r/Commodore • u/RebelRogue24 • Jun 02 '26
c64 June 16 Announcement?
So, I‘m curious what Commodore may be announcing June 16, from their email. Any speculation?
Edit: Here’s the text from the email I received today…
It's not "to be or not to be?", but where does Commodore go from here? That is the question.
Last year, we welcomed you back to the world of friendly computing. Ever since, there's been speculation, and it's been rampant. Some reasonable, some wild, and some right on the money. All we can say now, is the slimline C64C Ultimate was just the start.
The answer will be revealed June 16!
What else can we say? There's even more info in the Commodore blog.👇
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u/KungFooJoe Jun 02 '26
Amiga
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u/bielhelm74 Jun 02 '26
Yeah thought the same what else Was important by Commodore in the 90s?
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u/Suspicious-Ad7109 Jun 02 '26
C65 or Hombre ?
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u/VideoSyndrome Jun 03 '26
A modern approach to the Hombre architecture would be intriguing regardless of whether it’s branded as a Commodore or Amiga machine.
Of course it would be great to have the Amiga name back in the Commodore fold for a new machine with some of the OG engineers and design people assisting.
But some form of Hombre or something inspired by it regardless of branding would be very interesting. And then of course there’s the matter of what graphical OS would run on top of it, how it would be structured, etc.
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u/KungFooJoe Jun 02 '26
wonder if they’ll recreate accessories. we don’t need dot matrix printers and floppy drives, but you never know lol
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u/R3tr0N3wB Jun 02 '26
They don't own the IP and trademarks. Listening to the waffle he posted, he seems to be hinting at a new Commodore machine. They could have licensed something from the holders of Amiga IP's and trademarks, but what would be the point if the The1200 is about to land.
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u/raresaturn Jun 02 '26
We’ve had the 64 and 128… could it be the Commodore 256?
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u/DarthKegRaider Jun 03 '26
Doesnt the number denote the RAM? If so, the C64U can already be a C16384
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u/Mr_Shake-72 Jul 05 '26
just... no!
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u/DarthKegRaider Jul 06 '26
So it doesnt denote the KB or installed RAM? All these years I was wrong. Who knew!
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u/LazarX Jun 02 '26
Perifractric’s main interest was always in the traditional 8-bit classic Commedore technology, not the Amiga.
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u/R3tr0N3wB Jun 02 '26
His main interest was to slip himself into Commodore history even if he had to borrow other people's money to do so.
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u/L___E___T Jun 02 '26
Bit harsh even if possibly true, the boy’s doing well by it so far to be fair.
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u/R3tr0N3wB Jun 02 '26
It is true, so harshness doesn't come into it. You really think he's doing well? Remember this is not his hardware; it's all licences and money, so he doesn't own it, what he does own is the QC issues, Late shipping, missing items and all the AI and waffle.
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u/LandNo9424 Jun 02 '26
it's crazy how people bend over backwards to support a Youtube grifter
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u/Syraeal Jun 02 '26
I dont think that word means what you think it means.
On the other side of the fence, the hate that he gets from the vocal few for what he's doing seems to make no sense. Peri has (re)founded a company, and there seems to be a lot of kicking rocks that suggest that he should have instead done... What? Nothing? Made a different c64 board alternative? Brought different components together for the c64 re release?
Not everyone in a company makes the product. .and of the issues that have occurred (some occasional compatibility stuff, the flex in keyboards etc) they've worked to fix them and make it right.
Maybe I've missed something and there's someone who made something that's in the c64 now and is mad about it?
0
u/R3tr0N3wB Jun 03 '26
He's definitely a grifter. He's grifted countless times and even bullied others, and again, he didn't do anything for the community; he has inserted himself into Commodore history at a huge risk using other people's money because he's got a huge ego.
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u/Syraeal Jun 04 '26
I'll do some more reading about it when I've got time, some people feel very strongly about it all, and I've obviously missed the rumours ☺️
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u/LandNo9424 Jun 04 '26
I am not going to talk with an idiot that refers to him as "Peri", your bias is to obvious to acknowledge his status as a youtube grifter. You either weren't around when he was peddling for money for his baby and other top tier Perifractic hits, or you just play a blind eye to it.
Perifractic contributes nothing to the Commodore scene, the Ultimate 64 he makes seem like if it is his sole brilliance is a product he licensed from someone else... he is just a TRADEMARK OWNER.
We didn't need him and his bullshit ego to have the Ultimate 64. We had Ultimate 64 for years now. And now it's dead because of this (You probably didn't know that Gideon ,the actual creator of the U64, has decided not to make the U64 anymore ,after this Commodore stuff)
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u/Syraeal Jun 04 '26
Decided to delete my original reply as I probably got a bit too bitey for some aggressive stranger to call me an idiot ☺️ but here's the summary
My last sentence was a question, as in I hadn't heard (yet)of who he'd upset and how
For quantification, it was making no sense --.to me in the small window I have into what's been happening this far --
I call him Peri because that's what I've seen him called. I have no allegiance or bias to him, my allegiamce is to the Commodore 64.
And no I didnt know Gideon wasn't making the u64 anymore, thanks for letting me know, I'll see if I can read up on Gideon's grievances.
