Evercade's New Retro Handheld And Home Console Comes Bundled With Tomb Raider Collection

Preorder at Amazon

Evercade's charming lineup of retro handhelds and home consoles is growing this summer. The Evercade EXP-R and Evercade VS-R launch in July with the budget-friendly price of $100 each. Preorders for both new cartridge-based systems are going live today, April 30. Amazon has listings for the EXP-R and VS-R, but neither is available to order just yet. It's worth noting that Evercade hardware and cartridges often sell out on Amazon, and since these new models come bundled with the upcoming Tomb Raider Collection cartridge ($25 value), these could prove to be even more popular than previous releases. We'll update this article as soon as Amazon officially opens preorders.

The EXP-R is the third Evercade portable--or fourth, if you count the spin-off Super Pockets--and the VS-R is the second home console from Evercade. Both devices have charcoal gray color schemes with turquoise accents.

If you're unfamiliar with the Evercade family of systems, it's a retro gaming platform that lets you play over 50 cartridge-based collections. The original Evercade handheld released back in 2020, and Blaze Entertainment has iterated on the Evercade hardware multiple times since, including with the Evercade VS home console, Evercade EXP handheld, and last year's spin-off $60 handhelds, the Taito and Capcom Super Pockets.

Evercade EXP-R

$100

The price cut for the EXP-R is a pretty enticing part of the refresh, as the existing Evercade EXP costs $150. The Evercade EXP will still be the premier handheld in the Evercade lineup in some respects, but the EXP-R has the same premium design for the most part. The two notable omissions with the EXP-R: You will not get the 18 built-in Capcom games, and the EXP-R drops the HDMI output, which means you cannot connect it to your TV. The EXP-R, however, will add a new textured grip that could make it more comfortable than the original EXP.

Outside of those differences, the EXP-R will have the same integral functionality, including TATE mode, which allows you to turn the handheld to the side to play vertical-oriented arcade games in the proper aspect ratio. Evercade will be releasing an Evercade TATE Grip alongside the handheld for $20. The grip will be compatible with the EXP and EXP-R. Just like the EXP, the EXP-R has built-in Wi-Fi support for firmware updates and a 4.3-inch IPS screen.

Preorder at Amazon

Evercade VS-R

$100

The VS-R, meanwhile, is a home console that can connect to your TV and supports 1080p output. The VS-R includes one controller, and additional VS-R controllers can be purchased separately. The console also supports the existing VS controllers. Like the VS, the VS-R has two cartridge slots, and there are exclusive secrets to be found by utilizing this feature on either home console.

Preorder at Amazon

Evercade's library has grown to over 500 retro games across 50 cartridges, so if you're looking for an official way to play some of the most iconic games of the past few decades, these cartridge-based gadgets are certainly worth considering. We've reviewed the Evercade EXP, Evercade VS, and Super Pocket. You can check out those reviews below. You can also head over to Amazon to take a look at existing cartridge compilations, which start at $20.