Blaze Entertainment
Blaze Entertainment is a UK-based private company that designs and distributes the Evercade family of cartridge-based retro gaming consoles and handhelds, plus licensed heritage devices like the C64 and ZX Spectrum handhelds, selling to retro gaming enthusiasts and collectors worldwide through direct-to-consumer and major retail channels.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Blaze Entertainment does
Blaze Entertainment Ltd. is a privately held UK-based company, founded in 2018 and headquartered in Letchworth, that designs, produces, and distributes the Evercade family of cartridge-based retro gaming hardware. Its product portfolio includes the Evercade EXP-R premium handheld, the VS-R dual-cartridge home console with HDMI output and TATE mode for vertical arcade titles, the Alpha range, and the original Evercade Handheld, all sharing a common cross-compatible cartridge library. In 2026 the company is launching the Evercade Nexus next-generation handheld alongside clamshell C64 and ZX Spectrum handhelds developed under a strategic partnership with Retro Games Ltd. The core technology stack relies on a curated set of established open-source emulation cores (MAME, VICE, blueMSX, Gambatte, Mupen64Plus, Stella, and others) wrapped in custom firmware that delivers pixel-perfect rendering, hot-swap cartridge support, cross-device save state compatibility, and a competition mode; games are delivered exclusively on physical cartridges that double as collectible media.
The company monetizes through one-time hardware and cartridge sales. Hardware is priced from entry-level handhelds through premium devices up to £169.99 / $199.99 / €199.99 for the Nexus, while the C64 and Spectrum handhelds are positioned at $129.99 standard and $149.99 for limited collector editions (2,000 units). Cartridges are sold individually, with curated collections drawing on officially licensed content from Atari, Bandai Namco, Codemasters, Data East, SNK, Technos, Team17, and others. Go-to-market combines direct-to-consumer sales via evercade.co.uk with broad retail distribution through Amazon storefronts in seven countries, Best Buy and GameStop in North America, and 50+ regional specialty retailers (Funstock, MediaMarkt, Fnac, Argos, etc.) across 17 countries in Europe, North America, and Oceania. Customers are individual retro gaming enthusiasts and collectors; there are no enterprise or B2B segments. The firm operates with a lean 1-10 person team and no disclosed institutional funding.
Blaze Entertainment firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Blaze Entertainment
- Legal name
- Blaze Entertainment Ltd.
- Website
- https://evercade.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Blaze Entertainment is a UK-based private company that designs and distributes the Evercade family of cartridge-based retro gaming consoles and handhelds, plus licensed heritage devices like the C64 and ZX Spectrum handhelds, selling to retro gaming enthusiasts and collectors worldwide through direct-to-consumer and major retail channels.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Blaze Entertainment industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Retro Gaming Hardware
- NAICS
- Doll, Toy, and Game Manufacturing (339930), Computer Terminal and Other Computer Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing (334118), Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (45912)
- SIC
- Games, Toys & Children's Vehicles (No Dolls & Bicycles) (3944), Household Audio & Video Equipment (3651)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Retro Gaming Hardware (Mini Consoles, Emulation Handhelds) (CRACAOAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Arcade & Retro Gaming Hardware (Mini Consoles, Arcade Sticks, Cabinets) (HDACANAK), Handheld Gaming Consoles (HDACANAB), Gaming Consoles (Home & Hybrid) (HDACANAA), Handheld Gaming Devices (CRACAOAB), Handheld & Mobile Gaming Hardware (Dedicated Handhelds, Accessories) (MPAFAGAB)
Keywords
Where Blaze Entertainment is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Blaze Entertainment business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Others
Revenue model
- Hardware Sales: Sale of Evercade gaming consoles and handheld devices including the Alpha, Nexus, EXP-R, VS-R, and Super Pocket product lines. Hardware is sold as one-time purchases at various price points ranging from entry-level to premium devices.
- Cartridge/Game Sales: Sale of physical game cartridges containing curated collections of licensed retro games. Each cartridge typically contains multiple complete games from specific publishers, franchises, or genres. Saves are stored on the cartridges, making them the primary content delivery mechanism.
