Retro gamers rejoice! ZX Spectrum to be relaunched this April

15 Jan 2015

Thirty-three years after it was first made, an updated version of the Sinclair ZX Spectrum gaming computer will be manufactured again starting this April to give retro gamers the chance to relive their childhoods.

The console was first produced all the way back in 1982 by Sir Clive Sinclair, renowned inventor and entrepreneur. The device proved to be a commercial success at the time, selling more than 5m units before Sinclair sold the rights to the ZX Spectrum and his computer business to Amstrad in 1986.

Now, with the help of Retro Computer Ltd, Sinclair has given the go-ahead to reproduce the console, now known as the ZX Spectrum Vega, with the help of SMS Electronics in the UK. The first batch of consoles will number just 1,000.

While the console will look quite similar to when it rolled off the production line in 1982, it has received a significant technological upgrade by being modified to give it a more updated look. The keyboard will be replaced with a joypad-style controller for easier use, and 1,000 games will come pre-installed on the console, making it a true plug-in-and-play device.

The new production run was achieved through a successful crowdfunding campaign and now the ZX Spectrum Vega is expected to start selling for stg£100 in April.

Colm Gorey was a senior journalist with Silicon Republic

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