New EverDrive-64 Pro adds 128 MB RAM, 64DD support and USB

Krikzz has revealed the EverDrive-64 Pro, a new premium flash cartridge for the Nintendo 64. It costs $169 and sits above the existing EverDrive-64 X7. At first glance, it looks like another cartridge with a microSD card slot. It isn’t. The Pro model uses faster, more capable hardware and adds native support for Nintendo 64DD software. It also includes improved save tools, accessory management, patching features and a high-speed USB connection for developers. For most buyers, the big question is simple: does it justify the extra cost?

More than a faster EverDrive

The EverDrive-64 Pro runs on a Cyclone 10 FPGA and includes 128 MB of SDRAM. That’s a serious increase in hardware capability for a Nintendo 64 cartridge. An FPGA can be reconfigured through firmware, which gives Krikzz more freedom to add features and improve how the cartridge handles different tasks. It’s not locked into one fixed design.

That extra memory also gives the system more space to work with. It can support larger hardware functions, additional cores and future firmware updates without immediately running into the cartridge’s limits.

The board itself uses a six-layer design with hard-gold contacts. Those details won’t change how a game looks or sounds, but they matter for signal stability and long-term reliability. You plug the cartridge in, turn on the console and expect it to work. That’s the point.

Native Nintendo 64DD support

The biggest addition is native support for Nintendo 64DD software. Nintendo released the 64DD only in Japan. Instead of cartridges, it used writable magnetic disks and connected underneath the Nintendo 64. Only a small number of titles reached the system before Nintendo discontinued it. Running 64DD software without the original hardware has usually involved converted files or other workarounds. The EverDrive-64 Pro is designed to run compatible disk images directly.

There’s also a physical button on top of the cartridge for disk swapping. That matters because some 64DD software expects the user to change disks during use. Instead of digging through a menu, you press the button. It’s a small detail, but a sensible one. The same button can control cheat functions. Cheats require an Expansion Pak, so owners of a standard Jumper Pak setup will need to upgrade before using that feature.

Better control over saves and accessories

The cartridge supports the main Nintendo 64 save formats, including SRAM, EEPROM and FlashRAM. You don’t need to choose the correct save type manually for every game. A built-in real-time clock handles software that uses dates or time-based events. The cartridge also monitors its internal battery voltage, which makes it easier to spot a weakening battery before it causes trouble.

Krikzz has included tools for both the Controller Pak and Transfer Pak. The Controller Pak manager lets users handle memory card data directly. That should make copying, backing up and organising saves much less awkward.

The Transfer Pak manager handles data from compatible Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges. It gives the EverDrive-64 Pro another practical job beyond loading Nintendo 64 software. These aren’t headline-grabbing features, but they’re useful. Anyone with several original accessories knows how quickly save management can become messy.

Automatic patching and cleaner menus

The EverDrive-64 Pro supports automatic IPS and APS patching. That means you can keep the original game file and store the patch separately. The cartridge applies the patch while the game loads, so you don’t have to create and manage several permanently modified copies.

The menu also supports custom themes and ROM metadata. Large game collections can become difficult to organise when everything appears as a plain filename. Metadata support should make browsing quicker and easier to read. It’s still a file menu, of course. But it doesn’t have to feel like one from 1998.

NES support through the FPGA

The cartridge includes an FPGA-based NES core. Instead of running NES software entirely through a conventional emulator, the FPGA recreates parts of the original console’s hardware behaviour. That can offer more consistent timing and lower overhead than a software-only approach.

External emulator support remains available too, so users aren’t limited to the built-in NES option. This doesn’t turn the Nintendo 64 into a complete multi-system machine, but it gives the cartridge more flexibility without relying entirely on the console’s main processor.

A useful upgrade for developers

The EverDrive-64 Pro also includes a high-speed USB port. For developers, that’s a major convenience. They can send test builds directly to the cartridge without repeatedly removing the microSD card, copying files and putting everything back together.

That faster workflow matters when you’re testing the same project dozens of times. Change the code, send the build and run it on real hardware. The USB connection also helps with debugging and hardware experiments. Combined with the larger FPGA and extra memory, it gives developers much more room to work than a basic flash cartridge.

Is the Pro worth the extra money?

The EverDrive-64 X7 still costs $149 and already covers most everyday needs. It loads Nintendo 64 games, supports the common save formats, handles patches and cheats, includes a real-time clock and offers USB support. The Pro costs $20 more.

That isn’t a huge jump, especially for buyers who want native 64DD support, improved accessory tools and the stronger FPGA platform. Someone who already owns an X7 may not need to replace it, particularly if they only use standard Nintendo 64 cartridge software. New buyers have a harder choice.

For an extra $20, the EverDrive-64 Pro offers more memory, more hardware flexibility and several features the X7 doesn’t have. If you’re already spending close to $150, the Pro looks like the more complete option. It’s not essential for every Nintendo 64 owner. But it’s clearly the new top model, and the price difference is small enough to make the older X7 feel less attractive.