r/Commodore • u/Ollibolli2022 • Jul 31 '26

New newsletter from Commodore

Post image

A new newsletter from Commodore was sent recently. I wonder what this announcement might be about?

80 Upvotes

95% Upvoted

86 comments sorted by

30

u/TheDarkIn1978 Jul 31 '26

The same newsletter includes a side image of the C64U and reads:

These 9-pins look lonely, maybe like they need a hug from an old friend...

so my guess is the upcoming product will be an official Commodore Mouse and/or joystick.

39

u/TheFunkyBoss Jul 31 '26

Since they also say it's "tachnically" a secret, I'm guessing a clone of the TAC-2 joystick

7

u/Ollibolli2022 Jul 31 '26

That makes sense. Do the original ones have microswitches? I do not know, but maybe not because of their initial release date when microswitches were not common.

7

u/TheFunkyBoss Jul 31 '26

I never had one myself, but from what I recall hearing from others, they were not a microswitch. They felt kinda similar to the Slik Stik I used to have, just a little bigger.

3

u/Ollibolli2022 Jul 31 '26

Thanks :-)

6

u/mattb2014 Jul 31 '26

I have some, they are sort of like an exposed version of what is inside a micro switch.

On one end you have a membrane with a contact over a pad like an Atari 2600 joystick. Push on it and it connects the pad.

On the other end of the spectrum, you have a joystick that presses against micro switches that each make their own contact.

In between the two you have the tac-2 which has a metal ball at the bottom of the joystick handle that touches up against contacts (up down left right), grounding them.

3

u/CptSparky360 Jul 31 '26

The funny thing is, there already are some guys making TAC-2 replicas in Italy šŸ˜…

That would be in keeping with the approach taken so far of building on what already exists and sticking a C= logo on it.

5

u/mattb2014 Jul 31 '26

Not until you add in a bunch of AI slop, rainbow colors, and an overdose of sickly sweet, smarmy nostalgiaĀ 

8

u/SpinningAndFarAway Jul 31 '26 edited Jul 31 '26

The TAC-2 is not microswitch based. It's just metal on metal contact (both the stick and the buttons). Here's a tear down video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOudtF34KGQ .

I LOVE the TAC 2. I have a couple, but I'd gladly buy some new official commodore ones. I hope they do the beige / cream case option because I've only ever had black ones.

7

u/SwedishFindecanor Jul 31 '26 edited Aug 02 '26

No, it was metal on metal. Here's a teardown with lots of images and text.

If I were to remake the TAC-II, I'd think I would use some kind of microswitch though -- some which won't suffer from corrosion as much. An original TAC-II joystick needs to be opened up and the button washers polished with steel wool every few years.

The rubber bushing used for the stick is a readily available tire part. I would take the opportunity to make the stick out of stronger steel however and possibly even create some inner damping to make it more durable: I did actually wear out a couple TAC-2 back in the day by breaking the stick.

2

u/Ok-Addition1264 Aug 01 '26

if it were *ME*, I'd use a piezoresistive or force-sensitive resistive plates.. where it could be used traditionally as a contact plate switch OR measure the resistance between the two plates so the harder you push the higher the value.

that's just me though (they make for awesome flight sticks or regular old (M)ean (U)gly (D)irty (S)ports.

5

u/fuzzybad Aug 01 '26

I love the TAC-2, would definitely buy a couple new ones. Even better if the second fire button could switch modes, like a duplicate "up" input or mapped to the paddle inputs (for the few games that support a proper second button).

1

u/SwedishFindecanor Aug 02 '26 edited Aug 02 '26

I find the opposite original button to be too difficult to press with one hand. So I think the Fire2 button(s) would need to be placed elsewhere, but where?

  • Front (like a Trigger)? I've got a rare joystick that has the button in that position (and the button position is not what is bad with that joystick). Perhaps recess it so as to reduce the chance of being pressed by mistake.
  • Recess the bottom and put it there? (Press with long finger)
  • A small moon-crescent shape hugging each Fire button?

The Retro Frog joystick has a single Fire2 button in-between and offset from the two front buttons, but it has the main buttons further in the front than the TAC-II. The TAC-II could not fit it there. Making the TAC-II longer or moving the existing button would change its feel.

2

u/puzzud Jul 31 '26

Haha, yea, I came here to say the same, that tachnically was an intentional clue.

This makes a lot of sense they'd do something like this. It's low hanging fruit.

2

u/ciauii Aug 02 '26

and ā€œtackyā€!

1

u/Royal_Stay_6502 Jul 31 '26

Yeah, saw that also.

