Evercade VS is a modern retro game console with two cartridge slots

Blaze Entertainment’s Evercade handheld was an unexpected delight for fans of retro gaming. It was an affordable, well-built portable console with a solid library of classic game collections that sold on wonderfully nostalgic game cartridges that went for just $20 apiece. It did, however, have one problem — local multiplayer was impossible. To solve this issue, the company is releasing a home game console: the Evercade VS.

The Evercade VS is a lot like the handheld version, minus the screen and portability, but there are a few new features. For one, it has four USB ports, making four-player local multiplayer possible. It also has two cartridge ports and a menu system designed to show up to 40 games at once. In other words, if you plug in the Atari Lynx and Interplay game cartridges, all of the games from both collections will appear in the console’s menu, side by side.

The portable and console Evercade systems both use the same cartridges, and the company says there are currently 280 games available for the platform across all game collections. Unfortunately, not every cartridge is fully compatible: Blaze told CNET the Namco collections are only licensed for the handheld, and won’t work on the Evercade VS. The company says hopes to expand the license and make the games available on both platforms soon.

All future game collections will be available for both the handheld and VS system, the company says.

The Evercade VS will be available for preorder for $100 (roughly £72, AU$129) on May 28.