Polymega

The console was announced in January 2017 as the RetroBlox. It would be produced by RetroBlox, Inc, a Los Angeles-based company founded by Bryan Bernal and Eric Christensen, both former employees at Insomniac Games. The console was initially set to release in early 2018, while RetroBlox, Inc would become Playmaji, Inc. Playmaji started taking pre-orders in September 2018, but the console's official website went off-line for several days following high traffic and a DDoS attack. A public beta test phase began in early 2020, and the console's full release would be further delayed to November 2020, due to third-party production issues; an overseas partner, responsible for manufacturing printed circuit boards used in the console, closed in mid-2020. The release was delayed again after communication issues arose with Wal-Mart following a personnel change. As a result, Playmaji canceled pre-orders made through Wal-Mart's website and urged buyers to purchase the console through the Polymega website instead, with the release delayed to February 2021 for those who preordered in 2018 and 2019. The consoles were assembled in Myanmar, where protests took place during 2021, causing another delay in the Polymega's release. The COVID-19 pandemic was also a factor for the delay. The console was eventually released worldwide on September 12, 2021, fulfilling pre-orders made prior to May 2020. Some units arrived in Japan a day early. The console retails for $450, while Element Modules – plug-ins which support cartridge games – retail for $80. In July 2023, Playmaji announced a partnership with Atari, which became a minority investor. those dating to 2021 were expected to be shipped by the end of 2023. Also under the partnership, the Polymega App and Remix will be compatible with the modern Atari VCS console. ==Hardware==

The Polymega runs on an Intel Coffee Lake S processor. Controllers produced for the original consoles are compatible with the Polymega's modules. It is expected to release by mid-2024. ==Games==

The Polymega utilizes Linux, Playmaji has touted the Polymega as "the world's most compatible game console". It supports games released for several cartridge-based consoles: Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), and Sega Genesis. Supported CD-based consoles include PlayStation, Sega CD, and TurboGrafx-16 and its international variants such as the PC Engine. The Polymega loads Neo Geo CD games at a significantly faster rate compared to the original console, which was known for its sluggish load times. a difficult console to emulate. Bernal considered the Dreamcast as a likely cutoff point, saying in 2018 that Playmaji does not intend to support GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox, or any newer consoles. The Polymega was initially intended to use a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), In late 2021, Playmaji announced that it would release an N64 module due to popular demand. Bernal said, "There are virtually no other options out there for playing the N64 library legally, outside of the original hardware -- so it's an obvious choice for us". The N64 module was released in December 2023. Compatibility for Game Boy and Game Boy Color games is planned with the use of the N64's Transfer Pak. As part of the Atari partnership, Playmaji also plans to produce a module to support Atari 2600 and 7800 cartridges, The Polymega offers compatibility with more than 90 percent of each classic console's game library. It is compatible with regional console variants, playing NTSC, PAL, and Japanese games without patches. The console includes a built-in database of cover art, descriptions, and screenshots for thousands of games. This information is displayed whenever a game is inserted into the console, and is sorted by console and region. Game files acquired through Internet downloads cannot be saved to the Polymega, which requires a copy of the original game to do so. Playmaji intends to launch a digital store, allowing games to be downloaded to the console, An internal development and publishing studio was also established for the creation of original games exclusive to the Polymega. ==Reception==

Christopher Grant of Polygon considered the console worthwhile for gamers who already own a large collection, writing, "The Polymega is an enticing all-in-one solution and while it may not have the FPGA-based bona fides of the MiSTer, it stands on its own as a viable contender for the ultimate retro gaming console crown". Will Greenwald of PCMag praised the Polymega's emulation software and rated the console 4 out of 5. Damien McFerran of Nintendo Life offered particular praise for the Saturn emulation, and wrote that "there's nothing else quite like this machine on the market – and It looks set to become a highly desirable piece of hardware for retro fans". Critics negatively noted the high retail price. ==References==