Can the M64 become a next-generation MiSTer? A comparison from open data

Summary

On open data the M64 is a documented FPGA family inside a product with first third-party firmware, but the main software repository is "Coming soon!" and chip-level data is unpublished, so it is not yet a MiSTer-class platform (editorial conclusion).

Overview

MiSTer is an open project that recreates classic computers, consoles and arcade machines on FPGA, and it runs on a ready-made board, the DE10-Nano. The ModRetro M64 is a commercial N64-compatible console on an AMD Artix UltraScale+ FPGA. RetroRGB says outright that third-party cores for the M64 would show how Artix UltraScale+ and ModRetro's implementation compare with the "now aging DE-10". This article asks what separates the M64 from a MiSTer-class platform. Everything below is based on public pages as of 2 October 2026; the conclusions are editorial inferences, and we ran no measurements.

What the M64 page states. ModRetro lists a "16nm AMD Artix UltraScale+ FPGA" with an "open-source and mod-friendly design", output at 720p, 1080p, 1440p or 4K, a fanless thermal design and wireless updates. The page does not give the exact FPGA part, logic capacity, memory type or size, and the RetroRGB teardown article does not name the part either. Everything numeric about the M64 chip is therefore unknown to us and is not guessed here.

What AMD says about the family. The Artix UltraScale+ product page describes cost- and power-optimized FPGAs on a 16 nm architecture with transceivers up to 16 Gb/s, aimed at machine vision, 4K video and edge applications. AMD also states that UltraScale+ devices are supported through 2045. That is a vendor claim about the family, not about the M64 specifically, but it shows the chip is not a short-lived part.

What the DE10-Nano gives MiSTer. Per the MiSTer wiki, the board carries an Intel/Altera Cyclone V SE (5CSEBA6U23I7) with 110,000 LE (41,500 ALM) and 5,570 Kbit of block RAM, a dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 at 800 MHz, 1 GB of DDR3 available to both the ARM and the FPGA, a fast ARM-to-FPGA interconnect and embedded Linux on the ARM side. Altera's Cyclone V SE page confirms the integrated Cortex-A9 processor system. The Terasic DE10-Nano page could not be fetched for this check (TLS certificate error), so board data comes from the MiSTer documentation. MiSTer cores also commonly need an SDRAM add-on board, which the wiki and the N64 core README both mention.

What can and cannot be compared. On open data we can compare design style, not performance. The DE10-Nano is a SoC FPGA: a Linux system and the FPGA sit in one chip. For the M64, the sources we checked do not describe how the control layer is organized, so a like-for-like architecture comparison is not possible yet. Logic capacity, memory bandwidth, power and latency of the M64 are not published in these sources. Any claim that the M64 is "faster" or "bigger" than a DE10-Nano is, for now, unsupported by the data we have.

What ModRetro has actually opened. The organization page github.com/ModRetro lists five repositories. The Chromatic FPGA repository (Verilog, GPL-3.0, updated 1 October 2026) and the Chromatic MCU repository (C, GPL-3.0) hold real design files. The oss-m64-console repository is described as "Coming soon!", shows a GPL-3.0 license, was last updated on 13 August 2026 and contains only LICENSE and README.md. Its README lists "Hardware: Mechanical & Electrical Designs" and "Software: Coming soon!" and points to a ModRetro support article about open-source files, which we did not open. The oss-m64-controller repository is also "Coming soon!". So on 2 October 2026 no M64 software sources are published, and the repository does not visibly contain hardware files.

What the Chromatic repository shows. It is a different device (the README output refers to a Gowin GW5A-25), but it is the only ModRetro FPGA repository with content, so it shows the form of a ModRetro release: Verilog RTL, a project built on the Game Boy MiSTer project as a submodule, a tested Gowin FPGA Designer version (1.9.12.03), a note that a local Gowin license is needed and expires after a year, and flashing through Gowin Programmer or openFPGALoader. An editorial inference: an equivalent M64 release would need the same things for AMD tools, and none of them is published yet.