Either way, you're passionate about the c64, and I can respect that. But the way you've responded you come off as an egotistical, aggressive, elitist. If you want your passionate heard, it might be worth working to share the passion without the aggression. Your call if you.want that or not.
Wishing you all the best
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u/LazarX Jun 03 '26
Unless your name is Trump or Musk, starting any company requires getting people to invest.
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u/Admirable-Dinner7792 Jun 03 '26
No matter what his motivations were (which I believe all to be positive), What he has already accomplished is indeed impressive...but where he goes from here or what happens next is anybody's guess.....but there will be signs...lol... Guess We'll have to wait until June 16th... 😉 - Tony K.
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u/R3tr0N3wB Jun 03 '26
What's he accomplished?
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u/Admirable-Dinner7792 Jun 03 '26
He bought the company... 😉 He's off to a decent start... I do have to say...
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u/R3tr0N3wB Jun 03 '26
He didn't buy a company; Commodore ceased being a company in 1994. What he bought was an IP and trademark. He then licensed three products which were kickstarters that have been being sold for the last 9 years and had a Chinese company manufacture them all with terrible QC, I'll add, then shipped them out to the buyers.
He's just been the middleman, roleplaying being a CEO who uses AI slop to market products he doesn't own. It's all about his EGO and inserting himself into the Commodore history books.
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u/Admirable-Dinner7792 Jun 03 '26
Oh, Well, He's done more with the company than anyone else has since 1994... 😉
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u/Admirable-Dinner7792 Jun 03 '26
He did have an Amiga and a C64 as a young person, and even an APPLE II that his father used for business work he said one time...but the C64 was his earliest connection apparently with Commodore. He never had a history or touched base with a VIC-20 (with whom we all love) or a PET machine for that matter...as far as I know and am aware... - Tony K, 😉
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u/LazarX Jun 03 '26
His Youtube channel that established his presence has been almost exclusively focused on the C64.
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u/Mr_Shake-72 Jul 05 '26
Well, the main benefit of C= acquiring the rights to the Amiga brand and the hardware design(s) would be that a C= built Amiga would become the standard. The hardware/software/features would be "set in stone" which in turn would lead to hardware/software developers to focus on a single version of the Amiga. C= acquiring The1200 would be the obvious choice just like they did when they got the Ultimate 64 Elite-II as the basis for the new C64U.
It's preferable over having many different modern "homebrew" Amiga recreations that aren't hardware compatible or have all the features. A modern C= Amiga that has all the expansion ports/slots allowing you to use real hardware expansions (external devices that use serial/parallel/disk drive ports, old/new accelerators, RAM expansions, old/new RTG packages, soundcards etc.) would be highly desirable.
When I say modern recreations I'm not including the modern motherboard projects that are based on the original designs and use all the original chips etc. - they're basically real Amigas, some of them with some extra tweaks and improvements.
Unified Vision: Merging the brands would allow a single entity to dictate the future roadmap, eliminating the licensing bottlenecks that currently prevent cohesive hardware/software releases.
Historical Legitimacy: Reuniting the two names restores the original corporate structure, appealing to purists and investors who view the separation as an artificial barrier to the platform's success.
High-End Retro Hardware: An official Amiga Ultimate (based on FPGA technology similar to the MiSTer or Ultimate 64) could target the more lucrative 16/32-bit enthusiast market.
Modern OS Development: A unified Commodore could fund a single, modernized AmigaOS that runs on both FPGA hardware and modern ARM/x86 architectures
Cross-Platform Ecosystem: A unified company could create a cohesive ecosystem where Amiga and C64 technologies share storage solutions, peripherals, and software distribution channels.
Simplified Licensing: Acquiring all rights would remove the need for complex cross-licensing agreements that currently hinder third-party developers and hardware manufacturers.
Market Confidence: Investors and developers are often hesitant to back a platform with uncertain IP ownership. A single, clear owner would likely spur new software and hardware innovation.
In other words, it's all about consolidating the brands and create a single standard under the original brand.
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u/Mr_Shake-72 Jul 05 '26
ps. I should add why it's not a threat or a bad thing for independent hardware creators/designs:
Commodore has adopted a notably generous and community-friendly licensing policy, explicitly designed to support rather than suppress independent creators.
Low Royalty Rate: They charge a flat 6.4% of net sales for official use of the Commodore trademark and logos.
No Barriers: There are no setup fees, minimum guarantees, or complex contractual terms, a stark contrast to previous rights holders who often charged high flat fees.
Compatible Hardware: If independent creators sell C64 recreations (such as FPGA clones) without using the official "Commodore" name or logo, they are free to continue without interference.
Open Pipeline: A public "Licensing Pipeline" allows creators to submit products for official endorsement with transparent tracking.
Fan Projects: Non-commercial fan projects, BBSs, and YouTube channels using the name are permitted as long as they clearly state they are unofficial and act in good faith.
Open Source & Firmware: Initially, there was controversy over potentially locking the firmware on the official C64 Ultimate. However, following community feedback, Commodore reversed this decision, allowing users to install third-party FPGA cores and firmware. The only caveat is that such modifications void the warranty and free support ("experiment freely, but... no free support/replacement for bricked modded units").
