Commodore 64 Ultimate: Starlight Edition

Retro Computing · Commodore 64 Ultimate (Starlight Edition) · In Service

FPGA-powered, real-hardware recreation of the C64, the first new Commodore hardware in over 30 years, in a translucent, LED-lit case.

The Commodore 64 is back. Not as an emulator in a shrunken shell, but as a full-size, real-hardware recreation sold under the actual Commodore name. I picked up the Starlight Edition, the translucent one that lights up, and wanted to write down what this machine is and what's inside it.

Commodore 64 Ultimate Starlight Edition (left) and Commodore 64C Ultimate (right), both in translucent cases glowing with rainbow LEDs
The Commodore 64 Ultimate Starlight Edition (left) beside its newer sibling, the 64C Ultimate. Image: Commodore International Corporation.

Where It Came From

In 2025 the Commodore brand came under new ownership, led by Christian "Peri Fractic" Simpson of the Retro Recipes YouTube channel, with a team that includes original Commodore engineers like Bil Herd, Dave Haynie, and Al Charpentier (lead architect of the VIC-II and co-creator of the SID). In July 2025 they unveiled the Commodore 64 Ultimate, the first official Commodore hardware in more than three decades. Pre-orders started shipping in time for Christmas 2025.

Under the hood, the C64 Ultimate is built on Gideon Zweijtzer's Ultimate 64, a well-respected FPGA replacement motherboard for the C64, packaged in a new "breadbin" case and keyboard modeled on the 1982 original.

Not an Emulator

The key word is FPGA. Instead of running software that pretends to be a C64, the Ultimate uses an AMD Xilinx Artix-7 FPGA configured with gate-level recreations of the original chips: the 6510 CPU, VIC-II video, SID sound, and I/O. The result is behavior very close to real hardware, with "virtually zero-lag" HDMI output, plus modern conveniences the original never had.

It also keeps the original physical ports, so real C64 hardware still plugs in: cartridges, joysticks, a Datasette, and IEC disk drives. Reviewers have tested original 1541/1571 drives, a 1530 Datasette, an Action Replay cartridge, and even a VIC-1520 plotter, all working.

Specifications

Component Details
Core AMD Xilinx Artix-7 FPGA, chip-level C64 recreation
Memory 128 MB DDR2 (16 MB system, 16 MB REU, GeoRAM, remainder as RAM disk); 16 MB NOR flash
Speed Stock 1 MHz, with Turbo Boost up to 64×
Video HDMI 1080p @ 50 Hz (PAL) / 60 Hz (NTSC), DVI-compatible; 8-pin DIN analog (composite, S-Video, RGB)
Audio 2 × real SID sockets (6581/8580) + "UltiSID" FPGA SIDs; 3.5 mm line out, optical S/PDIF; piezo speaker for disk-drive sounds
Keyboard 66-key mechanical, Gateron Pro 3.0 55g switches, original C64 layout
Classic ports Cartridge, 2 × DB-9 joystick/paddle, Datasette, IEC serial (disk drives/printers), internal 26-pin user port (adapter sold separately)
Modern I/O USB-A 2.0 (storage), USB-C, microSD slot, 100 Mbps Ethernet, Wi-Fi
Power 12 V DC external supply (100–240 V, worldwide adapters included)
Warranty 1 year (3-year extended option)

The Starlight Edition

The C64 Ultimate came in three editions: the classic BASIC Beige ($299.99 at launch), the Starlight Edition ($349.99 at launch), and the gold Founders Edition ($499.99 at launch). Prices have since gone up; check the Commodore store for current pricing.

Close-up of the Starlight Edition's transparent smoked keycaps, including RUN/STOP, SHIFT and the Commodore key, lit red
The Starlight Edition's transparent keycaps and case. Image: Commodore International Corporation.

What makes the Starlight different:

  • Translucent case. You can see right through the breadbin to the hardware inside.
  • RGB lighting. Banks of color-changing LEDs in the case and under the keyboard. They can be set to react to the SID music, with adjustable patterns, speeds, and brightness, all from the built-in menu. Case and keyboard lighting can be turned off independently.
  • Transparent keyboard PCB. Commodore calls it the world's first transparent mechanical keyboard PCB; the beige model doesn't have it.
  • Smoked "Translucent Black & Red" keycaps. They look black when the lights are off and glow when they're on. One trade-off: legends can be harder to read with the LEDs active.

Living With It

The machine boots straight to the familiar blue READY. screen. A multi-function switch, styled after the original power switch, handles power, reset, and freeze. Flick it up and you're in the Ultimate menu, where you can:

  • Browse USB or microSD storage and mount disk (.D64, .D71, .D81, .G64), tape (.TAP, .T64), and cartridge images, or just run a .PRG
  • Switch between PAL and NTSC, enable Turbo Boost, and swap joystick ports
  • Configure networking, use the built-in CommoServe search to download titles, or reach it over FTP and a web interface
  • Emulate a printer to PNG or text, and dial into PETSCII BBSes with the bundled terminal

In the box: a spiral-bound user guide, an HDMI cable, the power supply, a sticker sheet, and a USB stick shaped like a cassette, The Very Second, loaded with 100+ games, demos, utilities, and music, including GEOS. There's no joystick, so bring your own DB-9 stick. USB gamepads aren't supported.

What the Reviews Say

  • Time Extension called it "The Gold Standard Of Retro Computer Revivals," and its Starlight review unit's LED lighting "really eye-catching." Its main complaint was keyboard flex on the Starlight unit.
  • Hackster.io found it "attractive, robust, and happy to work with modern HDMI and DVI displays as well as classic CRT TVs." They noted that the "no missed inputs" N-key rollover claim is limited by how the original C64 KERNAL scans the keyboard, and that there's no C128 mode.

What's Next

Commodore has followed up with the Commodore 64C Ultimate, a slimline version built from the original 1986 C64C molds, which began shipping in October 2026.

Sources

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