The Sega Dreamcast, though commercially unsuccessful and the last console Sega released before transitioning to third-party development, remains a cherished relic for many gamers. For those who remember the adrenaline rush of Crazy Taxi or the vibrant brawls in Power Stone 2, the Dreamcast holds a special place in gaming history. Today, this nostalgia is being channeled through the EmuDeck Machines project, a crowdfunded endeavor on Indiegogo that seeks to merge retro appeal with modern gaming tech.
The EmuDeck Machines, created by the team behind the popular EmuDeck emulation software, are designed to bring classic games to life on a mini PC. This project pairs EmuDeck’s robust emulation capabilities with a dedicated Linux distribution called Bazzite, tailored for gaming. The machine employs SteamOS and Steam’s Big Picture mode, creating a familiar interface for fans of the Steam Deck.
Despite its retro-inspired design—featuring a square body with a circular top and multiple USB ports that echo the Dreamcast’s distinctive look—the EmuDeck Machine isn’t built for cutting-edge gaming. It sports an AMD Ryzen 5 8600G APU and Radeon 760M graphics, making it ideal for emulating older titles rather than running modern games. The base model, priced at $331, features an Intel CPU and UHD graphics and isn’t recommended for 3D games, while the more powerful EM2 variant, priced at $675, promises smooth performance for emulating GameCube, Wii, and PS3 games at up to 60 frames per second.
For those looking to transform this mini PC into a full-fledged gaming rig, there’s an optional dock with an external Radeon 7600 GPU, enhancing performance to levels comparable with a PS5. However, this dock is still in development and will not be available until after the Indiegogo campaign concludes.
The project’s campaign is progressing well towards its $70,000 goal, but there are concerns about meeting the proposed development timeline given the team’s inexperience with large-scale hardware production. With only 3D renders currently available and no money-back guarantee from Indiegogo, there are uncertainties about the project’s viability. Enthusiasts hoping for a Dreamcast-inspired gaming experience might find it more practical to repurpose an actual Dreamcast shell for their own mini PC build.