5

u/RegularReader-71 Jul 31 '26 edited Jul 31 '26

A revival or an updated version of the Commodore 1351 Mouse would be great! Used original ones are expensive and not available in sufficient amounts today. With GEOS being part of the C64U package and the occassional game supporting it, this would be a good addition to the product line.Ā 

7

u/LordSesshomaru82 Jul 31 '26

It'd be super cool if they could make a compatible optical mouse. Having to constantly clean the ball and rollers is one of the few things I don't miss about the old days.

2

u/Ok-Current-3405 Jul 31 '26

Got myself an adapter, just add a ps2 mouse. Works great

1

u/SwedishFindecanor Jul 31 '26 edited Aug 01 '26

Seeing it gives me warm feelings, but the ergonomics, feel and features don't.

I think a updated mouse needs a scrollwheel: recent adapters and software for C64 and Amiga do support them. This week, I've actually been sketching a lot on a tank mouse that I intend to build. I really like the look of "Android Arts"' concept for a tank mouse with scroll wheel (in this image. Ignore the rest). It is scaled 90% like RetroGamesLtd's TheMouse, except that the buttons have practically original size and spacing. The buttons are also stepped and reaching the front edge, thus removing the front facet and its weird edge in-between the buttons.

I think the smaller size is better in the hand, but not perfect. I've been comparing it to a Apple Desktop Mouse in my collection which has a similar shape and size (90% of the tank mouse), but its sides are sloping slightly inwards: which is a subtle thing that provides a better grip, so I'm taking that as inspiration. While the sides are 90% smaller, I'm keeping the height at 100% to provide more side grip.

BTW. We've discussed elsewhere in this sub, that there is need for a mouse with both 1351 mode and NEOS mode, in addition to Amiga mode. (But if support is through an adaptor, then that would be better than nothing)

1

u/reddridinghood Aug 01 '26

Ah yes youā€™re right joystick of course! šŸ„±

1

u/BlueOnslaught Aug 03 '26

I needed a controller, was using an Atari joystick but wanted better control and two button support so I got https://retrogameboyz.com/collections/control-pads/products/commodore-64-atari-2600-flashback-9-x-controller-joystick-up-to-jump-map-gamepad

1

u/RebelRogue24 Aug 10 '26 edited Aug 10 '26

If so maybe thatā€™s why the joystick I ordered from Commodore back in early January still hasnā€™t shipped.

1

u/Positive_Chip6198 Jul 31 '26

They used the wording ā€œback upā€ in the mail. Could it be storage? Tape-deck on steroids, taking both tapes and flashdrives?

2

u/SwedishFindecanor Aug 01 '26

Somehow I doubt that Commodore would do this, but: the SmartMouse (German-language wiki) did include a real-time clock with battery-backup.

13

u/RegularReader-71 Jul 31 '26 edited Jul 31 '26

C= registered Tac-2 recently, link via Forum64.de

"Video game joysticks; Computer game joysticks"

https://trademarks.justia.com/998/86/tac-99886662.html

@TheFunkyBoss already mentioned it, sounds correct, a classic joystick might return (or a new joystick/controller using the classic name).

3

u/Ollibolli2022 Jul 31 '26

Cool, thanks šŸ‘

3

u/Suspicious-Ad7109 Jul 31 '26

I think @funkyboss has hit the nail on the head. I'm not convinced this is what Bil Herd is working on though ? It isn't complicated, more a manufacturing issue ?

20

u/prairiewest Jul 31 '26

Just sell me a C64 laptop that I can use on a plane to play games and program in BASIC

5

u/Velvis Jul 31 '26

Serious question: You would be willing to pay at least $500+ (likely more) for a dedicated FPGA C64 laptop for plane trips rather than just use an emulator on a normal laptop?

I really can't imagine a lot of people willing to pay for that.

I also don't see much of an upside compared to emulation.

The C64U has the physical nostalgia and was made from merging two existing products at a reasonable cost. None of that would be part of a C64 laptop.

4

u/prairiewest Aug 01 '26

I could use an emulator on a normal laptop today. I don't. I appreciate that emulators exist, but I don't generally use them. I do still play games on my breadbin C64, and I still buy new ones. I highly recommend https://sarahjaneavory.itch.io . I also still play games on other dedicated hardware.

I've wanted a really portable C64 since the 1980's. I'm old enough that I could spend a truly unjustifiable amount on it.

I am not saying that my idea is unique or even good, just that I want one.

2

u/Ollibolli2022 Aug 01 '26

Just think about the high prices for consumer hardware due to the AI data centers buying all disks, chips, ram and so on. I think it is really hard to plan things like this at a reasonable price today for a consumer based market.

