ZX Touch

The ZX Touch (ZXT) is a handheld gaming console from Elmar Electronic, released on 18 November 2023, specifically for playing ZX Spectrum games. It features bare-metal emulation and a 7-inch touchscreen. The console has 34 built-in licensed games, and supports user loading via microSD.

History

Development

The ZX Touch originated as a hobby project by Goran Radan, co-owner of Elmar Electronic from Croatia, driven by passion for the ZX Spectrum and embedded microcontrollers. Goran, who had previously designed and released the ZX-VGA-JOY interface, developed initial prototypes that led to a dedicated console focused on accurate emulation and usability for Spectrum games. The decision to bring the ZXT to market was influenced by discussions with fellow enthusiasts.

Launch

The device was surprisingly unveiled at the Crash Live! 2023 event held in Kenilworth, England, on 18 November 2023, where units were also available for immediate purchase by attendees. Goran considered the ZX Spectrum Vega+ debacle, an earlier crowdfunded handheld with assorted issues, “a huge burden” that made the community suspicious of similar projects. Consequently, he avoided crowdfunding and kept the ZX Touch release silent until it was ready.

Reception

In their magazine reviews, Crash found the ZX Touch "great fun" and "very competent," while PC Pro found it a "well-built, highly configurable device"; however, both felt its price was a little expensive.

Hardware

The ZX Touch emulates both the ZX Spectrum 48K and 128 models using a bare-metal system on a 480 MHz ARM Cortex-M7. The absence of an operating system enables gaming to be ready in under one second from power-on (with title screen disabled) through direct hardware communication. Developing an emulator on this type of hardware was the biggest challenge for Goran.

Visuals are displayed on a 7-inch 1024 x 600 IPS touchscreen with a 50 Hz refresh rate, synchronised with the original ZX Spectrum, unlike PC emulators whose refresh rate is tied to the computer (usually 60 Hz). This key feature replicates the smooth motion of an original ZX Spectrum connected to a CRT.

Whilst all system functions are accessible via the touchscreen, player control is provided by eight tactile buttons and an analog stick, all of which are fully configurable and saveable per game. A virtual keyboard is available on the touchscreen for keyboard-centric titles like adventure games.

For durability, the console is designed with replaceable parts, such as the analog stick, speaker, and touchscreen. The integrated rechargeable battery, also replaceable, provides up to six hours of portable gameplay.

The ZXT includes Wi-Fi hardware for potential future online features, though currently inactive.

Software

Unlike generic retro consoles that rely on Android-based emulators, the ZX Touch utilises a bespoke C/ C++ software environment, operating directly on its hardware without a traditional operating system.

It includes a SE Basic ROM ( GPL v2 licensed) and 34 built-in licensed games, such as ''Baby-man vs Man-baby ZXT'' and ''Baby-man vs Nappy Bird ZXT'', both specifically designed for the console by utilising its custom in-game backgrounds feature. This focus on visually refreshing original games via the ZX Touch is a key passion for Goran. Beyond the built-in titles, the device supports game loading via microSD in several formats including its own ZTG (ZX Touch Game) that allows for custom dashboards and bundled game data.

Other features include a poke tool, optional ULAplus, turbo modes, game rewind, save/load states, and tape emulation. The console also features firmware update capabilities.

References

External links

ZX Touch
– official site

Elmar Electronic on YouTube
– official video showcasing the console

{{Sinclair computers and clones

Computer-related introductions in 2023
Handheld game consoles
ARM-based video game consoles
ZX Spectrum