Yes, you read that right. In a world of cloud streaming and teraflops, a gamer from New York is striving to release their own 8-bit home console with its own gaming infrastructure. Meet the GameTank, its simple controller, and its chunky cartridges that are looking to bring 8-bit gaming back to the forefront of the scene.
This is a brand new video game console from the mind of Port-Washington-based Clyde Shaffer. It's based on the modern version of the 6502 microprocessor and is very much first and foremost a physical hardware device with no FPGA or microcontroller inside, just simple logic and RAM chips.
It channels all of those feelings we had when plugging in home consoles from the '90s like the RCA jack, a chunky cartridge going 'clunk' as you slot it in, and wired controllers that the dog can trip over. There's none of this HDMI rubbish either - this is hooking up to a CRT like the good old days!
According to the official description, 'its custom framebuffer-based graphics architecture allows it to produce smoother and more fluid animations than are typical of 8-bit hardware.' Instead of fixed-function sprites, the framebuffer allows memory space for the individual pixels that appear on your TV. Paired with the GameTank's Sprite RAM, you end up getting gameplay that flows smoothly in a way that the other 8-bit consoles of the Golden Age of Gaming and beyond couldn't manage.
A trailer for Ganymede on the GameTank
The design does look like it could be as strong as a tank, and the controller is very sparse, though I do wonder what the C button might be used for in these games. It's all pretty intriguing, I'll give Clyde that!
This isn't a clone console like the Hyperkin machines we see that play NES and Genesis titles either; it has its own gaming catalogue of original titles, giving budding developers a platform to showcase their work on! New 8-bit games for a new machine in 2025 - somebody pinch me!
The GameTank also uses a second 6502 microprocessor for its audio system too, and the hardware, including an emulator project for the 8-bit game console, is all open-sourced. It's designed for people to simply make games and accessories with the utmost ease and not having any hoops to jump through which I love.
There are no details on pricing or when the GameTank might launch yet, though I think it will be Autumn 2026 at the earliest when it ships to customers now. Head to the official Crowd Supply page to get notified when the project launches and to receive regular updates!
