Polymega maker Playmaji has just revealed some astounding news and the biggest shift in its history, a downloadable application which will allow players to get the same experience using other devices – including computers, phones and tablets. The app will Playmaji to leverage its slick UI, powerful emulators and robust game database and not require users to shell out for expressive hardware that the company has struggled to sell before.
The Polymega App will function like the base Polymega console and allow you to play a wide range of retro classics on vintage platforms like the NES, SNES, Mega Drive, PlayStation, Saturn, PC Engine and Neo Geo CD – and do this from a wide range of devices, many of which you’ll already have in your home, and you will be able to use any standard disc drive to play, install, and manage legacy games from your original physical media, using your PC. The app will be free to use, and for controllers, you can use your existing PS4, PS5, or Xbox controller to play without the need for controller mapping will be necessary. That said, the app will also support all of the pads the Polymega currently allows you to use, including Retro-Bit’s line of reproduction USB controllers.
Or you can use the 2nd Generation Polymega Universal Wireless Controller. This features l the functionality of the original Universal Wireless Controller, but now features a lower latency 2.4Ghz connection, improved battery life, and compatibility with Android for cross-platform use with Polymega App on other devices. All new Polymega deliveries in 2023 will include this improved controller.
Playmaji is planning to make their money via a subscription service here and with the Polymega XL sub, you’ll be able to unlock cheat codes, display options, patches, audio player functionality and “many other premium features” – as well as cloud access to your entire library across multiple devices.
“The system is no longer the only way to get the Polymega experience. However, the free app experience is a significantly reduced version of what Polymega console owners receive out of the box. In order to get the full experience, a subscription to Polymega XL is required.”
Polymega XL will be using cloud technology in order to function, instead of emulators, BIOS files or other assets that need to be downloaded to the user’s device. Playmaji’s Bryan Bernal stated:
“Cloud Gaming has been on our minds alot for the last few years though – you may remember we previously announced our intent to support streaming services – and we believe there’s a great opportunity to enhance the classic gaming experience in ways that aren’t possible otherwise using this tech. Features like online multiplayer for every game, cloud game streaming, cross-device play, and more are all on the table now with Polymega XL whereas that would be a much more difficult task without the involvement of Cloud Services. We have various other things we are discussing with partners as well.”
“There are some new proprietary techniques we’ve come up with to decrease input latency when playing from the Cloud, also with regard to minimizing data usage, both of which are common objections to Cloud Gaming in general. We’ll have a full rundown of these techniques later on, but the experience is roughly equal to playing over a standard USB input connection on any device you’re streaming to. Polymega App plays games natively of course as well, so it’s really up to you how you want to play, and it’s just down to the type of devices you’re intending to play on that will determine when streaming is the correct course of action for your play experience. It’s pretty cool to play Guardian Heroes for Sega Saturn on my phone via Polymega!”
For those wondering why they should go for this instead of retro game emulation, Bryan Bernal states:
“We’ve never really thought about marketing our products to hardcore emulation enthusiasts. But, Polymega app is free, so we expect a good amount of players who might be curious to try out Polymega’s free tier even if they’re not used to paying for anything, and that’s totally cool with us.”
“The way to think about Polymega XL is more akin to Discord Nitro or Xbox Live than an online subscription for content.Polymega XL will have a low-cost monthly tier that unlocks most of the premium features that Polymega hardware owners get out of the box, and theres a higher tier that offers more cloud storage and Cloud Gaming features like Online Multiplayer, and Cloud Streaming to any device, and some other new things we’re working on.”
This is not all though, as for those people who don’t have a disc drive on their PC or want to play and install cartridge games, Playmaji has you covered. The company is producing a cut-down version of the base system called the Polymega Remix that has a disc drive and looks and works just like the standard Polymega to use the Polymega Element Modules to access the libraries of cartridge-based systems, and original controllers, but it connects to your computer via USB with there’s no internal processing power, and all of the heavy-lifting being handled by your computer. The Polymega Remix will cost $149 USD but not release date is ready yet.
There is more hardware to come as well, as Bernal stated”
“We’ll continue to release new modules, controllers, and accessories that enhance the experience for both devices in the future and I’d say that the intent is for Polymega App and Polymega Remix to be just another way for people to play Polymega without the need for redundant hardware if you already have a PC, Macbook, HTPC, Steam Deck and so. You’ll be able to play Polymega on all those devices, and maybe even on other consoles in the future.”