ModRetro

ModRetro is an American consumer-electronics company and independent game publisher focused on retro gaming hardware, physical game releases, and software associated with classic console platforms. The name originated in 2009 as an online community founded by Palmer Luckey and others for discussion of retro consoles, electronics modification, and hardware experimentation. The forum became particularly associated with “portablization,” the practice of converting home consoles into portable systems through custom engineering and modification. The ModRetro community later became the foundation for a commercial hardware venture. In 2023, Palmer Luckey and Torin Herndon re-established ModRetro as a consumer-electronics company. Herndon had previously worked as an engineer at Oculus and Anduril, two companies also founded by Luckey. Under the revived organization, the company moved from community-led hardware experimentation toward the design, manufacture, and sale of finished retro-inspired products. ModRetro’s best-known product is the Chromatic, a dedicated handheld console announced in June 2024. Inspired by the Game Boy Color, the system uses open-source elements associated with the MiSTer FPGA ecosystem and is designed around compatibility with classic-style cartridge gaming. Its positioning combines the physicality and visual language of late-1990s handhelds with modern manufacturing, display, accessory, and software features. The company has also used the Chromatic platform to support new games and physical cartridge releases rather than treating the device solely as a software-emulation product. The first Chromatic First Edition reportedly sold out. In July 2025, ModRetro permanently restocked the product and expanded the range with additional color variants, optional Gorilla Glass models, new accessories, and further game releases. This relaunch marked a shift from a limited enthusiast product toward a continuing hardware platform and broader retail proposition. ModRetro subsequently announced the M64, an FPGA-based home console intended to recreate the experience of the Nintendo 64 while connecting original cartridges to modern displays. The announced system includes original-style controller ports, HDMI output, USB-C connectivity, a microSD card slot, wireless over-the-air updates, fanless cooling, and support for 4K output. The M64 was planned for release in 2026 and is positioned as a higher-end complement to the portable Chromatic. Alongside hardware, ModRetro operates an independent game studio and publishing business. It develops first-party software and publishes external titles, including new games and reissues distributed in physical cartridge formats. This approach links the company’s hardware business with a curated software ecosystem and reinforces its emphasis on tangible game ownership. In 2025, ModRetro participated in promotional collaborations, including a partnership with Goodyear and GameStop marking the centenary of the Goodyear Blimp. The activation involved a Pokémon battle played on Chromatic handhelds aboard the blimp, with participation from Palmer Luckey and media personality Casey Neistat, as well as a jointly produced limited-edition Chromatic giveaway. In March 2026, reports said that ModRetro was seeking new funding at an approximately $1 billion valuation, although the company remained privately held and the reported financing terms were not established in the supplied reference material. ModRetro’s public identity therefore spans three related areas: a long-running retro-hardware community, a maker-oriented consumer-electronics company, and a publisher of games and physical cartridge products. Its commercial strategy is centered on premium reinterpretations of classic gaming formats rather than mass-market contemporary consoles.

ModRetro began in 2009 as an online forum created by Palmer Luckey and other enthusiasts to discuss retro consoles, electronics modification, and portable gaming projects. Its community became notable for portablization: the modification of home consoles so that they could be used as handheld systems. This early identity gave ModRetro a strong maker and engineering orientation, with members sharing techniques, designs, and practical knowledge about adapting older hardware. The forum continued to exist after ModRetro became a commercial venture. By 2026, the community was still present but was described as largely inactive, while the brand’s public focus had shifted toward finished products and publishing. In 2023, Luckey and Torin Herndon re-established ModRetro as a hardware company. Herndon’s earlier engineering experience at Oculus and Anduril connected the revived company to Luckey’s broader technology network, but ModRetro pursued a distinct market: premium retro gaming products intended for enthusiasts who value original-style hardware, physical cartridges, and technical fidelity. The company announced its first major commercial product, the Chromatic handheld, in June 2024. The device drew visual and functional inspiration from the Game Boy Color and used open-source components connected with the MiSTer FPGA project. Rather than presenting itself simply as a generic emulator, ModRetro emphasized a dedicated handheld platform with its own industrial design, accessories, and cartridge-oriented software strategy. After the initial Chromatic First Edition sold out, ModRetro permanently restocked the product in July 2025. The relaunch broadened the line with additional finishes, optional Gorilla Glass versions, accessories, and new game releases. This represented an important commercial transition: the Chromatic moved from a limited first release toward a continuing product family supported by recurring hardware and software activity. In 2025, ModRetro expanded beyond handheld products by announcing the M64. The system is an FPGA-based home console intended to play Nintendo 64 cartridges on modern displays. Planned features included four original-style controller ports, HDMI, three USB-C ports, a microSD card slot, wireless over-the-air updates, fanless cooling, and 4K output. The supplied material identifies a 2026 release plan and also describes the M64 as released on July 28, 2026; because that date is later than some of the surrounding reference context, its status should be treated cautiously pending direct confirmation. ModRetro also developed an independent game studio and publishing operation. It produces first-party games and publishes external titles, including new releases and reissues in physical cartridge formats. This publishing activity supports the company’s hardware ecosystem and extends its appeal to collectors and players interested in tangible retro-style software. The brand gained additional visibility through promotional partnerships in 2025. A collaboration with Goodyear and GameStop commemorated the Goodyear Blimp’s 100th anniversary and featured a Pokémon battle played on Chromatic units aboard the blimp. Palmer Luckey and Casey Neistat participated in the activation, which also included a limited-edition Chromatic giveaway produced with Goodyear. By March 2026, reports described ModRetro as seeking new funding at an approximate $1 billion valuation. No completed transaction, investor, or final financial terms are established in the available material. Overall, ModRetro has evolved from a specialist online modding community into a vertically integrated retro-gaming brand combining hardware design, FPGA technology, game publishing, physical media, and event marketing.

