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Talking Point: Is An Analogue 3D Worth The Money?
Дата публикации: 15-08-2026 15:00:00
'logue squadron.With the price hikes for the current-gen consoles, the prospect of an even pricier generation to come, and all the doom and gloom in the games industry, it's no wonder that a portion of players are taking solace in the world of retro.Whether it's the comfort blanket of nostalgia as you revisit a childhood classic, or a back catalogue of curios you never got around to playing, the opportunities and variety of methods to revisit old games have never been better or broader.Read the full article on nintendolife.com
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Image: Gavin Lane / Nintendo LifeWith the price hikes for the current-gen consoles, the prospect of an even pricier generation to come, and all the doom and gloom in the games industry, it's no wonder that a portion of players are taking solace in the world of retro.
Whether it's the comfort blanket of nostalgia as you revisit a childhood classic, or a back catalogue of curios you never got around to playing, the opportunities and variety of methods to revisit old games have never been better or broader.
Your preferred retro system typically depends on whatever you were playing in your early teens, and the 30-year-old N64 is my retro system. I've got my original PAL console and a gold NTSC one from Japan, and those — along with Nintendo Switch Online — suited me fine until Analogue released its FPGA-powered N64 clone last year. And after months of umming and ahhing, I finally caved and got one.
This isn't going to be a hardware review - Time Extension has you covered very well in that and all other retro departments. Nor will this be a technical deep-dive, as places like the excellent My Life in Gaming and Digital Foundry go into all that far better than I could. This is more a discussion of what led me to finally bite the bullet, how I've found it in the months since, and in what circumstances — and to whom — I'd recommend buying one.
GoldenTry 007
Image: Damien McFerran / Nintendo Life
I've wanted one since it was first announced back in 2023, of course. Just as an object, the Analogue 3D is a handsome re-imagining of the original's Romanesque stylings, a form I called "stately yet sensual" in a piece I wrote for The Console Chronicles a while back. Analogue removed the 'pillars' on either side but captured the curves and that smooth hump across the front, just with a smaller footprint. Add in the light-up controller ports and it's a slick bit of kit.
Expensive, too. Right now it's listed on Analogue's website for $269.99 plus shipping. As a 'luxury' way to play games I can already play in multiple ways, it was high on desires but low on my priority list. Add in import charges and this economy, and no, I'd make do with NSO and OG hardware with an EON Super 64.
So what pushed me over the edge? Ultimately, two things:
- Actually playing one at a Hookshot staff meetup in May (nothing like the ego boost of winning a couple of rounds of GoldenEye to fuel a frivolous purchase, but feeling and seeing how it performed firsthand convinced me it was legit)
- The ballooning prices of just about everything video-game related right now (ie. it definitely ain't gonna get cheaper)
Another factor was that, as noted above, the N64 is my childhood console. Having seen the Analogue NT come and go and shoot up to insane money secondhand, was I going to let this slip through my fingers only to pay twice as much for one in five years’ time?
Armed with those watertight justifications, I took to the internet on payday to hunt down a deal.
Image: Damien McFerran / Nintendo Life
Living in Europe, unpredictable tariffs and crazy import/shipping fees made me wary of buying direct from the US. I've been stung by import charges on my doorstep before and I just didn't want that uncertainty. (Seriously, having to pay a driver with actual cash — not card — feels like a scam in 2026, but hey, that's another article.)
eBay had various listings for sealed systems, particularly the white one, which, if the reaction of my NL colleagues is a barometer of public sentiment, isn't the one people want — especially not after Analogue released all those limited 'Funtastic' variants. It was, however, the one that I wanted. This was going to stay hooked up permanently in the living room, and the unassuming pale one would sit on the TV stand very nicely alongside my Wii and PS5 (my Switch 2 is docked around the back).
I have Nintendo's NSO controller plus a bunch of originals, so I didn't need a pad. However, the listing I found bundled a white 8BitDo 64, and another wireless pad which plays nicely with N64 games is handy.
Satisfied in the knowledge that there were no 'hidden' import charges or taxes involved — and no international shipping wait times — I put in the minimum bid, won, and two days later I had the thing on my desk.
All-in, this thing is a significant retro investment; it set me back €370 with the controller. At the time of writing, a Switch 2 costs just €100 more.
First impressionsAnalogue has a knack for design and presentation, and that starts right from the packaging, with a soft-feel black box that looks the part before you've even opened it. Likewise, the white SD card in the box is a bespoke affair with the Analogue logo cut into it, with the colour-matched cables similarly branded.
Making the controller an add-on is a sticking point for some, although for me the lack of an EU-friendly USB-C power adapter was a minor issue. No dice with a Mac or an iPhone charger, so right now I'm using my Switch 2 plug - which is fine, but it means switching cables when I switch consoles.
Updating firmware via the SD card was straightforward, and I like how the light on the front is also a sync button - and how the controller ports light up sequentially as a 'progress bar' during updates. I'd prefer a printed instruction sheet to a QR code, but that's just me, and before long I had the latest firmware with save states (or 'Memories' as Analogue dubbed them) and was ready to rock.
The OS is clean and clear, and you can tailor your display preferences for each individual game easily enough. It's not as granular as you'll find on some upscaling solutions, but there's more than enough tweaks to be made if you know your PVMs from your BVMs, or just want something authentic-looking on your modern 4K display.