Where the N64 core comes from. The N64 core for MiSTer lives at github.com/MiSTer-devel/N64_MiSTer under GPL-3.0. Its README states that SDRAM is required, lists cartridge, 64DD, controller accessory and HDMI video features, and says the six BIOS ROMs are not included. None of the ModRetro pages we checked says that the M64 uses this core, and the RetroRGB article does not either. The link between the M64 and the MiSTer N64 core is therefore unconfirmed; only official ModRetro words could confirm it. The sources we checked also name no author for the core, so we name none.

What the LiteX release adds. LiteX 2026.08 (24 September 2026) lists "More boards and targets, including ModRetro M64/Chromatic, Sipeed Tang Mega 60K, and new Cyclone V/Agilex HPS paths", and separately Intel Cyclone V/Agilex HPS integration. The release text does not say how complete the M64 target is, so the fact is limited to its existence. Editorial inference: an open build target is a useful sign for a future open framework, but it is not documentation of the platform. The LiteX core card on this site is /cores/litex.

What OM64 shows. Per Retro Dodo, OM64 is an unofficial firmware built purely from ModRetro's published schematics, with a loader running as a separate core, 720p/1080p/4K output with Buffered, Low Latency and VRR modes, Wi-Fi with OTA updates, Bluetooth gamepads and new Game Boy and SNES cores for testing core switching. It has no N64 core yet, is experimental, and the developer's FAQ warns that it could brick the M64; the same article says reverting to the original firmware is possible, without describing how. RetroRGB adds that the developer has "quite a few working in 4K". The developer's own Reddit thread returned HTTP 403, so these details are secondary. Editorial inference: schematics were enough to start a third-party firmware, but the work is hard to repeat without published software sources.

What would make the M64 a next-generation MiSTer. This is an editorial conclusion, not a sourced fact. First, an open framework: MiSTer has freely downloadable software, a documented core structure and a developer reference covering compiling, porting cores, the configuration string and the hps_io and video modules, and the wiki points core authors to a contribution guide; for the M64 the software repository is still empty. Second, documentation of pins, memory and add-on connections: the MiSTer wiki describes the SDRAM board and its GPIO0 connector, while the M64 sources give only product-level statements. Third, a community of core developers: the wiki says MiSTer relies on contributions from many developers; the M64 has the first signs (OM64 and the cores RetroRGB expects), but no published track record. Fourth, a reproducible build: the Chromatic README pins a tool version, and an equivalent for the M64 is needed.

A protocol for a fair comparison, not results. When M64 sources and documentation appear, the following could be measured on both platforms with the same N64 core build or an equivalent: resource use from the Quartus and Vivado reports (logic, block memory, DSP); memory bandwidth on one set of test cartridges; input-to-HDMI latency with one method in both the original and clean video paths; power draw at the wall; build time and reproducibility from a clean checkout, including tool versions and licenses; accuracy of frame pacing on test ROMs. We have not run any of these.

Verdict. As of 2 October 2026 the M64 is a documented FPGA family on a sold product with the first third-party firmware, but it is not yet a MiSTer-class platform: the main software repository is empty, the chip-level data is not published and the link to the MiSTer N64 core is unconfirmed. The DE10-Nano is older, yet it comes with a working framework, documentation and a community. Whether the M64 closes that gap depends on what ModRetro publishes next, and that is the thing to watch.

Verified facts

ModRetro organization repositories and their status on 2 Oct 2026, as listed on the organization page. Source: https://github.com/ModRetro. Checked: 2026-10-02. Confidence: 5/5.

oss-m64-console: README lists hardware designs and "Software: Coming soon!", file list is LICENSE and README.md. Source: https://github.com/ModRetro/oss-m64-console. Checked: 2026-10-02. Confidence: 5/5.

DE10-Nano / Cyclone V SE specification as stated by the MiSTer wiki. Source: https://github.com/MiSTer-devel/Wiki_MiSTer/wiki. Checked: 2026-10-02. Confidence: 5/5.

M64 product-level statements: 16nm Artix UltraScale+, up to 4K, wireless updates, no part number. Source: https://modretro.com/products/m64. Checked: 2026-10-02. Confidence: 5/5.

LiteX 2026.08 includes an M64/Chromatic target; completeness is not stated. Source: https://github.com/enjoy-digital/litex/releases/tag/2026.08. Checked: 2026-10-02. Confidence: 5/5.

