This was a crowdfunded project through Indigogo, by Retro Computers Ltd, to produce a hand held console, which was a follow up to the ZX Spectrum Vega, which had been shipped previously to backers and retail.

Trouble was soon to hit the project when two of the directors quit the project, but not the company, when a disagreement about another project surfaced.

After years of delays and legal arguments and cases, that are too numerous to go into here, the company finally delivered just around 40 of the 4772 promised machines and then no more. This was after a threat from Indigogo to send it a debt collection agency to recover the money.

Repeated requests for refunds were ignored, very few of the thousands of backers were to see their money returned.

The machines released are functional at best, and clearly unfinished, with terribly stiff controls, and surprisingly sharp edges, and only a few games installed, extra games are supposed to load from the SD slot, but fail to do so, and may not have the firmware installed to do so.

This is one of the most infamous crowdfunded projects certainly in the computer world for the sheer amount of money raised and so little delivered, and for the amount of hateful posts the subject gained online.

On 5th February 2019 Retro Computers were wound up by the high court, no more units or money have been returned to backers, the page on Indigogo simply says closed.

Manufacturer: Retro Computers
Date: 30th July 2018

This exhibit has a reference ID of CH54507. Please quote this reference ID in any communication with the Centre for Computing History.

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