Evercade Nexus - What is the New Console and Who is it Created for?

A game box, a paper manual and a cartridge that you insert into the console. For many, it is a familiar ritual from childhood.

Evercade has built an entire platform around this idea. However, it does not recreate a single old console. It brings together games from different eras in collections released on its own officially licensed cartridges. Nexus is a portable way to enjoy this library, with a larger screen and controls better suited to three-dimensional games.

What does this mean in practice? What games can you play on it? And do physical releases really mean gaming without the internet? Let us start with the basics.

What exactly is Evercade?

Evercade is a family of devices developed by Blaze Entertainment for playing classic and classic-inspired games. The first console was released in 2020. Over time, the portable hardware was joined by TV-based devices and compact Arcade cabinets. The common element is Evercade cartridges.

Each cartridge contains a specific collection. It may focus on a selected publisher, a series or several lesser-known titles. The box also includes a printed manual with descriptions, controls and tips. It is not just a data carrier, but a complete physical release.

Evercade is therefore not a single “retro game console.” It is hardware paired with a separately expanding library of releases.

What is Evercade Nexus?

Nexus is a handheld console, meaning a device with its own screen, battery and buttons. Its key features include a 5.89-inch display, two analogue sticks, wireless headphone support and the local EverSync gaming feature. The manufacturer declares compatibility with the entire existing library of Evercade cartridges.

For existing users, this means that upgrading the hardware does not require rebuilding their collection from scratch. For new users, it means that Nexus does not launch with just a few release titles, but instead draws on a library that has been expanding for years.

However, two things must be distinguished: games supported by the console are not the same as games included in the package. The standard Nexus package includes two titles from the Banjo-Kazooie Double Pack collection. Other cartridges are selected separately.

Key specifications

Why does a retro console need two analogue sticks?

Retro does not end with pixel-art platformers and side-scrolling shooters. It also includes games in which you move through a three-dimensional world and rotate the camera.

This is exactly where two sticks make the most sense. One can be used to move the character, while the other is used to look around. In the versions of Evercade Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie, these controls allow the character and camera to be controlled separately.

This does not mean, however, that every older game suddenly gets a new control system. Analogue stick support depends on the specific title. In many classic games, the stick may simply replace the D-pad without changing how the gameplay was designed.

This is an important distinction: new buttons and sticks provide more options, but they do not automatically redesign every game.

And what is TATE mode?

Some arcade games were designed for vertically oriented screens. This includes shooters in which you fly from the bottom towards the top.

TATE mode lets you rotate the image and hold the Nexus vertically. This allows a properly prepared game to make better use of the display area. On the Nexus, however, the control layout must be taken into account: in this orientation, movement uses the stick rather than the D-pad.

What games can be played on the Nexus?

The simplest answer is: games released on Evercade cartridges.

The library brings together classics from consoles, arcade machines and home computers. It includes both older productions and newer games created in a retro style. An example of a collection dedicated to a specific series is Legacy of Kain, which combines Blood Omen and Soul Reaver.

However, this kind of library should not be confused with full support for older platforms. The presence of one game known from Nintendo 64 does not mean that the Nexus will run any title from that console.

You also cannot insert an original Nintendo or Sega cartridge into it. Evercade uses its own format, and the Nexus is not designed as standard for independently adding ROM files, meaning digital copies of games. Therefore, when browsing the range, it is worth checking the game list in a specific collection rather than simply the number of titles available across the entire platform.

Ten games you will genuinely return to may be more valuable than hundreds of names that mean little to you.

Banjo-Kazooie Double Pack - what do you get at the start?

The standard Nexus package includes a cartridge featuring Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie. These are two three-dimensional platformers by Rare, originally known from Nintendo 64. Their gameplay is based on exploration, jumping and finding items hidden across successive worlds.

The Evercade releases are not simply the original games running through an emulator. They have been prepared as versions adapted directly for this platform, with widescreen support, an improved camera and controls using two analogue sticks.

This is a good example of the difference between preserving an old game and making it easier to use on new hardware. You do not need to change its concept to improve the way you look around the level.

In addition to the console and cartridge, the standard package includes a USB-C–USB-A cable and a quick-start guide. A mains charger is not included; the manufacturer specifies 5 V / 2 A charging.

EverSync: two consoles, one cartridge

One of the more interesting new features of the Nexus is EverSync. This feature enables local play on two consoles, with just one copy of the relevant cartridge required. Each person uses their own screen. The devices connect directly, without a home router or internet connection.

The idea is simple: you meet in one place and start playing together, even if only one person owns the collection.

However, there are two important conditions. You need two Nexus consoles, and the selected game must support the appropriate multiplayer mode. EverSync does not automatically add a second player to every title. It is also not a service that lets you play online with someone at the other end of the country.

Is internet access required for gaming?

A permanent internet connection is not required for regular gameplay using cartridges. You also do not need to create an account or purchase a subscription to use the games you own. During the initial setup, the user can install a system update and start playing without registering for a service.

This does not mean that the Nexus completely gives up network features. Wi-Fi is used for software updates, and the system also offers additional content such as Game of the Month. Physical cartridges remain the foundation of the library, but they do not rule out patches and digital extras.

It is best to think of it this way: the internet can help keep the console up to date, but it does not need to be constantly available.

Limitations worth knowing about

Nexus has a clearly defined role, so some solutions may surprise people accustomed to other handheld consoles.

You cannot connect it to a TV via HDMI. Nexus does not have such an output, so it should not be treated as a device that automatically turns into a home console when you return home.

It also lacks a standard sleep mode. As Tom’s Guide noted in its pre-release review, you cannot pause a game at any moment, turn off the device and return to the same point. This is a significant drawback, especially for people who enjoy games in short moments of free time. 

There is also the nature of the library itself. Since additional games are purchased in physical collections, the cost of using the platform does not end with the console. It is worth checking in advance which releases genuinely interest you.

Nexus, EXP-R and VS-R - what is the difference?

The device names may not say much at first. The easiest way to organise them is by where and how you play.

• Evercade VS-R is a home console. It connects to a TV, and support for up to four controllers enables local play in suitable multiplayer games.

• Evercade Nexus expands the portable side of the family: it offers a larger screen, two analogue sticks and EverSync. However, it does not replace a TV console.

• Evercade EXP-R is a smaller handheld console with a 4.3-inch screen. It has a D-pad, buttons and TATE mode, but does not offer the pair of analogue sticks found on the Nexus. 

These are not so much three successive levels of “better hardware” as different answers to the question: where and with whom do you plan to play?

Why return to cartridges at all?

Evercade is above all an escape from extensive online services, endless notifications and evening scrolling through huge digital libraries. When, after a hard day, you only have a brief moment for yourself, being able to physically insert a cartridge and immediately enter a game brings remarkable relief.

Rather than starting discussions about whether “things were better in the past,” it is worth noting that physical releases and digital stores simply fulfil completely different needs. For some, boxes on a shelf are just dust collectors. For others, choosing a cartridge and taking out the manual becomes a pleasant ritual to begin the evening.

Among the gaming community, it is easy to notice this longing for simplicity-fans eagerly share their collections of dozens of boxes and fondly return to couch multiplayer with DOOM or Worms. At the same time, enthusiasm for new releases themselves can be restrained. A considerable number of users are tired of the constant stream of new hardware versions (such as the Nexus) and prefer simply to save their budget for cartridges, sticking with tried-and-tested devices.

Nexus therefore does not need to replace all the other consoles at home or be a device “for everything.” Instead of asking whether it is the best retro console on the market, it is better to ask yourself a simple question: “What will truly give me the most enjoyment during those few free moments for gaming?”.

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