The MiSTer N64 core is GPL-3.0 and requires SDRAM; no source links it to the M64. Source: https://github.com/MiSTer-devel/N64_MiSTer. Checked: 2026-10-02. Confidence: 5/5.

Engineering benefit

AMD describes Artix UltraScale+ as a 16 nm family with transceivers up to 16 Gb/s, a family-level capability that could matter for a platform, though M64-specific resources are not published. Family-level vendor statement, not a measured M64 property. Source: https://www.amd.com/en/products/adaptive-socs-and-fpgas/fpga/artix-ultrascale-plus.html. Checked: 2026-10-02. Confidence: 4/5.

The MiSTer documentation includes a developer reference on compiling for MiSTer and porting cores, which is the kind of material a new platform would need to attract core authors (editorial inference). Source: https://mister-devel.github.io/MkDocs_MiSTer/. Checked: 2026-10-02. Confidence: 4/5.

Commercial benefit

AMD states that UltraScale+ devices are supported through 2045; for a product built on this family that is a vendor-stated horizon for long-term support (vendor claim). Vendor claim, not independently verified; the exact M64 device is unknown. Source: https://www.amd.com/en/products/adaptive-socs-and-fpgas/fpga/artix-ultrascale-plus.html. Checked: 2026-10-02. Confidence: 3/5.

Community benefit

The MiSTer wiki says the project relies on the contributions of many developers for its cores; the M64 shows first signs of a similar circle (OM64 and expected third-party cores per RetroRGB). Source: https://github.com/MiSTer-devel/Wiki_MiSTer/wiki. Checked: 2026-10-02. Confidence: 4/5.

Critical review

The oss-m64-console repository is "Coming soon!" and holds only LICENSE and README.md, so claims of an open M64 platform cannot be verified from code. Source: https://github.com/ModRetro/oss-m64-console. Checked: 2026-10-02. Confidence: 5/5.

The M64 page and RetroRGB give no exact FPGA part number, logic capacity or memory data, so no performance comparison with the DE10-Nano is possible. Source: https://modretro.com/products/m64. Checked: 2026-10-02. Confidence: 5/5.

No checked ModRetro source says the M64 uses the MiSTer N64 core; the link is unconfirmed. Source: https://github.com/MiSTer-devel/N64_MiSTer. Checked: 2026-10-02. Confidence: 4/5.

The LiteX release names the M64 target but does not state how complete it is. Source: https://github.com/enjoy-digital/litex/releases/tag/2026.08. Checked: 2026-10-02. Confidence: 4/5.

OM64 facts are secondary: the developer thread was not accessible (HTTP 403), and the firmware is experimental with a brick warning. Source: https://retrododo.com/m64s-first-fan-made-custom-firmware-om64-is-almost-here/. Checked: 2026-10-02. Confidence: 4/5.

The Terasic DE10-Nano page could not be fetched (TLS certificate error), so DE10-Nano data comes from the MiSTer wiki and the Altera page. Source: https://github.com/MiSTer-devel/Wiki_MiSTer/wiki. Checked: 2026-10-02. Confidence: 4/5.

RetroRGB calls the M64 "completely open-source", while the repository shows software still pending; the wording conflict is stated in the text. Source: https://retrorgb.com/m64-full-teardown.html. Checked: 2026-10-02. Confidence: 4/5.

ModRetro already publishes real FPGA RTL and build instructions for the Chromatic, which shows the company can release a full FPGA repository. Source: https://github.com/ModRetro/oss-chromatic-console-fpga. Checked: 2026-10-02. Confidence: 5/5.

An external open project (LiteX) added an M64/Chromatic target within its 2026.08 release, which signals outside interest in an open build path. Source: https://github.com/enjoy-digital/litex/releases/tag/2026.08. Checked: 2026-10-02. Confidence: 4/5.

OM64 was started from published schematics alone, so hardware documentation already allows third-party work. Source: https://retrododo.com/m64s-first-fan-made-custom-firmware-om64-is-almost-here/. Checked: 2026-10-02. Confidence: 4/5.

Practical recommendations

Watch the oss-m64-console repository: the moment its Software line stops saying "Coming soon!" is the useful signal for core authors.

If an advertisement calls any platform "the next MiSTer", compare it with the repository contents; today the M64 repository holds two files, and one of them is a license.