• 2025

  Chromatic permanently restocked

  [1]ModRetroen.wikipedia.org

  The company expanded Chromatic availability and introduced additional variants, accessories, and game releases.

• 2025

  M64 announced

  [1]ModRetroen.wikipedia.org

  ModRetro announced an FPGA-based Nintendo 64 recreation for modern displays.

• 2024

  Chromatic announced

  [1]ModRetroen.wikipedia.org

  ModRetro announced its Game Boy Color-inspired FPGA-based handheld console.

• 2023

  ModRetro re-established as a hardware company

  [1]ModRetroen.wikipedia.org

  Palmer Luckey and Torin Herndon revived ModRetro as a commercial consumer-electronics business.

• 2009

  ModRetro forum founded

  [1]ModRetroen.wikipedia.org

  Palmer Luckey and others founded an online forum devoted to retro consoles, hardware modification, and portable console projects.

Premium, enthusiast-oriented retro gaming hardware that combines classic console formats and physical media with FPGA technology, modern display connectivity, contemporary manufacturing, and curated software publishing.

• Handheld game console · 2024

  Chromatic

  Chromatic is ModRetro’s flagship retro handheld, inspired by the Game Boy Color. It uses open-source elements associated with the MiSTer FPGA project and is built around dedicated hardware, classic-style cartridge gaming, accessories, and a growing catalog of new and reissued games. Following the sellout of its First Edition, ModRetro expanded the product with additional colors, optional Gorilla Glass models, and continuing availability.

• Home video game console · 2026

  M64

  The M64 is an FPGA-based home console designed to play Nintendo 64 cartridges on contemporary displays. Announced in 2025, it was described as having four original-style controller ports, HDMI output, three USB-C ports, a microSD card slot, wireless over-the-air updates, fanless cooling, and 4K support. Its planned release was in 2026; the exact release status requires confirmation.

• 2025Goodyear Blimp anniversary collaboration

  United States

  ModRetro partnered with Goodyear and GameStop to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Goodyear Blimp. The activation featured a Pokémon battle played on Chromatic handhelds aboard the blimp, with participation from Palmer Luckey and Casey Neistat.

  Outcome. The collaboration included a limited-edition Chromatic giveaway produced jointly by ModRetro and Goodyear.

  Source

• 2025

  Permanent Chromatic availabilityStrategy

  Background

  The initial Chromatic First Edition sold out, creating an opportunity to move from a limited launch toward an ongoing hardware platform.

  Action taken

  ModRetro permanently restocked the Chromatic and broadened the range with new colors, optional Gorilla Glass models, accessories, and additional game releases.

  Aftermath

  The product became a continuing line rather than only a first-edition collector release.

  Source

• 2025

  Expansion into an FPGA home console with the M64Product launch

  Background

  After establishing the Chromatic handheld, ModRetro sought to extend its retro-hardware range to home-console gaming.

  Action taken

  The company announced the M64, an FPGA-based system intended to support Nintendo 64 cartridges and modern display features.

  Aftermath

  The M64 broadened ModRetro’s product strategy from portable gaming to home-console hardware, with release planned for 2026.

  Source

• 2026

  Reports say ModRetro is seeking funding at an approximately $1 billion valuation[1]ModRetroen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Multiple publications reportedly said that ModRetro was seeking new investment at an approximate valuation of $1 billion. The supplied material does not establish completed financing or final terms.

• 2025

  ModRetro permanently restocks Chromatic and expands the product range[1]ModRetroen.wikipedia.org

  Product generation · Product launch

  The company relaunched the Chromatic after the initial First Edition sold out, adding color variants, optional Gorilla Glass models, accessories, and additional game releases.

• 2025

  ModRetro announces the M64 FPGA console[1]ModRetroen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  ModRetro announced the M64, an FPGA-based home console designed to support Nintendo 64 cartridges and modern display standards, with release planned for 2026.

• 2025

  ModRetro partners with Goodyear and GameStop for Goodyear Blimp anniversary activation[1]ModRetroen.wikipedia.org

  Campaign

  The companies organized a promotional event featuring a Pokémon battle played on Chromatic handhelds aboard the Goodyear Blimp, along with a limited-edition Chromatic giveaway.

• 2024

  ModRetro announces the Chromatic handheld console[1]ModRetroen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  ModRetro introduced the Chromatic, a retro-inspired handheld modeled on the Game Boy Color and incorporating open-source components associated with the MiSTer FPGA project.

1. 1ModRetroen.wikipedia.org