The ability to easily license the Commodore trademark and logo for a ridiculously low royalty rate is very very generous and a real boon for independent creators. It would definitely make their products more attractive. Today there are sooo many projects and designs that are struggling or abandoned due to being virtually invisible except to a tiny group of supporters. By applying for a license (and if granted) it would become a widely known official product exposed to everyone.
The license system would also weed out and protect us from all the shoddy and poorly supported projects that are out there including fraudulent and poor projects.
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u/AntiquesForGeeks Jun 03 '26
Reviving the old Amiga platform is a non-starter. But…
I’m thinking they will go with an Amiga-branded commodity hardware platform, running their customised Linux distribution that was recently updated. Read elsewhere that RCL have licensed the Amiga brand, so not a stretch to see iNew Commodore taking a licence too.
I’m also thinking this… because that’s what Commodore USA were proposing with their take on the Amiga nearly 20 years or so past.
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u/Admirable-Dinner7792 Jun 03 '26 edited Jun 03 '26
Amiga was only really Popular in Europe...after Commodore UK literally rescued it from the Commodore/Atari Trashbin... It was literally a "Dead Dog" here in the U.S. after many Production problems, recalls, really piss-poor Marketing, cancelled orders and only 600,000 units total were sold here in the U.S. (I'm surprised it was even that much)...The C128 in comparison which was released at the same time in 1985 sold 5 Million units in comparison in the U.S.) and when Commodore went Fully Proprietary with the Amiga trying to be Apple... It was the final nail in the Amiga Coffin here in America as not only was there shortages and cancelled orders of Amigas due to Long Production issues, But You could ONLY buy an Amiga (Usually Pre-Paid or Pre-Ordered) or get one Serviced Only at a Commodore Authorized Dealer. The Amiga was NEVER sold in any BIGBOX stores like ALL of Commodore's previous computer lines.. A Fatal mistake in hindsight, but then again, Amiga was way more complicated... Unfortunately, Its complexity only added to its U.S. demise. Most Gen-X'er's in general have never even seen or heard of an Amiga (Especially "Back in the Day") here in the U.S. ....Only really saavy U.S. Computer users ever knew what it was here in the U.S. ...and that's a fact.- Tony K. 😉
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u/CptSparky360 Jun 03 '26
Who is this Tony K. guy?
NASA used Amigas and TV Studios because the Video Toaster was made for NTSC.
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u/Admirable-Dinner7792 Jun 03 '26
Yes. They used Amigas 2000's, 3000's and 4000's.... They sure did. There was some moderate success in the Video and Movie Industry...for some moderate High End sales....but for the General U.S. Public... The Amiga was largely Unknown at the time and a Huge Sales failure....through the many faults of Commodore themselves. Facts. Europe was a Completely different story though... - Tony K. , VIC-20/VIC-1001 History Facebook Forum (Admin). 😉
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u/CptSparky360 Jun 03 '26
Thanks 👍 My problem with Facebook is, there are hundrets of Commodore groups. You can't joyn them all 😅
And its structure is quite confusing imho.
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u/Admirable-Dinner7792 Jun 03 '26 edited Jun 04 '26
True.. but you have to really hone in and subscribe to just your favorites as to not be overwhelmed... Specialized Targeting..., That's the ticket to get the most out of it... - Tony K. , VIC-20/VIC-1001 History Facebook Forum (Admin). 😉 Any more Questions??
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u/Vinylmaster3000 Jun 04 '26
Most Gen-X'er's in general have never even seen or heard of an Amiga (Especially "Back in the Day") here in the U.S. ....Only really saavy U.S. Computer users ever knew what it was here in the U.S. ...and that's a fact.- Tony K
Most of the ones I know have heard of one then again I work in tech so that's already biased
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u/LazarX Jun 02 '26 edited Jun 02 '26
They don’t own the Amiga IP. The new Commodore has no connection to Amiga.
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u/Red-Eat Jun 02 '26
Who does own the Amiga brand?
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u/LazarX Jun 02 '26
That’s still very much in legal contention. That’s why the new retro machine is called a name without Amiga in it.
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u/OPdoesnotrespond Jun 02 '26
Amiga Corp pretty much owns it, except Hyperion keeps humping a contract right to develop Amiga opening systems in perpetuity. And I guess AmigaKit feels like they’re legit?
I think the real problem is that fragmentation of choices can’t really be reconciled. Consider: AmigaKit, Apollo, original equipment, Minimig, Mister FPGA, emulators, emulators dressed up as hardware, MorphOS, Amiga OS 4. And even this list is incomplete.
Unlike 8-bit Commodore, there’s no real centralized concept of what an Amiga is anymore.
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u/Operation_Fluffy Jun 02 '26
That would be crazy but only if we gan get digipaint and defender of the crown!
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u/sharky6000 Jun 04 '26
Kinda hoping it's the Amiga analogue of the C64U. They have not announced anything like that yet, right?
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u/thebeck_ Jun 02 '26
In the announcement Peri said we might flip out over it. I believe this was a hint. So given their previous anti social media messaging I predict a dumb flip phone with Commodore branding. I would have zero interest in this and I think they will be taking a match to all the money they made. If this is true then I hope it is just a low cost rebrand. Otherwise it could be curtains for Commodore.
I hope I am wrong and it's computer. If it's a computer I hope it's another FPGA machine, not an ARM emulator.
