A remodeled version of the iconic 1980s Sinclair ZX Spectrum console is about to go into production in the UK. The new console will feature 1,000 classic games as well as an SD slot and joypad controls. The console, which is to be called the ZX Spectrum Vega, is to be manufactured by British form SMS Electronics, who are based in Nottinghamshire, England.
The machine has been developed by a company called Retro Computers and has been given an April launch date. The new venture has been backed by the computer’s original launcher Sir Clive Sinclair. The ZX Spectrum was seen as the UK’s answer to the Commodore 64.
The managing director says he expects “big things from the machine”. SMS Electronics managing director Mark Goldby said: “I am absolutely delighted our company has been involved in this project. If it sells anywhere near as well as the original ZX Spectrum that could bring massive employment opportunities for us here.”
Goldby said, although the console was unlikely to appeal to hardcore graphics fans, its games remained “extremely addictive”. Fans of Spectrum games have used computers and smartphones to play classic titles, but they will be able to plug the new console straight into a TV. Retro chairman Dr David Levy said he couldn’t confirm which Spectrum games would come pre-installed on the machine, but he did say that the console would feature some of the most iconic titles of the 1980s.
Do you remember the ZX Spectrum from the first time round? Maybe you weren’t around in the 1980s but have played on an original machine? Will you be investing in the new console? Let us know below.
