Vectrex Mini Kickstarter Is Live — The 1980s Console Comeback You Didn’t Think Would Ever Happen
Retro fever hits hard: the Vectrex Mini Kickstarter is live, and the tiny console reboot has already blasted past its target with more than 300 percent funding.
I have been side-eyeing the Vectrex Mini ever since its Gamescom tease, hoping it would graduate from cool prototype to real thing. Good news: it is very much real. The Kickstarter is live, and it blew past its target by more than 300%. So yeah, we are getting a tiny Vectrex.
So what is it, exactly?
Think of it as a half-size love letter to the original 1982 vector console. The Vectrex Mini shrinks the cabinet to 50% scale and swaps the original built-in CRT for a 5-inch AMOLED that is meant to reproduce those razor-bright vector lines. It is not just a shell with an HDMI stick inside; the whole vibe is intentionally authentic, down to the overlays and the controller layout.
- Half the size of the original console
- 5-inch AMOLED display aimed at mimicking vector graphics
- 12 built-in classic games
- Analog controller styled after the OG pad
- Color overlays to lay over the monochrome screen
- Modern perks: Bluetooth controller support, Wi-Fi, microSD for loading your own library
- New controller includes a DB9 dongle, so it also works with a real Vectrex
- Cosmetic extras like swappable stickers if you want a Bandai Kousokusen-style look
"Doubles as the ultimate geek clock."
That line is straight from the campaign page, and I have to admit, it is a clever way to justify leaving this on your desk 24/7. The whole package comes from Neo Retro, with David 'Flynn' Oghia leading the charge, and you can feel the obsession in the details. The overlays are plastic, the controller feels right, and the design choices skew toward faithful over cheap-and-easy.
The surprisingly thoughtful bit
The new controller working on original hardware via a DB9 dongle is the kind of deep-cut decision that tells you these folks actually own and use the old machines. Real Vectrex pads are notoriously hard to find in working shape, so a modern replacement that plugs into the classic console is a very welcome bonus even if you skip the Mini itself.
Price talk (because of course)
The early deals are gone, but the standard pledge sits at $173 / £131. For a tiny console with an AMOLED panel (not exactly a bargain component), that number could have been worse. It undercuts the upcoming Amiga A1200 Mini and is only a hair pricier than the Pac-Man Edition Atari 2600+. If you missed the Founder’s Edition at $115 / £87, that stings, but the regular price still feels reasonable given the screen, the controller, and all the extras baked in.
Extra nerdy add-ons
Neo Retro is also putting together a coffee table book called 'Electric Lines.' That is an on-brand side project for a vector-console revival, and it pairs nicely with the swappable sticker sets if you want to cosplay your Mini as a specific regional variant. Niche? Absolutely. But that is the point.
Could you DIY this?
Maybe. If you are the type to tinker, the Analogue Pocket has a Vectrex core and, with its dock, HDMI out. You could build a fairly accurate setup that way. But the dedicated screen, overlays, and the all-in-one presentation are the Mini’s whole argument: it is a purpose-built object, not a science project.
When can you actually get one?
The current estimate is September 2026. That is a long runway, so expect updates and tweaks along the way. I am curious to put it next to a real Vectrex when it lands and see how close that AMOLED gets to the classic vector glow.