- Retro Handheld Device Sales: Sale of specialized clamshell handheld devices (C64 Handheld, ZX Spectrum Handheld) featuring licensed retro game collections, sold at $129.99 standard and $149.99 collector's editions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Evercade Nexus handheld console |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | C64 Handheld and ZX Spectrum Handheld standard edition |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | C64 Handheld and ZX Spectrum Handheld collector's edition |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Evercade Retro Handhelds and Cartridges |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
Blaze Entertainment product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Blaze Entertainment designs, manufactures, and sells the Evercade family of cartridge-based retro gaming consoles and handhelds — including the EXP-R handheld, VS-R home console, Alpha, and original Handheld — alongside a continually expanding catalog of physical game cartridges containing officially licensed retro game collections from publishers such as Atari, Bandai Namco, Codemasters, Data East, SNK, Technos, and Team17. New products announced for October 2026 include the Evercade Nexus handheld, plus C64 Handheld and ZX Spectrum Handheld clamshell devices developed in partnership with Retro Games Ltd.
Product overview
Blaze Entertainment is a retro gaming company offering the Evercade product family, which consists of cartridge-based retro gaming consoles. The portfolio includes the EXP-R and VS-R as primary home/handheld consoles, the Alpha as a premium console option, and the original Evercade Handheld. New products include the C64 Handheld and Spectrum Handheld (clamshell devices launching October 2026) and the Evercade Nexus (next-gen handheld). All devices use proprietary cartridges containing officially licensed retro games, with the EXP-R featuring TATE mode and built-in Capcom Collection, while the VS-R offers dual cartridge slots supporting up to 40 games simultaneously. The company also offers official controllers and accessories.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Evercade: Main brand for retro gaming consoles and cartridges including EXP-R, VS-R, Alpha, and handheld devices.
- Super Pocket
- HyperMegaTech!
Products and services
- Evercade EXP-R Premium handheld retro gaming console with built-in Capcom Collection, TATE mode for vertical arcade gaming, USB-C charging, and Wi-Fi connectivity for updates. Plays Evercade cartridges.
- Evercade VS-R Home retro gaming console with dual cartridge slots supporting up to 40 games simultaneously, 1080p HDMI output, built-in Wi-Fi for updates, and TATE mode support. Designed for living-room multiplayer with multiple wired controller support.
- Evercade Alpha Premium retro gaming console in the Alpha range featuring pixel-perfect emulation and officially licensed classic games. Plays Evercade cartridges.
- Evercade Handheld Original handheld retro gaming console compatible with all Evercade cartridges, featuring cartridge-based game delivery with on-cartridge saves.
- C64 Handheld Clamshell handheld gaming device inspired by the 1980s Commodore 64 home computer, featuring a 4.3-inch IPS screen, quad-core 1.2GHz processor, 256MB DDR memory, 2,000 mAh battery, USB-C charging, microSD expandability, and 25 pre-loaded retro titles. Developed with Retro Games Ltd.
- Spectrum Handheld Clamshell handheld gaming device inspired by the 1980s ZX Spectrum home computer, featuring a 4.3-inch IPS screen, quad-core 1.2GHz processor, 256MB DDR memory, 2,000 mAh battery, USB-C charging, microSD expandability, and 25 pre-loaded retro titles. Developed with Retro Games Ltd.
- Evercade Nexus Next-generation handheld retro gaming console positioned as a premium offering in the Evercade family. Compatible with Evercade cartridges. Pre-order pricing at £169.99 / $199.99 / €199.99.
- Evercade Game Cartridges Physical game cartridges containing curated collections of officially licensed retro games. Each cartridge typically includes multiple complete titles from specific publishers, franchises, or genres (e.g., NEOGEO Arcade 4 with eight games; Activision Collection 3 with 13 titles). Saves stored on the cartridge for cross-device compatibility.
- Evercade VS-R Controller Official wired controller designed for use with the Evercade VS-R home console, sold as a separate accessory.
- Evercade VS Link Cable Link cable allowing the original Evercade Handheld to be used as a controller for the Evercade VS home console.
Companies that use Blaze Entertainment
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Blaze Entertainment technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration8 records
Feature8 records
Blaze Entertainment partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- Retro Games Ltd.corePartnership to release clamshell handheld versions of the Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum retro gaming consoles. Blaze Entertainment is leveraging their Evercade cartridge expertise to bring these iconic 8-bit machines to a new portable format. The devices feature 4.3-inch IPS screens, 25 built-in licensed games each, USB-C charging, and microSD expandability.
