THEC64 Handheld And The Spectrum Handheld Announced For Autumn 2026

Blaze Entertainment sent out the following

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Blaze Entertainment and Retro Games Ltd are delighted to announce two new portable retro game consoles that answer the question – What if your favourite home computers of the 1980s were portable?

Introducing THEC64 Handheld and The Spectrum Handheld – two new handheld retro gaming consoles licensed by Retro Games Ltd and created by the makers of the critically acclaimed Super Pocket consoles. These two new handhelds are designed around the imagination of what a portable version of these classic home computers would look like in the 1980s.

Each handheld follows the colour scheme of the home computers and is inspired by the design choices of each original release. The clamshell case design takes inspiration from some of the most successful gaming handhelds of the past, while also evoking the style of portable computers, palmtops and organisers of the 1980s. Answering the question of what these classic home computers would be like if they were designed and made in the 1980s.

• The iconic home computers in handheld form
• 25 classic THEC64/The Spectrum games built into each device
• Bring your own games using the MicroSD card slot
• A sharp and bright 4.3″ screen at a high 800*480 resolution​
• Tailored game controls with customisable mappings
• Tactile Plastic/Rubber function buttons unique to each handheld
• Keyboard & Joystick support using the rear USB-A I/O
• Front-facing stereo speakers and 3.5mm headphone jack
• Rechargeable battery via USB-C Charging port (cable included)

Each console comes with 25 built-in games (full game lists are below) that highlight some of the best examples of gaming on both iconic platforms, such as Boulder Dash, Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe, Manic Miner, Head over Heels, and many more! The bespoke user interface highlights the games in a fun style inspired by the original computer interfaces, with all the modern features gamers have come to expect, like load/save states, screen options, information on the games, and more.

The consoles have a 4.3″ IPS screen and front-facing stereo speakers for a great personal gaming experience, and a responsive D-Pad with four face buttons for easy handheld game play. Each console also has four function buttons designed to mimic the keys on the original devices and a menu/start/select button layout inspired by the same. These keys are tactile plastic on THEC64 Handheld and rubber on The Spectrum Handheld.

Plus, the fun doesn’t stop there as fans can bring their own games with the dedicated MicroSD slot on every device and can expand their handheld to support a USB keyboard or Joystick with the rear USB-A I/O port. Users can also select a variety of system options, allowing them to customise which historic system to emulate with their games. This will give users a multitude of customisable settings, system speeds, audio chip selections, and more.

“THEC64 and The Spectrum are two of the most iconic names in gaming history, with generations of players who hold them close to their hearts. Bringing these experiences into a brand-new handheld form feels like a natural next step, and we’re proud to bring these to both longtime fans and a new audience discovering them for the first time. We are delighted to be working with Retro Games Ltd to make this happen.” – Andrew Byatt, CEO, Blaze Entertainment.

Paul Andrews MD of Retro Games Ltd said “We are delighted to be working with Blaze Entertainment on the release of two amazing handheld devices, ‘THEC64 Handheld’ and ‘The Spectrum Handheld’. With an superb selection of classic games on each machine, Retro Gaming on the go just got even better!”

PRICING

GAME LISTS:

THEC64 Handheld

A Pig Quest
Sam’s Journey
Nebulus
Boulder Dash
Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe
Paradroid
Hunter’s Moon Remastered
Knight ‘n’ Grail
Aztec Challenge
Krakout
Lee
Druid
Encounter!
Galencia
Ice Guys
Metal Warrior Ultra
Millie & Molly
Planet Golf
Shadow Switcher
Spherical
Squish ‘Em
Steel Ranger
X-Out
Yeti Mountain
It’s Magic 2

The Spectrum Handheld

Head Over Heels
Manic Miner
Skool Daze
Tiny Dungeons
Archon: The Light and the Dark
The Great Escape
Bounder
Switchblade
Nightmare Rally
M.O.V.I.E.
Avenger: The Way of the Tiger II
Bugaboo the Flea
Devwill Too ZX
Hammerfist
Hammer Knight
Penguin Attack
S1NCLA1R C1TY
Shovel Adventure
Snake Escape
Sorcerer Kid Adventure
Splat!
Tourmaline
Where Time Stood Still
Zynaps
Starquake

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FULL SPECIFICATIONS:

THEC64 Handheld/The Spectrum Handheld – W136mm x H26mm x D86mm – 235g
Form Factor– Clamshell Handheld Retro Gaming Console
Colour – Retro Beige (THEC64 Handheld), Classic Black (The Spectrum Handheld)
Controls – D-Pad and Face Buttons, Four mappable function keys and menu/start/select keys in tactile plastic (THEC64 Handheld) and rubber (The Spectrum Handheld)
Screen – 4.3″ 800*480 IPS high resolution screen
Processor – Quad Core 1.2Ghz
Memory – 256mb DDR RAM
Connectivity – 3.5mm headphone jack
Battery – 3+ hour 2000mAH battery
Charging – USB-C (cable included). 5v 1a minimum required for charging (mains adaptor not included)
Extras – USB-A I/O port for external keyboard or joystick, MicroSD port for additional game loading.
THEC64 Handheld Formats – Can select between C64 PAL/NTSC, C64C PAL/NTSC, C64SX PAL/NTSC, PET64 PAL/NTSC, C64 GS
The Spectrum Handheld Formats – Can select between Spectrum 48K, Spectrum 48K (NTSC), Spectrum 128K, Spectrum +2, Spectrum +2A, Spectrum +3, Spectrum +3e, Spectrum 16K. Spectrum CPU under/overclocking supported.

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