Revolutionising Retro
Heber’s Multisystem² Brings Cutting-Edge FPGA Technology to Retro Gaming
Heber’s newest console, the Multisystem² has been revealed to the gaming community. Designed and manufactured in the UK, this is the next generation of all-in-one consolised retro gaming.
Using cutting-edge FPGA hardware emulation for the most accurate gaming experience, compared with playing on original hardware, the system offers retro gaming fans a way to relive the golden era of gaming with modern precision.
We are delighted to launch the Multisystem2 for everyone to enjoy the very best FPGA based Retro Gaming experience available today. I’m incredibly proud of the entire Heber and Retro Collective team for supporting such a wonderful community.
Richard Horne
Old Players in New Games
Situated in an 18th century mill, based in Stroud, UK, Heber have been designing and manufacturing electronic controls for over 30 years. Historically they have been innovators in the gaming sector, creating the first micro controller for amusement machines in 1974, and they have been working with FPGA technology for over 30 years.
In recent years the team have been working on designing and creating retro gaming consoles and accessories. As part of the Retro Collective, a vintage technology community hosting interactive museums and exhibition spaces, Heber have produced replacement systems for the arcades and computer systems in the museum spaces. Over the past few years Heber have also developed consoles for personal use which emulate the games of the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s.
The community behind the resurgence in popularity of retro gaming are a huge driver in what Heber have created, collaborating with developers within the retro gaming community to ensure the systems offer what people want and need from their systems.
The Multisystem² is like a museum in a box, I can dive into generations of retro games using an original controller and the same 14” TV I owned as a teenager, and enjoy the most authentic experience possible short of owning and maintaining old hardware. It’s absolutely brilliant!
Neil Thomas – Curator, The Cave
Retro Gaming on Multisystem²
Their newest release is the Multisystem². The console features a brand-new system board design to make FPGA retro gaming more accessible than ever, A plethora of expansion options can take advantage of current Multisystem add-ons and future expansions which haven’t been possible until now, thanks to the Multisystem²’s direct access to the FPGA hardware.
The Multisystem² arrives fully assembled in a 3D printed charcoal black enclosure. designed and manufactured at Heber. The unit is ready to use out of the box and only requires a power supply for your region, an SD card, an HDMI cable, and your favourite joypad or joystick (Heber’s CTRL Dock, Super CTRL Dock and Module ARC are compatible).
Two versions of the console will be available, the Multisystem² Analogue, which supports vintage CRT displays and includes all I/O ports and expansion capabilities, perfect for more experienced FPGA gamers, or the Multisystem² Digital, which is a plug and play solution for newcomers who only need an HDMI output.
The system also supports NFC readers, powered by Zaparoo (Taptoo), allowing users to load games with a simple tap of a card, adding a modern twist to retro gaming. Shipping target is starting August 2025 in pre-order number priority sequence. We will have multiple batches being built depending on demand.
As a channel that is 90% dedicated to the MiSTer this is going to change the landscape forever and I can’t wait to see the impact of this to the wider community.
Harvey Lodder – Gentlemen’s Pixel Club
Highlights
- Already assembled – ready to use
- High quality connectors, components and assembly.
- Designed, manufactured and assembled in the UK.
- 10 Layer PCB, Cartridge expansion, further 50 way I/O expansion, 7 port USB, I2C expansion
- Altera Cyclone 5 FPGA / 128MB SDRAM (ISSI)
- Backwards compatible with MiSTer Stack & Multisystem 1 – plays all available cores (Single SDRAM configuration).
- 24 bit analogue video output as standard (can be set to 16 or 18 bit with onboard dip switches).
Extras / Add Ons
- Zaparoo.org – Wizzo & the team (Taptoo)
- TTY2OLED – GitHub – venice1200
Other optional devices that are available in the Heber shop
- A growing range of 8 x SNAC Cartridges (can be fitted to the Multisystem or Multisystem2 Analogue) – NES, SNES, N64, Saturn, PlayStation, PCEngine, S-Video Output, Pi-MMS (MT32Pi).
- A slice tray that can accept various CTRLDock USB interfaces or mass storage devices for further expansion.
- An enclosure kit for fitting an LCD screed to the Multisystem (user supplies the 8.9” LCD screen module themselves, Mini HDMI cable and USBC Power cable also required).
- 3D Printed SNAC cartridge holder in charcoal black.
