout | M.O.V.I.E. |
| Lee | Avenger: The Way of the Tiger II |
| Druid | Bugaboo the Flea |
| Encounter! | Devwill Too ZX |
| Galencia | Hammerfist |
| Ice Guys | Hammer Knight |
| Metal Warrior Ultra | Penguin Attack |
| Millie & Molly | S1NCLA1R C1TY |
| Planet Golf | Shovel Adventure |
| Shadow Switcher | Snake Escape |
| Spherical | Sorcerer Kid Adventure |
| Squish 'Em | Splat! |
| Steel Ranger | Tourmaline |
| X-Out | Where Time Stood Still |
| Yeti Mountain | Zynaps |
| It's Magic 2 | Starquake |
THEC64 Handheld and The Spectrum Handheld - Price & Release Date
THEC64 Handheld and The Spectrum Handheld will cost £109.99 | $129.99 | €129.99 each and are set to launch in October 2026. Pre-orders go live today.
Also available are 'Collector's Edition' variants of each device, which ship with a hard shell case and
exclusive magazine – Crash with the Spectrum and Zzap with the THEC64. These units will only be available from Funstock.co.uk and Funstock USA, and are limited to just 2000 units each. They will cost £129.99 | $149.99 | €149.99.
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