New Polymega system packs faster processor, more RAM and extra storage

Polymega is giving its Base Unit a serious hardware update. The new version keeps the same basic idea, letting players run games from several older console formats on one standalone system, but the hardware inside is changing in a meaningful way. The biggest upgrade is a faster processor. There’s also more memory, extra storage and a redesigned disc drive. Polymega is also changing how the new unit will be sold, with reservations being released in limited batches. The result isn’t a completely different product. It’s still very much a Polymega. But this version should be noticeably more capable than the original Base Unit.

Faster hardware should improve performance

The headline change is the processor. Polymega hasn’t published the full final specification yet, but the company has already said the new Base Unit will use a faster CPU. It’s also expected to have more processor cores, higher clock speeds, twice the memory and more internal storage than the original model.

That matters because the current Base Unit isn’t exactly working with modern PC-level hardware. The existing version uses an Intel Coffee Lake S-series processor, 2 GB of DDR4 memory and 32 GB of internal storage. The new model should give Polymega more headroom.

One obvious area is Nintendo 64 support. Polymega has previously pointed to better N64 performance as one of the benefits of the upgraded hardware. That makes sense. Nintendo 64 emulation can be more demanding than running many of the earlier disc-based systems supported by the console. There still aren’t any final benchmarks, so it’s too early to say how large the performance jump will be. But this clearly isn’t just a new case wrapped around the same internals.

The disc drive is changing too

There’s another obvious difference on the front of the machine. The original Polymega Base Unit uses a slot-loading optical drive. You push the disc directly into the console and the mechanism pulls it inside. The new model switches to a tray-loading drive.

It’s a small change on paper, but it affects how the system looks and how you use it. Instead of feeding discs into a slot, the drive tray opens like a traditional CD or DVD drive. Optical media remains a big part of what the Base Unit does. Polymega supports original discs from systems including the original PlayStation, Sega Saturn, Sega CD and Mega CD, Neo Geo CD and the PC Engine CD and TurboGrafx-CD families.

Cartridge support works differently. Polymega uses optional Element Modules for systems such as the NES, SNES, Mega Drive, PC Engine, Nintendo 64 and Atari 2600 and 7800. So the new drive doesn’t change the basic Polymega setup. It simply changes the hardware used to read those discs.

Polymega Base Unit remains a standalone console

The updated Base Unit also sits in a different position from Polymega Remix. That distinction is pretty simple.

Polymega Remix connects to a compatible Windows 11 PC through USB and uses the Polymega App. The Base Unit doesn’t need a PC. It contains its own processing hardware and connects directly to a television.

For anyone who wants the Polymega experience as a normal living-room console, the Base Unit is still the version that makes the most sense. That also explains why the processor upgrade matters so much here. The Base Unit has to handle everything itself. There’s no separate PC doing the heavy lifting in the background.

More CPU performance, more memory and extra storage should give the system more breathing room, especially as Polymega continues adding support and improving performance across different platforms.

Reservations are being released in batches

Polymega isn’t opening unlimited orders for the new Base Unit straight away. Instead, the company is using a reservation system built around limited batches. The first batch covered 1,000 reservation positions and has already been filled. Two more batches are being offered, with another 1,000 positions in each group.

Making a reservation doesn’t mean buying the console immediately. There’s no payment required at the reservation stage, and reserving a place doesn’t lock anyone into a purchase. When a customer’s reservation position becomes eligible to order, Polymega plans to send an email with the option to complete the purchase.

It’s basically a queue. That gives Polymega a way to control the early rollout without taking full payment from everyone at once.

Full specifications are still to come

There are still a few missing pieces. Polymega hasn’t yet published the complete final hardware specification for the refreshed Base Unit. Final details on the processor, memory configuration, storage capacity and wider availability are still expected. Pricing information for the updated configuration also remains an important question.

What we do know is that this isn’t just a cosmetic refresh. Polymega is changing the processor, memory, storage and optical drive, while keeping the Base Unit focused on the same job: running supported disc and cartridge games through one standalone system.

For existing Polymega owners, the final specifications will determine how meaningful the upgrade really is. For new buyers, the revised Base Unit will effectively become the main version of the hardware to watch.

Spread the love