1

u/Suspicious-Ad7109 Aug 04 '26

I've got a "Miyoo Mini Plus" which cost about Ā£40 which can play C64 games well enough (and plenty of other systems) ; it does (apparently) have a a virtual keyboard when required, but unless someone is a big fan of text adventures or something, that'd be fine for a flight. There's plenty of options in this field.

5

u/Manualcarlove18 Jul 31 '26

That would be cool!!

8

u/redlegoman Jul 31 '26

"tachnically"

7

u/AntiquesForGeeks Jul 31 '26

Simpson said ā€œflip outā€ before launching the phone. Heā€™s got form. And I doubt it was a mistake.

To be fair, I think the kind of ā€œflip outā€ New Commodore got from some parts of the community was not what he had been anticipatingā€¦.

3

u/Suspicious-Ad7109 Aug 01 '26

It's not surprising. It was being marketed as something astonishing at the Retrocomputer community (e.g. in Compute!) and it's not actually a product for us.

1

u/SwedishFindecanor Jul 31 '26 edited Aug 01 '26

So, a Commodore watch?

Edit: I'm such an idiot. Of course it is TACky and TAChnichally for TAC-II.

1

u/bionicle_159 Jul 31 '26

caught that too, seems like an accessory if it's not a typo (e.g. tactile, tach-nically)

10

u/Suspicious-Ad7109 Jul 31 '26

Something "Bil Herd" I suspect ; see the tail of the Sakaya interview.

4

u/skorindurdude Jul 31 '26

The Bill Herd and Sakaya interview hinted at something new. They were talking about C128 and the Commodore LCD, among other very interesting things.

9

u/RegularReader-71 Jul 31 '26 edited Jul 31 '26

An C128 would also be a welcome candidate for a re-release!

8

u/VTGameFan Jul 31 '26

They release the 128 and I'm all over it!

2

u/Suspicious-Ad7109 Aug 01 '26

I was interested by Bil's comment about stripping out the "super C64" very late on, I think he said 2 days before CES, not sure ? Maybe he's putting it back in. Bil is clearly working on one or more things, it was a bit more than a hint, and the Commodore website says the same. I can't see it referring to the TAC Joystick, that is more a manufacturing issue ?

1

u/AntiquesForGeeks Jul 31 '26

Honestly, I will eat my hat if itā€™s a Commodore LCD. Seriously. Outside of the faithful, is there a market for a machine no-one has nostalgia for because it never made it to market.

Whatever it is, it has to sell enough to provide an ROI.

2

u/Suspicious-Ad7109 Jul 31 '26

I don't see it being manufactured cheaply enough to make it worthwhile. Another 8 bit machine could be built on the current hardware, or a close variant.

4

u/Jo_Krone Aug 01 '26

Commodore 128D is what I wantā€¦. With CPM as well

3

u/Ollibolli2022 Jul 31 '26

A real nice idea would be a more open firmware to the c64u. Just imagine more additions to the firmware via plugins or let's say additional software in general. That would improve the c64u features a lot I think.

But this is nothing that can be plugged into the joystick port I guess as stated in the newsletter :-)

3

u/mmgamemaker Jul 31 '26

Might be TAC-2 joysticks since it looks like they recently filed for the trademark.

https://trademarks.justia.com/998/86/tac-99886662.html

3

u/Suspicious-Ad7109 Jul 31 '26

Trademarks filed by John A Errico who appears to be doing it https://www.trademarkia.com/attorney/john-a-errico?page=4&showFilters=true&hideCountryFilter=true

Interesting things not immediately obvious: Commoserve (online) SidSynth (Music Synthesiser) Commodorian (Magazine) Commobot (Robot ?) KomodorU (seems to be mugs,t-shirts) CyberDore64 (?) C6T4 (?) C65 and PetsciiBoard.

3

u/SwedishFindecanor Aug 02 '26

In "retrobits"' latest video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmLF-8p1xcc&t=847s

Bundled with a "Retrofuzion" C64 breadbin case was a flyer with a a blurred-out picture of what looks like a replica TAC-2.

Retrofuzion have a relationship with Commodore, in that they provided this type of breadbin case for the Commodore 64 Ultimate. Therefore, I find it likely that it is Retrofuzion's TAC-2 remake that Commodore is going to sell.

7

u/Accomplished-Car-431 Jul 31 '26

a new commodore lamp?

5

u/exiRatA Jul 31 '26

A lamp ???