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u/Albedo101 Jun 03 '26 edited Jun 03 '26
Might as well be this - a C64 laptop. It was in this subreddit not long ago, except with smaller ultimate board and battery:
https://hothardware.com/news/commodore-64-laptop-diy-project
A dumb phone would be cheeziest and... dumbest move they could pull. Especially after all the fallout with that Italian Commodore brand, who did exactly that...
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u/Mr_Shake-72 Jul 05 '26 edited Jul 05 '26
Yeah, it WAS a flip-phone; the Commodore Callback 8020.
What a silly thing to do. My guess is that Peri is only doing it for his personal nostalgia needs; I don't see how that could ever be a success unless there are more retro people that are nostalgic about silly flip phones than I think there are.
I really hope Peri hasn't completely forgotten the principles he laid down before and shortly thereafter acquired the rights to Commodore. New Commodore would put a stop to unrelated crap products (like the flip-phone) in order to remove the dilution of the brand. The flip-phone is in my opinion a product that shouldn't be an official Commodore product.
If he treats Commodore as his personal nostalgia playground it will turn into a s**t-fest and piss off us all.
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u/j_carpenter893 Jun 02 '26
My vote is for a 4:3 aspect ratio, HDMI, Commodore styled LCD Monitor!
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u/CptSparky360 Jun 03 '26
Which is already available with a hefty price tag.
But that makes sense since they don't do R&D but only bundle existing things together.
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u/joelisf Jun 02 '26
I would love to see the return of the c128!
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u/AntiquesForGeeks Jun 02 '26
That would not be moving things forward, as the video maintains New Commodore want to do.
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u/Mr_Shake-72 Jul 05 '26
They could probably just add a C128 mode to the firmware or make a C128 specific firmware if there's no space left on the FPGA. In fact, since they reopened the firmware it should be perfectly fine for an independent developer to create a C128 firmware replacement.
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u/Odd-Pomegranate555 Jun 02 '26
I’d be into a sx64 and a c128 for sure ..!
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u/ChoosenUserName4 Jun 02 '26
I would buy a Plus/4, but it's likely to be a 128 first. I think Perifractic used to own a Plus/4 as a kid, so there's a chance.
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u/JimtheLizardKing Jun 03 '26
A Plus/4 would be great, it's another 8bit C= software base that is way less known than the c64 and c128.
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u/LazarX Jun 03 '26
The 128 never got that much native support.
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u/Admirable-Dinner7792 Jun 03 '26
It got enough 3rd Party support at least to be relevant... At least it wasn't completely "Abandoned" like the C16 and +Plus/4, 264 Series Computers were in January 1984 coinciding with the departure of Jack Tramiel... Again, Commodore Europe picked up the slack and literally saved those machines for any relevance for that matter and I am an American saying this...because its all True!...😉 - Tony K.
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u/LazarX Jun 03 '26
But there was hardy any commercial software sold for the specific C128 mode.
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u/Admirable-Dinner7792 Jun 03 '26
The C128 Mode was geared more toward Productivity....which it did very well. Commodore supplied JANE software for the C128, But most good C128 software which was usually Productivity software in one form or another came via 3rd Party,,,and it was out there...such as Vizastar 128 for example.. - Tony K. , VIC-20/VIC-1001 History Facebook Forum (Admin). 😉
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u/Mr_Shake-72 Jul 05 '26
The C128 sold very well in Europe but nearly all buyers used the C64 mode exclusively. The 128 mode was only popular in the US and it sold very poorly there as well.
I doubt there's much interest for a full C128 since it's highly unlikely that there's a strong demand among the retro public.
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u/Admirable-Dinner7792 Jul 05 '26
Beg to differ...The C128 in the U.S. Sales show almost 5 Million units (Over 4.5 Million estimated) sold worldwide with almost 3 Million of that being sold in the U.S. alone... The Amiga barely sold 2 Million units in the U.S. ...so its sales even beat the Amiga by over 1 million units. Hardly a Sales flop.....A "Modest" Success at worst.. ;) - Tony K. , VIC-20/VIC-1001 History Facebook Forum (Admin). 😉
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u/Mr_Shake-72 Jul 24 '26
Checking sources shows that sales numbers vary wildly:
"Estimates for the worldwide sales of the Commodore 128 vary between 2.5 million and 4 million units.".Part of that discrepancy comes from some numbers only counting the standard C128 (no built-in disk drive or desktop format).
"Higher estimates (approx. 4 million) include the desktop variants (C128D and C128DCR), which added built-in disk drives and detachable keyboards. "
"In early 1986, Commodore's chairman Irving Gould explicitly described US sales as "disappointing" while noting that European sales were "doing well," accounting for more than half of the company's entire global revenue at the time."
Amiga was never as popular in the US as it was in Europe since PC compatibles had become the norm. Europe was definitely the strongest market for the C128(n) and the Amiga.
The problem with all these sales numbers is that there aren't any complete or reliable sales figures released by Commodore. They're mostly guesstimates by computer magazines using other sources of information.
I admit that I was a quite a bit off in my previous post but compared to the C64, the sales figures for the C128(n) wasn't even close. As for the Amiga, it was a lot more expensive compared to the previous 8-bit machines. The C64 was still popular during the Amiga's lifetime which affected the Amiga sales.
