After being sold out nearly all year at US retailers, Evercade gaming hardware is back in stock in stock at Amazon. The Evercade EXP-R handheld and VS-R home console are bundled with the Tomb Raider I-III Collection and up for grabs directly from Amazon for $130 each. Both systems are charcoal gray with turquoise accents. The Tomb Raider bundles were difficult to find at launch last holiday, and the US tariff situation made the stock situation even worse–and led to a $30 price increase. The stellar Street Fighter and Mega Man Evercade Bartop Arcades remain sold out, but you can preorder the Evercade Alpha Taito Bartop Arcade for $260 ahead of its November 12 launch.
Evercade is cartridge-based retro hardware made by Blaze Entertainment. More than 75 Evercade cartridges have been released since 2020, including nearly 50 console game collections, 20 arcade game collections, and 10 home computer carts. Some of the collections are out of print, but we created an Amazon hub with all of the cartridge collections you can buy for around MSRP. Many of the cartridge collections are loaded with classic 8-bit and 16-bit games, but there have been a few N64 and PS1 games, including the first three Tomb Raider games and Legacy of Kain titles. There are even some exclusive enhanced editions of retro games like Duke Nukem 1 + 2 Remastered. Other collections focus on retro-inspired indies such as the awesome GBA platformer Goodboy Galaxy and Roguecraft, the newly released tower defense game developed for Amiga.
Evercade EXP-R Handheld – Tomb Raider Bundle
$129 | In stock September 8
The Evercade EXP-R has a 4.3-inch high-resolution IPS display with an 800 x 480 aspect ratio. The 8-way D-pad on the EXP is superb, as are the face face buttons, triggers, and shoulder buttons. The ergonomics and build quality are great, but keep in mind it may not necessarily be pocketable–unless you have large pockets. The EXP-R measures 7.76 x 3.1 x 0.8 inches. For audio, it has a fairly loud stereo speaker and a 3.5mm auxiliary port for wired headphones. It comes with a USB-C cable and runs for 4-5 hours between charges. Firmware updates can be downloaded over Wi-Fi.
Two of the six face buttons are located below the D-pad for TATE mode, an alternate play style for arcade games with vertically oriented aspect ratios. There is a dedicated grip for TATE mode that can be purchased separately, but it’s rarely in stock at Amazon.
Though primarily a cartridge-based handheld, the Evercade EXP-R has a library of more than 10 digital games that can be unlocked via the Secret menu in settings or by pressing specific button combinations on the home screen. Evercade Info Central has a list of hidden games and how to unlock them.
Evercade VS-R Home Console – Tomb Raider Bundle
$130 | In stock September 8
For the most part, the Evercade VS-R is the same system, just as a home console with multiplayer support. It connects to your TV or monitor via HDMI and displays in 1080p resolution. The VS-R has two cartridge slots and four USB controller ports.
The bundle includes one wired controller, and additional VS-R controllers for multiplayer are sold separately. That said, you probably already have a compatible wired controller. For wireless controller support, we’d highly recommend the 8BitDo Wireless USB Adapter 2, which is on sale for $17 (was $20), as it unlocks wireless support for 8BitDo’s Bluetooth controllers as well as controllers made by Nintendo, Microsoft, Sony, and other manufacturers.
Similar to the NES, the VS-R has a front hatch that flips open to reveal the cartridge slots. The VS-R has even more hidden games than the EXP-R, but these extra titles–13 and counting–are tied to loading two specific Evercade carts at the same time.
Along with the console, controller, and Tomb Raider Collection, the bundle includes a USB power cord and an HDMI cable.
Each game in Evercade’s sprawling library of classics and retro-inspired games supports save states and full button mapping. You can remap inputs on a hardware level in home menu settings or on a per-game basis. You can switch between three aspect ratios: Original, Full Screen, and Pixel Perfect. You can add scanlines to imitate the look of a CRT TV, and there are a handful of bezel options for games that don’t fill the screen.