Your eyes don't deceive you: the Bazzite-powered EmuDeck Machine Mini PC launched today on Indieogogo is a few logos and steps removed from a Sega Dreamcast— though it's larger, with each size of its "square" measuring 8.7 inches compared to Dreamcast's longest side measuring 7.75 inches.
The EmuDeck Machine, in both its EM1 and EM2 configurations, includes four USB Type-A slots occupying the front "controller" ports of this Mini PC, half USB 2 and USB 3, judging by their color. The chassis also includes physical power and reset buttons, though no disc drive despite its distinct shape.
But let's not ignore the elephant in the room: if you're a Steam Deck user, you may have used EmuDeck software before. User "dragoonDorise," who launched the EmuDeck Machines on the crowdfunding platform Indiegogo, is also one of many parties responsible for maintaining EmuDeck, a well-known frontend for installing and configuring multiple emulators for Steam Deck and other handhelds like it.
The base model of the EmuDeck Machine uses an Intel N97 CPU to emulate retro games up through the PS2 and Wii, with mixed-to-no playable results beyond that. Meanwhile, the upgraded EM2 model uses AMD's budget desktop king, the Ryzen 5 8600G, and can target cutting-edge emulation in Switch/Xbox 360/PS3 titles while also having acceptable performance in modern, native PC games.
EmuDeck Machine EM1 and EM2 Specifications
| Header Cell - Column 0 | EmuDeck EM1 | EmuDeck EM2 |
|---|---|---|
| Operating System | Bazzite (based on SteamOS 3 and Fedora Linux) | Bazzite (based on SteamOS 3 and Fedora Linux) |
| CPU | Intel N97; Quad-Core, 4 thread Alder Lake-N CPU | AMD Ryzen 5 8600G; Six-Core, 12 thread Zen 4 CPU |
| iGPU | Intel UHD Graphics 730 | AMD Radeon 760M |
| RAM | 16 GB DDR5-4800 | 16 GB DDR5-6000 |
| Storage | 512 GB NVMe (Unspecified Gen) | 512 GB NVMe (Unspecified Gen) |
| Front I/O | 2 USB 3 Type-A ports, 2 USB 2 Type-A ports | 2 USB 3 Type-A ports, 2 USB 2 Type-A ports |
| Controller (some bundles) | GameSir Nova Lite Wireless Controller (includes dongle) | GameSir Nova Lite Wireless Controller (includes dongle) |
| Wireless Support | Wi-Fi 5 | Wi-Fi 6 |
Well...on paper, anyway. This Mini PC still needs to be prototyped and funded, but its nostalgic appearance and low footprint shouldn't prevent it from targeting its intended spec. The space not occupied by a bulky CD or DVD drive of olden console days can now be occupied by a larger air cooler, fan, or both.
The project is asking for $69,710 in flexible funding by its end date on October 28, with $16K already accumulated on its first day. If all goes according to the somewhat ambitious timeline on the Indiegogo page, this PC could start shipping as soon as December, and stock has already been acquired for all the hardware. Meanwhile, prototyping for the 3D CAD model, 3D print testing, and more still need to be completed in the coming months.
Early bird pricing for the two models on Indiegogo starts at $331 for the EM1 and $675 for the EM2. This price point has already drawn some criticism, particularly from the EM1, which competes with Steam Deck and plenty of used PCs at its price point. However, you're also paying for form factor and other considerations with devices like these. Though, if you don't care for retro game emulation or the form factor, this pricing for these specs could be a lot to ask.