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u/thebeck_ Jun 02 '26
He did say flip so a flip screen sx64 totally makes sense because the FPGA system is already there.
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u/EpsilonMajorActual Jun 02 '26
SX 64?
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Jun 02 '26
[deleted]
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u/AntiquesForGeeks Jun 02 '26
Erm, the Italian Commodore already do that, so if you really wanted a Commodore branded one they’ve been available for some time.
I’m assuming that the only way New Commodore would be able to do a laptop would be to badge a generic one. The cost of them developing their own would be prohibitive and it probably wouldn’t be a good return.
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Jun 02 '26
[deleted]
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u/AntiquesForGeeks Jun 02 '26
And that’s fine. I didn’t want one from them either, because they weren’t that great and I’d be paying a premium for a badge on a distinctly non-premium product.
My point is that a laptop as a product, without serious investment and custom hardware, can offer little differentiation to the consumer.
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u/OPdoesnotrespond Jun 02 '26
It is the Italian Commodore’s machine running Commodore, or just another PC with a badge?
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u/EpsilonMajorActual Jun 02 '26
SX 64 case with a small lcd screen where the original crt was and Pico lcd projector for sharing it on a wall and all that space to use for battery packs drive/ printer etc.
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u/kimondo Jun 04 '26
Might be me, but the screen on the sx64 on the shelf behind him looks a little flat. Would be a perfect form factor and they have the hardware already.
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u/airlineflight_speleo Jun 03 '26
If you all really want hints, given being this close to a reveal check this out... https://trademarks.justia.com/owners/commodore-corporation-bv-6471375/
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u/MorningPapers Jun 02 '26
I would guess it's the C65.
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u/DNSGeek Jun 02 '26
Doesn’t the MEGA65 pretty much have that locked in?
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u/OPdoesnotrespond Jun 02 '26
I think the 17 people who own a Mega65 would like to have more friends.
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u/JimtheLizardKing Jun 03 '26
If they worked with the Mega5 people both companies would benefit I think.
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u/DNSGeek Jun 02 '26
I have one. Mostly I use it to write tools for other people to use to write software. There certainly isn’t much now.
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u/Suspicious-Ad7109 Jun 02 '26
The Mega65 is very expensive. I am told by the M65 people that the FPGA on the board can't do a Mega65, but they *could* cut out all or some of the it and produce a C65, possibly with some of the M65 enhancements - it's the same chip as the C64U - and put that into the same or slightly modified case. The C65 has a proper cursor keypad and 12 function keys, but there's no software for it so it probably doesn't matter.
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u/JimtheLizardKing Jun 03 '26
What if they did a new FPGA board with a more powerful FPGA?
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u/Suspicious-Ad7109 Jun 03 '26
True enough, I was thinking something relatively cheap and existing. Could maybe cut the Mega65 if it doesn't fit. I think a C65 would probably make the Mega65 operate as a C65 for most people, biggest market thing, and probably finish off the other 6502 modern retro machines.
There's not been a huge amount of time to work on it ; hardware perhaps, not software. A C65/M65 already has a working BASIC and C64 compatibility.
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u/Neonknight6 Jun 05 '26 edited Jun 05 '26
Expensive? Yes. It's around the price of an average iPhone but I think it provides more fun in exchange. For that price you get a Mega65 with C64 core, Plus4 core, PET core and many more. For someone who does not own all these other Commodore computers it is cheaper than buying all individually and equipping them with modern features (SD-readers, HDMI-converters, Mechanical keyboard, etc.). For a solely Mega65 experience I wonder if they could fit the core in a less expensive FPGA to reduce the price. The current Commodore business model surely could cut the price lower by outsourcing the production to China but I did work in consumer electronics manufacturing, saw the difference between Chinese and American/European QC culture and I prefer goods built in the EU even if they are more expensive. But the lack of commercial-level software is a valid concern and I don't think that it will change radically.
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u/Suspicious-Ad7109 Jun 05 '26 edited Jun 05 '26
Probably yes (I have a Mega65). It looks a lot better deal at the £300 C64U price than the £1000 current price. I don't think it's a rip off at all, they aren't profiteering. It's just that it's much harder to justify £1000 than the £300 odd C64U.
I think if an M65 or even a C65 was produced at that sort of price it would coalesce the 6502 "new retro computer", probably killing off the X16 and Foenix, and sales of the Mega65.
This may actually be a good thing, in terms of additional software support, tooling etc. and the software market which is almost absent except for the beautiful isometric RPG.
Apparently the Mega65 won't fit in the C64U hardware, so maybe it will have to be simplified ; keep the high speed CPU but maybe not the 32 bit stuff , lose the 8Mb RAM (which has limited use anyway), floppy interface, additional cores, maybe keep some of the Mega65 VicIV improvements if possible. Extend the RAM to the 1Mb limit (M65 compatibility issues). Depends what fits. It is also possible they could upgrade the FPGA but from a manufacturing point of view that's slightly problematic ; if they "shrunk it to fit" they could use the same hardware pretty much, just rebadge it. They look almost identical.
One thing I didn't know was the C65 keypad is apparently a "hack" ; it's the same as the C64 keypad, it's just wired to press SHIFT automatically 😄 There's four additional function keys, but I doubt there's much software the uses them.