For readers who want to measure: use the protocol above and publish the build and tool versions together with the numbers.

Official links

ModRetro: M64 product page

GitHub: ModRetro organization

GitHub: oss-m64-console

GitHub: oss-chromatic-console-fpga

GitHub: MiSTer-devel/N64_MiSTer

LiteX 2026.08 release

AMD: Artix UltraScale+ FPGAs

Altera: Cyclone V SE FPGA

MiSTer wiki (DE10-Nano platform)

MiSTer FPGA documentation

RetroRGB: M64 Full Teardown

Retro Dodo: OM64 firmware (secondary source)

Evidence

The ModRetro M64 page lists a 16nm AMD Artix UltraScale+ FPGA, an open-source and mod-friendly design, 720p to 4K output, a fanless design and wireless updates, without an exact FPGA part number. Source: https://modretro.com/products/m64. Checked: 2026-10-02.

RetroRGB (30 Sep 2026) says third-party FPGA cores seem to be coming to the M64 and calls this a possible indication of how Artix UltraScale+ and ModRetro's implementation compare to the "now aging DE-10"; it names developer Fulvio and the OM64 firmware. Source: https://retrorgb.com/m64-full-teardown.html. Checked: 2026-10-02.

The github.com/ModRetro organization page lists oss-chromatic-console-fpga (Verilog, GPL-3.0, updated Oct 1, 2026), oss-chromatic-console-mcu, oss-m64-console ("Coming soon!", GPL-3.0, updated Aug 13, 2026) and oss-m64-controller ("Coming soon!"). Source: https://github.com/ModRetro. Checked: 2026-10-02.

The oss-m64-console repository has two commits and the files LICENSE and README.md; its README lists "Hardware: Mechanical & Electrical Designs" and "Software: Coming soon!". Source: https://github.com/ModRetro/oss-m64-console. Checked: 2026-10-02.

The oss-chromatic-console-fpga README states the project builds on the Game Boy MiSTer project, was built with Gowin FPGA Designer v1.9.12.03, requires a local Gowin license that expires after one year, and can be flashed with Gowin Programmer or openFPGALoader. Source: https://github.com/ModRetro/oss-chromatic-console-fpga. Checked: 2026-10-02.

The MiSTer-devel N64_MiSTer repository is GPL-3.0; its README states that SDRAM is required and that six BIOS ROMs are not included. Source: https://github.com/MiSTer-devel/N64_MiSTer. Checked: 2026-10-02.

LiteX release 2026.08 (24 Sep 2026) lists more boards and targets including ModRetro M64/Chromatic, and Intel Cyclone V/Agilex HPS integration. Source: https://github.com/enjoy-digital/litex/releases/tag/2026.08. Checked: 2026-10-02.

The MiSTer wiki states that MiSTer is based on the Terasic DE10-Nano with an Intel/Altera Cyclone V SE (5CSEBA6U23I7), 110,000 LE (41,500 ALM), 5,570 Kbit block RAM, a dual-core Cortex-A9 at 800 MHz and 1 GB DDR3 shared by ARM and FPGA. Source: https://github.com/MiSTer-devel/Wiki_MiSTer/wiki. Checked: 2026-10-02.

The Altera Cyclone V SE page describes an FPGA with an integrated ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore processor system. Source: https://www.altera.com/products/fpga/cyclone/v/se. Checked: 2026-10-02.

The AMD Artix UltraScale+ page describes cost- and power-optimized 16 nm FPGAs with transceivers up to 16 Gb/s and states UltraScale+ device support through 2045. Source: https://www.amd.com/en/products/adaptive-socs-and-fpgas/fpga/artix-ultrascale-plus.html. Checked: 2026-10-02.

Retro Dodo (updated 22 Sep 2026) describes OM64 as an unofficial firmware built from ModRetro's published schematics, experimental, without an N64 core, with a brick warning in the developer's FAQ and a possible return to the original firmware. Source: https://retrododo.com/m64s-first-fan-made-custom-firmware-om64-is-almost-here/. Checked: 2026-10-02.

The MiSTer documentation includes a developer reference covering compiling for MiSTer and porting cores. Source: https://mister-devel.github.io/MkDocs_MiSTer/. Checked: 2026-10-02.