Commodore unveils striking Cyberpunk 2077 version of its C64U made in partnership with CD Projekt Red — Commodore 77 special edition uses more powerful AMD Artix XC7A100T processor

A special edition of the Commodore 64 Ultimate made in collaboration with CD Projekt Red has been announced today. The new Commodore 77 takes its stylish inspiration from Cyberpunk 2077, of course, and is skillfully melded into the game's universe. This isn't just a paint job. Commodore has packed in a faster FPGA, for one thing. It also comes with an exclusive 2MB demo cartridge, a themed Commodore 77 BASIC 2.0 boot screen, and several further flourishes of sheer finesse.

• Check out the new Commodore 77 at Commodore.net

Commodore 77 Reveal Video - YouTube

Watch On

Commodore says that the C77 is the first franchise hardware partnership in the firm's 68-year history. "I have been a fan of the game since its release, and it was rewarding to learn in my discussions with their Joint CEO, Michał Nowakowski, that he was a lifelong Commodore 64 fan in turn," said Peri Fractic, President, CEO, and Chief Product Officer, Commodore, discussing this collaborative product. "For us both, this has been a collaboration where art imitates life, and in turn, life for the denizens of Night City now imitates that art. We hope they enjoy their new terminal."

There's plenty to be said about the artistic style of the new C77, but we'll let the video and images do the talking. It might be worth pointing out some of the finer points, though. Like, yes, that is a brushed metal plate to the right of the keyboard deck, which is distinctly different from the original beige bread bin.

Turning on the C77, there are new experiences to be had. In addition to the custom Cyberpunk 2077-themed Commodore 77 BASIC 2.0 boot screen, there are new menu colors, fitting in with the game universe. Moreover, there's a 2MB Cyberpunk 2077-inspired demo cartridge in the (themed) packaging. You can plug in this cart to enjoy an exclusive, distinctly Cyberpunk demo created by the long-running Polish C64 demo group Arise, with an original soundtrack by chiptune legend LukHash. The audioscape makes use of the C64U's 24 channels of stereo SID chip music, while demo viewers can watch the LEDs behind the Commodore 77’s smoked translucent base light up and dance in time.

Image 1 of 5

Inside the new C77 you won't find the AMD Xilinx Artix‑7 XC7A50T, as used in the C64U. The system instead employs the next-tier Artix-7 XC7A100T with twice the logic, twice the block RAM, and more I/O.

It is interesting to learn about the change of processor, but we don't get any firm hints about how the extra compute resources will be used in the C77. "Word on the neon-soaked street is it will achieve speeds of 77 MHz, vs. the original Commodore 64’s 1 MHz processor speed," teases the official press release, in the only section which mentions the new FPGA. "This is achieved by utilizing the more powerful AMD Artix XC7A100T processor, compared to the 50T found in the Commodore 64 Ultimate."

The C77 is up for preorder from today, at $377. We've already mentioned, and you can see some of the obvious enhancements, but buyers will also get a "custom neon power light, stickers, pins, collectible themed packaging, a custom Cyberpunk 2077 spiral-bound user guide packed with lore, exclusive Cyberpunk 2077-themed type-in BASIC programs, and more." Product shipments will begin in "early 2027."

Incidentally, on Monday, Commodore released the Alien Breed 35th Anniversary Collection for PCs and consoles. That's six classic titles beloved of Amiga gamers, and PC users can wishlist them now on Steam.

Follow Tom's Hardware on Google News, or add us as a preferred source, to get our latest news, analysis, & reviews in your feeds.