In the early 1980s, a strange beast called the Vectrex carved out its own niche among the giants of home gaming. Unlike the colorful sprites jumping across TV screens from Atari or Intellivision, the Vectrex drew lines in bright green vectors directly on its own nine-inch screen. Now, four decades later, a new team in France has brought that back and shrunk it down to pocket size. Meet the Vectrex Mini, coming to Kickstarter next month.
This reimagined version of the original has a five-inch screen in a body that’s comfortable to hold on a bus or a quiet afternoon. The screen isn’t an LCD; it’s an AMOLED panel designed to mimic the crisp, flashing lines of the Vectrex’s old CRT monitor. Those vectors – straight edges and wireframe ships racing through space – pop with monochrome brilliance that transports you back to the 80s, minus the phosphor burn-in.
- RETRO GRAPHICS: Immerse yourself in nostalgia with the Arcade Classics Pac-Man’s classic arcade graphics that look just like the original!
- AUTHENTIC GAMEPLAY: Use the joystick to guide Pac-Man through the mazes as you collect Pac-Dots and power-ups. Just don’t get caught by those sneaky...
- FULL COLOR SCREEN: With a brighter, full color screen that makes it easy to see the characters and dots, you’ll be cruising through those mazes like...
A USB-C port powers the entire device, which can be charged via a wall converter or an additional battery for longer periods of time away from outlets. A microSD slot is next to it, ready to accept cards with extra games. No more digging through dusty attics for rare cartridges; just insert the card and reboot. The video output is HDMI, so you can connect to a huge screen for couch co-op and transform your living room into an arcade. Bluetooth is built-in, so you can immediately connect to the included controller, which is a smaller version of the original’s angular joypad with modern thumb buttons.
Speaking of controllers, the standard bundle comes with one Bluetooth controller, but the campaign allows for multiples. An add-on controller, around 40 euros, has a dongle for stable connections and is compatible with original Vectrex hardware. The Mini comes with 12 classic games pre-installed, each with digital overlays that scan across the screen like the original’s plastic shields. Games like Rip Off and Cosmos are ready, their vector ships slashing through asteroid fields with that hum. Personalization options include sticker kits to add logos from the European, American or Japanese markets and turn your device into a tiny museum piece.
When the games stop, the Vectrex Mini switches to clock mode and displays the time, date and local weather on its screen. Set an alarm and it will wake you up gently – perfect for a nightstand companion and conversation piece. Production units will be available in black and a limited white edition, with the latter having a unique serial number and a certificate for collectors who want the rarity. Early backers on Kickstarter will reportedly get the base model for 99 euros when the campaign launches next month, a steal compared to the full 149 euros – plus shipping costs depending on your location. Worldwide backers will receive their units by mid-2026 if the campaign reaches its funding goal without any hiccups.