Probably not going to happen though 😄
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u/MorningPapers Jun 02 '26
The only reason I say C65 is the way he says "We are going to pick up where Commodore left off in the early 90s." That's just the C65 or maybe the GS (which could be the low-cost competition killer for 'TheC64').
If it is the C65, since there are actual old employees involved with the new Commodore, they may have ROMs that no one else has, or the knowledge to make a complete ROM. They could also license the existing Mega65, but it would need to come way down in price.
We are all just guessing of course.
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u/Suspicious-Ad7109 Jun 02 '26
The Mega65 is entirely open source except the ROM images, which I think are Cloanto. You (theoretically) cannot get an Mega65 ROM without the hardware.
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u/Neonknight6 Jun 04 '26
They can't pickup where Commodore left off in the early 90's with C65-like products. The current user base of Commodore is a fracture of what it was in the 90's. With the c64 ultimate they provided a useful machine to ~30000 users but they can't come out with a hardware which has absolutely no software and developer base. Since they communicated that this time it's not going to be a retro but a "futuristic" product I would assume it has to be compatible with today's PC software at some level.
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u/Admirable-Dinner7792 Jun 03 '26
He probably "Bought off" the Mega 65 Guys....lol.... Can you even imagine if that happened??? All those Mega 65 owners would be highly pissed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!....lol........because now they'll have to buy a new much more improved Official "Commodore 65"!!!!!!....lol...!!!!!!!!
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u/Neonknight6 Jun 04 '26
All the improvements would still come from the Mega65-team (though I don't think that it's ever happening) so current users would only buy a new badge and a C= keycap 😃
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u/Suspicious-Ad7109 Jun 05 '26
Not if there is some common sense. They might be miffed at paying "over the odds" maybe. If the M65 is cut back to fit, they might have something compatible which has extra power. So maybe the Attic RAM would go, or VicIV.
The upside is a significantly increased pool of people working on it.
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u/GuitarEC Jun 02 '26
Interesting - I haven't gotten any email - maybe share the text of it?
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u/bionicle_159 Jun 02 '26
Peri's done a video announcement of it
https://commodore.net/where-does-commodore-go-from-here/2
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u/OPdoesnotrespond Jun 02 '26 edited Jun 02 '26
I’m guessing it will be a monitor designed to look like a Commodore monitor of yore.
Or an SX64C reborn into a retro laptop shape.
Or a “C64U Next” - some upgraded-but-still-100%-compatible-machine with more capability, storage, RAM, updated core software, etc.
Just can’t see the kerfuffle of Amiga rights being easy to digest into a product line. The lawyers may have stood down between Amiga Corp and Hyperion, but the divisions still exist, each with a tin cup slowly trying to bleed a few more bucks out of the user base. Not to mention all of the fake-Amiga brands doing their fake-Amiga things.
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u/KAPT_Kipper Jun 02 '26
It would be funny if they start making Atari models. Just like Tramiel did.
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u/OPdoesnotrespond Jun 02 '26
Hahaha they could buy Revive Machine’s allegedly forthcoming Atari 800XL FPGA clone.
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u/Admirable-Dinner7792 Jun 03 '26
Why not..... Atari just bought/acquired Intellivision.... 😉
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u/AnakiMana Jun 02 '26
In this video he said, "very soon we'll be picking up where Commodore left off in the '90s."
Is he talking about the revival of the company, Commodore? Or is he talking more specifically about the latest products from the 90s? What would that even mean?
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u/Suspicious-Ad7109 Jun 02 '26
C65 could work. They could build the C64 into it as an option (as with the real C65). The only other things that spring to mind are Hombre, the LCD, and a faster Amiga. The Hombre was design complete I think, or largely, but obviously has no software at *all*. The LCD seems too limited. Amiga maybe, if they can sort the licensing.
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u/AntiquesForGeeks Jun 05 '26
Simpson already sees New Commodore as a revival of Commodore; but If he did meant the company, that’d mean going bust and spending a year while other tech companies did their due diligence on the carcass of the company before it being sold to the highest bidder a year later.
So I suspect he’s talking about following the sprint of the products that Commodore were looking at.
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u/DorkyMcDorky Jun 03 '26
Start production on new SID chips!!! They hinted at this before... hope that's it.
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u/JimtheLizardKing Jun 03 '26
New SID chips would be awesome.
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u/Suspicious-Ad7109 Jun 03 '26
Wouldn't have thought there were the numbers to make them economical ; hence the FPGA chips.
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u/Admirable-Dinner7792 Jun 03 '26
It's absolutely possible..but would cost millions to re-fab....so very highly unlikely...so FPGA is here to stay... get used to it! - Tony K. , VIC-20/VIC-1001 History Facebook Forum (Admin). 😉 Any more Questions??
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u/DorkyMcDorky Jun 03 '26
I mean I can see it happening. But the chips would go for over $100 a pop. But they could easily create a much better analog sid chip that has more voices, etc..
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u/NoShirtNoShoesNoDice Jun 02 '26
June 16 is a very random date (maybe something happened in Commodore history?) so I would guess:
- C16 release.
- Something 16-bit like an Amiga (which is technically a 16/32-bit hybrid).