Image: Damien McFerran / Nintendo Life
I've found myself defaulting to BVM (Broadcast Video Monitor) for most games with the Integer+ fill option. I want it to look like it was designed to on a CRT, so scanlines and some softening are a must, and tweaking on a per-game basis is handy.
The recently-added horizontal upscaling option produces great results when I turned it on for Episode 1 Racer — again, check out My Life in Gaming's recent video which explores the 1.5.0 update. For someone who finds Nintendo Switch Online's CRT filter a passable display option (it's incorrect aspect ratios that really wind me up), the Analogue 3D covers all my bases and then some.
On the topic of NSO, as convenient as it is, going back will be tough once you've sampled this. Beginning an Ocarina playthrough recently (did you hear they're remaking it?), I changed to NSO when I realised I'd want to play it with the kids on a summer break and Switch 2 is easier to sling in a suitcase. But even with a game that doesn't require lightning reflexes, the input latency was startling by comparison.
I noticed it most when playing the Ocarina itself - the gap between hitting a C-button and hearing the note felt enormous on Switch 2 and it made a couple of sections noticeably harder; specifically, copying the frog chorus in Zora's River and the battle against Dark Link.
The lag wasn't a dealbreaker — not when you've got the rewind feature to fall back on — but ignorance really is bliss. So, know that you'll spoil yourself for any lesser option once you've played Zelda's Lullaby on the A3D.
Image: Gavin Lane / Nintendo Life
And OoT isn't even something that depends on twitch reflexes. Games like F-Zero X, Wave Race 64, and 1080 feel soupy on Switch at the best of times; the Analogue transforms them back into the immediate, responsive racers they are/were. GoldenEye feels snappy once more.
I won't just list titles here, but spending significant time with games like Rogue Squadron and Snowboard Kids has been a joy in the last few weeks. I've got family coming to visit soon, and I've already got an old-school multiplayer session programmed in.
My odd curiosity to one day play Quest 64 will soon be satisfied, too - that is if I can stop playing the aforementioned Episode 1: Racer. The elegance of that game's controls coupled with the speed (and, undeniably, a good shot of nostalgia) is just beautiful - check out Jack's recent Making Of interview with the devs over on Time Extension if you're an avid podracer. Fingers crossed for a Switch 2 port of Galactic Racer.
Overall, NSO covers quite a bit, but some games will simply never appear there. If you have a real interest in the N64 library, this system presents it beautifully. There's no going back.
What else do you need?
Image: Damien McFerran / Nintendo Life
Another aspect worth considering before buying is the extras you'll need to enjoy this thing.
I've mentioned the controller already, but as good as 8BitDo's option is, I'd recommend Nintendo's own NSO pad if you don't want to go wired with original controllers. There's just something about that spindly analogue stick and the precision it offers.
Another thing to remember: This console plays carts, so you can't just fill the SD card with your freshly ripped ROMs and crack on. You can't use it to rip your cart collection, either.
Fortunately, it plays nicely with your Everdrives and Summercarts et al., although a reliable flashcart will set you back anything from $50-150. I picked up an Everdrive X7 several years ago, but it’s another expense to consider.
Of course, if you're happy to swap your N64 carts just like the old days, no problem. For me, the convenience of not having to dig out my carts from the basement is a boon and makes it more likely I'll fire up the console in a spare 20 minutes. Also, flashcarts give you access to all the brilliant homebrew and ROM hacks out there which are playable on original hardware.
So, is it worth it? Should you get an Analogue 3D?
Image: Gavin Lane / Nintendo Life
With all that, we come to the million- 300-500-dollar+ question: Should you pull the trigger on an Analogue 3D?
For most people, my answer is...no. Absolutely not.
Frankly, if you're on the fence with the N64 and its library, this is an expensive way to not change your mind. Even the system's unimpeachable classics can feel impenetrable to anyone who wasn't riding the early-3D wave back in the '90s. There's a reason they're remaking Ocarina.
Throw in some understandable confusion and aversion to the single-stick controller, and there are just too many barriers to enjoyment unless you're one of two types of people: N64 obsessives or game-history students with plenty of disposable. Switch Online’s Expansion Pack offering is suboptimal in several ways, but it’s an affordable gateway to the greatest hits for most Nintendo 64-curious gamers.
HOWEVER (big however), if you adore the N64 and want a stylish, convenient way to play its library on your living room TV, this is absolutely the way. I have zero regrets, and I can now finally stop reading up on ludicrously pricey HDMI mods and take "Sony PVM" off my eBay Saved search list.
Actually, I'm not going to do that. I need something to plug my GameCubes into, right?
Image: Damien McFerran / Nintendo Life
Have you picked up an Analogue 3D since launch? How have you found it so far? I'm eager to hear other perspectives and help inform anyone still sitting on the fence, so feel free to share your thoughts and ask questions below.
Related, I'm sure I'm not the only one here who's following Jeff Gerstmann's latest scientific expedition to chart every N64 game released in the US. He's already inspired me to dip into a couple of, er, 'classics' I missed, and it's intriguing to see Jeff — who's 100% not in the 64-sicko camp — evaluating the library with a modern eye. Definitely worth a look, wherever you fall on the 64-bit spectrum.
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