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Evercade Nexus Review: The Best Retro Handheld Yet
Blaze Entertainment’s Evercade Nexus is a major redesign of its retro gaming handheld, retaining support for all existing Evercade cartridges while adding a larger body, improved controls and a brighter screen. The review describes it as a substantial step forward that makes the device feel more like a modern gaming handheld.
The Nexus measures 215 × 111 × 34 mm and weighs 410 g, with a 5.89-inch, 840 × 512 IPS display rated at over 500 nits and two thumbsticks. Its processor and 512 MB of RAM are unchanged from the EXP, so games run well, but the system is slow to start: booting and loading a cartridge each take around 35 to 40 seconds. The reviewer also notes a wobbly-feeling D-pad and easily scratched glossy trim.
In short
- The Nexus keeps compatibility with every Evercade cartridge.
- A larger, brighter screen and twin thumbsticks improve play.
- Startup and cartridge loading take around 35 to 40 seconds.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The Nexus is a meaningful improvement for players who value comfort and a clearer, brighter display while keeping access to their existing Evercade cartridges. Its updated controls and larger form make it feel more like a modern handheld, and the unchanged hardware still runs the supported games well.
The case against
The redesign may not justify an upgrade for owners of the EXP, since the processor and memory are unchanged and the slow start-up remains. The 410 g body, wobbly-feeling D-pad and scratch-prone glossy trim also temper the benefits of the brighter screen and added thumbsticks.
Explained simply
Evercade is a gaming system made by Blaze Entertainment, built around physical cartridges that collect older games. The Nexus is a larger handheld version of the system, with a brighter screen and two thumbsticks while remaining compatible with existing Evercade cartridges.
Its design matters to people who want to play retro games on a portable device and keep using cartridges they already own. The Nexus retains the processing power of the earlier EXP model, so the changes are mainly to its size, screen and controls; it also takes time to start and load games.