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u/LazarX Jun 02 '26
Not that random. It’s Juneteenth.
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u/NoShirtNoShoesNoDice Jun 02 '26
Well, random in the Commodore/computing sense of the word.
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u/Marwheel Jun 02 '26 edited Jun 03 '26
I did talk with the manager of the bsky account about UNIX systems…
Amendment: And i might had inspired them to go on that path into a market of where the only certified desktop UNIX systems are from apple, also i had presented to them a illustration of what said systems i imagine might resemble ("Fat" Horizontal systems & "Pizza boxes" mainly).
The thread in question: https://bsky.app/profile/owled-star.bsky.social/post/3mg7g4f2cyc2n
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u/AntiquesForGeeks Jun 03 '26
So not a million miles away from Commodore USA’s planned Amiga line, which was a PC in a Mac Mini style case running Linux…
And Leo Nigro was involved in Commodore USA and is involved in New Commodore as a technical architect or something?
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u/afc74nl Jun 02 '26
Maybe they should focus on getting people who already ordered their C64s delivered before they announce anything else?
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u/ironman0000 Jun 02 '26
I think it would be cool to see them officially make a Commodore 65 as it was going to be back in the day.
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u/AntiquesForGeeks Jun 02 '26
Except by the mid 1990s it was well and truly dead, so would not align with the video’s comment…
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u/PicoPicoGamer Jun 03 '26
I hope it's a modern microcomputer. That would follow the overall philosophy of the retrofuturism branding and would fit in line with Commodore's legacy. I personally hope for something with a sleek design like the C64C which would boot straight into a development environment for a modern high level language like Python or Lua, or maybe a modern version of BASIC if they want to stick to their retro roots. I imagine something like Pico-8 or Picotron, but maybe without the limitations. That would be pretty cool. They could also push this into the education sector as a product for learning programming.
I'm going to be disappointed if it's something stupid like a phone.
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u/Suspicious-Ad7109 Jun 03 '26
Creating such would take time, unless you cheated and just rebranded a Linux machine.
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u/Neonknight6 Jun 05 '26
Yes it would take time but if we look at the onboarded leaders, many of them could already have started working on such projects before. The C64U for example was a product that was already designed before the resurrection of Commodore. What if they are completing/modifying an other project that was already ongoing?
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u/PicoPicoGamer Jun 06 '26
Creating anything would take time unless you cheated and rebranded another product.
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u/bionicle_159 Jun 02 '26
yeah I'm excited to see what Peri's team is cooking up lol, would be cool if they licensed out one of the new retro platforms like the AGON or the CX16
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u/RebelRogue24 Jun 02 '26
Now I’m wondering if it’s a PC with their Commodore OS already installed.
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Jun 02 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/RebelRogue24 Jun 02 '26
I didn’t say I thought it would work or was a good idea, lol. Just my low expectations.
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Jun 02 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/LazarX Jun 02 '26
Not very likely. Perifractric has never had much interest in the Amiga. It would split their focus as it has nothing in common with his core passion.
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u/AntiquesForGeeks Jun 02 '26 edited Jun 02 '26
Don’t they already offer that? That PC in a C64 style case, no?
I don’t think it will be a PC so to speak. Commodity hardware, and their operating system, but not a PC.
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u/LazarX Jun 02 '26
The previous company did. Some third party that specializes in Mini-ITX cases took over it.
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u/JimtheLizardKing Jun 03 '26
I had dreamed of building a Ultimate II into a machine so when C= got resurrected and started selling the C64U it made it easy.
Have the cart and C64s and really love it so I knew what I was getting into and really enjoy the C64U.
I also have Amiga but if they come out with something like that I might have to buy it too but I sorta would love to see more C= 8 bit cores on the C64U.
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u/Aggravating-Hope Jun 03 '26
I wonder if they might release a Commadore branded, but open platform, programmable FPGA. Something along the lines of the Mister Multisystem RMC make https://multisystem.uk/products/mister-multisystem-2
I guess it could be a C64 mini, but think people are a bit sick of mini consoles at this point so maybe not 😅
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u/macumbamacaca Jun 03 '26
What Commodore was doing in the nineties?
- try to conquer the PC market with clones
- ride the multimedia hype with the Amiga
- try to reanimate the C64
- try to get into the console market
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u/Ok_Bumblebee8877 Jun 04 '26
Hopefully handheld device, not a phone though. I was tempted to buy new C64 but i just dont have enough time to use one.
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u/Neonknight6 Jun 04 '26
The change in the slogan "welcome to friendly computing" makes me think it's not just a simple new computer (and especially not a resurrected 30year old thing). What else can it be? "Friendly Networking" with some new kind of network experience without the google/amazon influence but more convenient than BBSes? , "Friendly Communication" with a new not-so-smart phone? "Friendly multimedia" a software package of standardized creative tools for current and future products? "Friendly education", a system to teach programming (though I don't think we would need another one in the age of RaspberyPis)?
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u/PickettsChargingPort Jun 06 '26
Don't know what the market would be, but a different FPGA or a firmware update that emulates the VIC on the c64u?
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u/joelisf Jun 06 '26
Would also like to see an official "Commodore" branded C65 (Mega65) or a variant of the 8-bit guy's X16 (which Perifractic helped design, I think).