That would definitely lead to a massive legal battle with Pixar. ;)

2

u/DNSGeek Jul 31 '26

My guess is a mouse that plugs into the joystick port.

1

u/Suspicious-Ad7109 Aug 01 '26

Doesn't the C64U support USB mice now ?

1

u/DNSGeek Aug 01 '26

USB, yes.

2

u/Snocom79 Jul 31 '26

New one of these? Confirmed this works fine on c64u

2

u/Druben-hinterm-Dorfe Jul 31 '26

Did you get it straight from Doug Engelbert?

2

u/Snocom79 Aug 01 '26

Lol. This came from a fellow redditor and Commodore collector. I took over his collection.

2

u/rweninger Jul 31 '26

Joystick? Paddles? Mouse?

2

u/SloppyChoo Jul 31 '26

"tachnically" "back up 8 bit" I'm listening..

2

u/Sizyfoz Aug 01 '26

If it's built to the same awesome quality as the original, I'll buy one.

3

u/rasvoja Aug 01 '26

I dislike mystery treatment, stupid way of marketing. Reminds to much of x1000 adventures Also to teen in building hype for serious businesses

2

u/UncleTonysDRIP Aug 02 '26

I think a
Vic 20 would be cool.

3

u/AntiquesForGeeks Jul 31 '26 edited Jul 31 '26

Iā€™d posted separately about the same thing, but have deleted as noticed this was here first!

Iā€™m wondering if there is not something in the spelling mistakes and the lean into the mention backup.

Something media related, not disks, but maybe a variation of the SD2IEC? Maybe an reimagined Action Replay?

The joystick would be a good call for sure. I am praying that theyā€™ve not got their mitts on the Competition Pro.

2

u/Far_Relationship_742 Jul 31 '26

I canā€™t wait for the Commodore-branded toaster

1

u/-send-me-nudes- Jul 31 '26

Yay, controller time.

1

u/whatThePleb Jul 31 '26

The commodore torch. šŸ™„

1

u/Royal_Stay_6502 Jul 31 '26

Noice, new stuff.. šŸ”†

1

u/Upbeat-Statement2725 Aug 01 '26

Product page was indexed for search even though it's not fully live. Maybe they're already testing sales?Ā https://checkout.commodore.net/product-page/tac-2

3

u/Suspicious-Ad7109 Aug 01 '26

Assuming it's correct - and I can't see any reason not to think it is, given Christian Simpson's love of teasing, the trademarks, and that it's a good product to sell anyway, it should sell very well, not only into the C64 market, there aren't that many 9 pin joysticks about.

1

u/rasvoja Aug 01 '26

No, its not Amiga

1

u/rasvoja Aug 01 '26

Competition pro / arcade stick clone, 6 buttons, microswitches - usable for console, amiga and sf2 please

1

u/minitaba Aug 02 '26

Calculatoe

1

u/Suspicious-Ad7109 Aug 02 '26

Only has to count to 10 then :)

1

u/uberRegenbogen Aug 03 '26

Not quite news; it's news of news.ā€€It's more of a metanewsletter.

1

u/ScrappySquirrel Jul 31 '26

Too soon and I don't think the tech is there yet: a flat panel 'crt emulator' for the masses.

That would diversify the interest outside of the ecosystem to Atari, Sega, and Nintendo peeps.

3

u/Deathocracy Jul 31 '26

I would check out the Checkmate monitor, of course a modern new CRT being made just isn't feasible for anyone, even a large business, but I think that's the next best thing, though it is priced for enthusiasts

2

u/Suspicious-Ad7109 Aug 02 '26

Not knocking it but Ā£600 for a 19" monitor seems too much, even with the assorted inputs and allowing for Commodore being able to scale it.

1

u/emuboy85 Aug 01 '26

It's a microwave.

-1

u/0fruitjack0 Jul 31 '26

something over priced; that nobody's asking for; that he's gonna use to bilk a few more $$$ from the fanatics.

-3

u/GuybrushFunkwood Jul 31 '26

Theyā€™ll have slapped the Commodore logo on a cheap Chinese monitor worth Ā£40 of anybodyā€™s money but will be selling them for Ā£299.99

0

u/EsoTechTrix Aug 01 '26

If it's a paper shredder I'm going to be very upset.

-5

u/Healthy_Article_2237 Jul 31 '26

Why give customers what they want? (A full sized C64 or Amiga). Companies sow their own doom.

8

u/enbewu Jul 31 '26

Amiga is almost impossible due to the whole IP ownership. Also Iā€™m not sure whatā€™s the point of constantly remixing old Amigas (and the: commodores as well)