The Vectrex is a legendary portable console that stood out from everything else available in the early 1980s. Back in those days, the most advanced home systems around were the Atari 5200 and the ColecoVision, yet the Atari 2600 was still the dominant force in living rooms.
What made the Vectrex so special was that it came with its own built-in vector monitor, allowing it to display incredibly sharp, bright vector graphics — something that no other home console could do at the time. Although today emulation can reproduce those glowing lines on most modern systems, that capability was many years away when the original Vectrex arrived.
A Short-Lived, Expensive, and Now Highly Collectible Machine
The Vectrex’s run was short-lived. It was discontinued in 1984, and units were heavily discounted at the time — selling for a fraction of their original retail price. The system originally cost US $199, which is about US $650 in 2024 dollars, so it was far from cheap.
Even today, that’s roughly the amount you can expect to pay for a second-hand unit on eBay, and many sellers list them for much more.
Only 28 official games were released during its brief lifetime, but they’re often praised for being high-quality, arcade-style experiences. If you include homebrew titles, demos, and utilities, there have been well over 100 software releases for the system — an impressive legacy for such a short-lived console.
The Vectrex Mini — November 2025 Kickstarter
This is where the Vectrex Mini comes in. It’s a project created by David “Flynn” Oghia, who’s been developing it for quite some time now. He has taken fully working prototypes to several major gaming conventions around the world — including Gamescom 2025, PRGE 2025, and Play Expo Blackpool 2025 — where it received enthusiastic feedback from players who got hands-on time with it.
The new Vectrex Mini is roughly half the size of the original and uses a modern AMOLED display instead of a CRT vector monitor. It supports wireless controllers, features an SD-card slot for easy game loading, and comes with a number of built-in titles ready to play right out of the box.
That said, there are a few downsides. Firstly, it doesn’t use an actual CRT or vector display, which means the graphics won’t have quite the same authentic glow. Secondly — and most disappointingly in my opinion — it uses emulation rather than FPGA technology. Still, for what it aims to be, the Vectrex Mini looks like a very cool, modern tribute to the original.
Emulation vs FPGA: Two Roads to Retro Revival
One of the biggest questions that always comes up with any retro hardware revival is how the classics are being brought back to life. Are developers using software emulation to mimic the original console’s behaviour, or are they recreating the circuitry itself with FPGA technology?
The new Vectrex Mini takes the former route — running a VecX-based emulator on a modern microcontroller — so it’s worth briefly explaining how that differs from an FPGA recreation.
| Feature | Emulation (Software) | FPGA (Hardware Recreation) |
|---|---|---|
| Operation | Simulates original console behaviour through software running on a general-purpose CPU (e.g. ESP32, Raspberry Pi). | Recreates the original console’s electronic circuits at the hardware level using programmable logic chips (e.g. Altera Cyclone V, Xilinx Artix-7). |
| System Examples | Vectrex Mini, NES Classic, Analogue Pocket’s “core mode off”. | MiSTer FPGA, ModRetro Chromatic, Spectrum Next, Analogue 64. |
| Accuracy | Depends on the emulator; timing can vary slightly vs original hardware. Good for most players but not cycle-perfect. | Nearly identical to original hardware timing; no latency or audio desync when properly implemented. |
| Hardware cost | Cheaper — runs on standard microcontrollers or ARM CPUs. | More expensive — requires FPGA chips, custom boards, and extra development. |
| Flexibility | Easier to update and add features (save-states, scaling, HDMI, wireless). | Less flexible once flashed — focuses on exact replication rather than new features. |
| Performance & authenticity | Occasionally small latency or visual differences; good “close enough” experience. | Authentic feel — behaves like the original system, including quirks and glitches. |
| Development focus | Prioritises accessibility and price. | Prioritises accuracy and preservation. |
Where the Vectrex Mini fits: it’s firmly in the emulation category. That approach keeps the price down (the early-bird tier starts at €99 / US $115) while adding modern conveniences like wireless controllers and SD-card support. It might not reproduce that raw CRT magic, but it’s a very practical way to revive the Vectrex experience for a new generation.
Final Thoughts
It’s tempting to compare the Vectrex Mini directly to the original, but honestly, the difference is so significant that it’s better to treat it as its own thing — a tribute machine rather than a replacement.
Considering this, the Vectrex Mini is definitely worth picking up if you don’t own the original but still want to experience what made it special. It also offers plenty of advantages thanks to modern tech — such as playing every game directly from an SD card without hunting down rare cartridges.
That could also be a disadvantage if you were hoping to build a physical cartridge collection, but for most players, convenience will win out.
Speaking for myself: I’ve never played the original Vectrex nor do I own one, so I’m backing the Kickstarter to get a unit for myself. It’ll make a perfect little mini-arcade machine for the bedroom, and even though it’s not FPGA-based, it still looks like a fantastic way to keep the Vectrex legacy alive.
Relevant Links
- Vectrex Mini Kickstarter [https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1852390947/vectrex-mini] Back the kickstarter here, the only way to secure yourself a Vectrex Mini
- Vectrex.com Vectrex Mini Webpage [https://vectrex.com/vectrex-mini-details/] Everything you need to know about the Vectrex Mini