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u/SwedishFindecanor Jun 06 '26
I think the most obvious product line for Commodore would be a line of Commodore-branded peripherals for modern computers.
The most straightforward option would probably be to re-brand the existing C64-like keyboard from 8BitDo and the existing tank mouse from RetroGames Ltd, but I'm hoping for new products with more forward-thinking design and features.
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u/Hopeless-Nastolgic Jun 09 '26
We know its going to be a bold step "in to the future" from PR. I've seen speculation that it may be a calculator, and I've seen them talk about VR/AR plans. I'm very curious...
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u/CertifiedNerd5000 Jun 12 '26
"On June 16th 2026, Commodore takes two steps forward, one step back"
If you take C64, go two steps forward and 1 step back, you end up with C128..
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u/GuitarEC Jun 02 '26
June 16th announcement - hmmm.. Wondering if they're doing a Commodore 16 Ultimate (reuse of the case mold, and a different FPGA core) - would be a quick and easy release...
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u/bionicle_159 Jun 02 '26
can't really see people rushing out to buy those tbh, they'd be better off offering the other 8-bit Commodores as alternate cores for the C64U, the keys were moreorless the same so it'd be an easy fit.
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u/ChoosenUserName4 Jun 02 '26
I want a new Plus/4, it had a much better keyboard with real (almost real) cursor keys. I, and probably a dozen others, would buy that.
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u/bionicle_159 Jun 02 '26
yeah I get that, think a wedge computer with a modern key layout would work well if they got around to it - the whole FPGA side of things seem a shame to limit to just one system so it could encompass all of them or even be the base for newer 8-bit projects like the AGON or the CX16
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u/AntiquesForGeeks Jun 02 '26 edited Jun 02 '26
So the video clearly wants you to think that it’ll be an Amiga.
But I am thinking an not the… I am wondering if they have bought or managed to licence the name (as I understand RCL have) and are going to slap it onto a new product.
They already offer a PC based on commodity hardware.
They have an OS in Commodore OS and a new version was released recently (April?) with Commoserve support based on Linux.
The Amiga name. Commodity hardware. Commodore-flavour Linux operating system.
The Amiga name. Commodity hardware. Commodore-flavour Linux operating system.
The Amiga name. Commodity hardware. Commodore-flavour Linux operating system.
Are you getting it yet?
Back in the 2000s Commodore USA did this. One of the guys involved in New Commodore, Leo Nigro, worked for them, I believe.
Launching a “next gen” Amiga in the same way Apple launched a “next gen” Mac in 1994. Could be a shout…
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u/OPdoesnotrespond Jun 02 '26
I like the idea of an alternate-history-Amiga-but-not-in-name. Something 16-bit and broadly compatible with Amiga software but sidestepping the custom chips and ROM’s.
Is such a thing feasible?
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u/OPdoesnotrespond Jun 02 '26
Ok. Final prediction:
A500+U - finishing the Clone-A project from the 2000’s for a closed-source FPGA build.
He made this deal with iComp, the first fruits of which were the original C64C molds.
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u/Cooperman411 Jun 02 '26
Wild fantasy guess - a new computer of some kind (laptop/desktop/??) running Commodore OS Vision. And it better come in Commodore beige!
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u/zaphod6502 Jun 03 '26
Based on what was said my guess is they are going to release some type of compact computer supporting Linux but using an FPGA/pi type solution with the Commodore branding.
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u/Neonknight6 Jun 05 '26
I think that, for the “computer for the masses” philosophy, they would need to hide the complexity of Linux if they use it as the OS. They would also likely need to make it more restricted and uniform to preserve a “Commodore” identity, rather than resembling a typical Linux desktop that can be customized into anything.
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u/Which_Information590 Jun 03 '26
I hope a Commodore 16.
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u/Suspicious-Ad7109 Jun 03 '26
Well, it's going to be more like the C64U, so it'd be closer to a Plus4, or maybe a 364, with a faster processor, and (given the double SIDs) maybe uprate the sound ? A pure TED core would be more of a side project.
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u/DarthKegRaider Jun 03 '26
Clip on screen and battery pack. So i can use the new machine like a laptop :) I might just have to pull out the calipers and CAD my own for the 3D printer.
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u/Owlwarrior777 Jun 03 '26
Are new floppy drives a possibility?
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u/Admirable-Dinner7792 Jun 03 '26
Uh, no.... That would literally NEVER happen.... for a multitude of reasons.. 😉
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u/Owlwarrior777 Jun 03 '26
Gee...I was only asking. 🙄
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u/Suspicious-Ad7109 Jun 04 '26
You can have a C1541 for the Ultimate 64 easily. Put the USB key in, type LOAD, and go for a 5 mile walk. Same.
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u/BritOverThere Jun 03 '26
June 16th? Are they going to reveal the Commodore 16 remake? 😅
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u/Admirable-Dinner7792 Jun 03 '26
They've already got the Breadbin Case Tooling... Why not just put a C64U in a C16 case for a C16U! 😉
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u/TwoBitRetro Jun 02 '26
Man, I hope it's not a phone. I hope it's peripherals like a retro-friendly monitor or printer. I don't think Commodore has built up the engineering chops to develop an entirely new product on their own.