- Various Game PublisherscoreEvercade has established licensing partnerships with major game publishers to include officially licensed retro games on their cartridges. Partners include Atari, Bandai Namco, Codemasters, Data East, SNK, Technos, Team17, Intellivision, Bridgestone Multimedia, and numerous independent publishers. Each cartridge contains curated collections of classic games.
- FunstockmajorFunstock serves as a major European retail partner and VIP membership program partner for Evercade products. Funstock offers Evercade products through their UK, European, and US online stores.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Blaze Entertainment competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Anbernic: Anbernic is one of the largest Chinese manufacturers of retro emulation handhelds, competing head-to-head with Evercade in portable retro gaming devices at typically lower price points.
- Miyoo: Miyoo produces affordable retro gaming handhelds (e.g., Miyoo Mini) popular with the same enthusiast audience as Evercade, prioritizing low-cost emulation over officially licensed content.
- Analogue: Analogue designs premium retro gaming consoles (Nt, Pocket, Mega Sg) using FPGA hardware for cycle-accurate play; targets the same high-end retro collector niche as Evercade.
- Hyperkin: Hyperkin manufactures retro gaming consoles and accessories (RetroN, SupaBoy, Duke controller) for nostalgia-driven gamers — directly comparable product category to Evercade hardware.
- Polymega: Polymega is a modular retro gaming console that plays original game discs and cartridges across multiple classic platforms — overlaps Evercade in serving multi-system retro home-console gamers.
- Retro-Bit: Retro-Bit produces officially licensed retro gaming consoles and accessories for legacy platforms, sharing Evercade's reliance on publisher licensing and classic-gaming nostalgia.
Broad incumbents
- Atari: Atari is an established retro gaming brand that re-enters the hardware market with products like the Atari VCS and re-released mini-consoles; competes indirectly as a heritage brand in the same space Evercade occupies.
Emerging players
- AYANEO: AYANEO makes premium Windows-based handheld gaming PCs that increasingly overlap with Evercade's higher-end handhelds in portable gaming form factor and enthusiast positioning.
- AYN: AYN produces Odin and Loki retro/Lite handhelds that emulate classic platforms, competing for the same portable retro gaming customer as Evercade.
- Panic: Panic's Playdate is a quirky handheld with retro appeal and a curated game catalog, competing for attention from indie and retro gaming enthusiasts overlapping with Evercade's audience.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Blaze Entertainment social profiles
Digital presenceBlaze Entertainment financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Blaze Entertainment leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Blaze Entertainment funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Blaze Entertainment M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Blaze Entertainment
What does Blaze Entertainment do?
Blaze Entertainment designs, manufactures, and sells the Evercade family of cartridge-based retro gaming consoles and handhelds — including the EXP-R handheld, VS-R home console, Alpha, and original Handheld — alongside a continually expanding catalog of physical game cartridges containing officially licensed retro game collections from publishers such as Atari, Bandai Namco, Codemasters, Data East, SNK, Technos, and Team17. New products announced for October 2026 include the Evercade Nexus handheld, plus C64 Handheld and ZX Spectrum Handheld clamshell devices developed in partnership with Retro Games Ltd.
Is Blaze Entertainment a public or private company?
Blaze Entertainment is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Blaze Entertainment founded?
Blaze Entertainment was founded in 2018. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Blaze Entertainment based?
Blaze Entertainment is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Blaze Entertainment make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Hardware Sales are the primary driver. The others are cartridge/Game Sales and retro Handheld Device Sales.
Who are Blaze Entertainment's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Anbernic, Miyoo, Analogue, Hyperkin, Polymega and Retro-Bit. Atari is listed as a broad incumbent. Emerging players are AYANEO, AYN and Panic.
Does Blaze Entertainment have an API?
No public API is recorded for Blaze Entertainment.
What industry is Blaze Entertainment in?
Blaze Entertainment's product category is Retro Gaming Hardware. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRACAOAL, Retro Gaming Hardware (Mini Consoles, Emulation Handhelds), with a secondary code of HDACANAK, Arcade & Retro Gaming Hardware (Mini Consoles, Arcade Sticks, Cabinets). Its NAICS code is 339930 and its SIC code is 3944.