Five years ago, I was introduced to the nascent Polycade and its creator Tyler Bushnell while writing a Kickstarter review. Back then, the Polycade was a big wooden box that Tyler was assembling in his garage. It was heavy, awkward, finicky, and wonderful.

I’ve had one hanging in my office since its inception, and it’s still an incredible distraction and a great conversation piece. (It has also served as a shell for my own emulator experiments. I have since incorporated a Homebrew Wii U and an XBox controller adapter for a Clone Hero guitar.)

So, last week, when Tyler sent me an email telling me about their new Indiegogo campaign, I had to go check it out.

It’s no secret that we love all things retro here at The Roarbots, but it’s not simply the feel-good vibe of reliving your youth that makes Polycade attractive. There is something about side-by-side or couch gaming that can’t be reproduced with online multiplayer games, even with services like Discord.

It’s the human connection. The high-fives to celebrate a round cleared, the elbows thrown when your friend drops a sick combo on you, the joy as you toss that blue shell when you’re in second place with a half lap to go just waiting for the screams of rage you know are coming.

In this latest update, Polycade offers products for fans of both side-by-side and couch gaming, as well as solo PC desk gamers.

At the heart of every system is the new Polycade Arcade Gaming Software (Polycade AGS). From the AGS, you can view and launch all your games from popular platforms like Utomik, GOG, and Steam, as well as purchase new games from the Polycade store. Additionally, for the seasoned gamer, Polycade AGS includes popular emulators baked-in and preconfigured to make running retro ROMs easier than ever.

In addition to the existing Wallcade arcade systems – which include the Lux (featuring a powder-coated steel cabinet, high-quality components, and a gaming-grade PC) – the Lite (lower-end PC components in a laminated plywood cabinet), and the Squadcade (a 4-player version), Polycade is now offering the Polycade 2600 (a nod to their Atari roots) and two different controllers.

Polycade 2600

The Polycade 2600 is an easy plug-and-play system that comes with two rechargeable Bluetooth controllers. However, unlike other consoles, the 2600 has PC components inside. Any game you can play on Windows 10 can be played on the Polycade 2600, and since it’s a PC, it’s upgradeable.

For the first 100 backers only, you can get the Polycade 2600 in this slick retro wood panel skin:

eZpZ Controller

• Wireless Bluetooth or Micro-USB Cable
• Rechargable 480mAh Li-on battery. 18 play hours with 1-2 hour charging time
• Uses XInput for PC
• No unnecessary buttons. Designed with the utmost attention to detail –  just like the classics.
• 144*63.5*26.2 mm
• 95.5g
• Also works with Android, Raspberry Pi, Switch, and macOS

Arcade Controller

• Wireless or wired connectivity
• Sanwa buttons & Sanwa JLF joystick with octagonal plate
• Joystick mode switch changes between D-Pad / left stick / right stick
• Brook wireless fighting board
• Rechargable battery pack
• Powder-coated steel surface
• Works with PC (XInput), PS3, PS4, and Switch

Check out the Polycade Indiegogo page to preorder any of these devices today. You can also download the Polycade AGS and install it on your own PC free later this year.

About Polycade

Founded in 2015 and launched with an over-subscribed Kickstarter, the Los Angeles based Polycade Inc. is on a mission to build community through gaming by combining the social arcade experience with modern games and technology. Users can experience Polycade through the Polycade Arcade Cabinet and the downloadable Polycade AGS. Created by Jake Galler and Tyler Bushnell, son of Atari and Chuck E. Cheese founder Nolan Bushnell, Polycade’s unique software and hardware allows players to use one interface to combine all of their favorite gaming platforms and play games from any generation. Polycade participated in the Comcast/NBCUniversal LIFT Labs accelerator powered by Techstars and has secured investment from Founders Fund, Wavemaker Partners, Rashaun Williams and Eric Campbell, various celebrities, and tech luminaries.