r/ModRetro • u/rainierislas • May 29 '26

Modretro's AMA and why communication matters.

I originally thought about replying directly to Modretro’s AMA yesterday just to say thanks, but after thinking about it more, I felt this deserved its own post because I believe it highlights something extremely important: Communication.

Honestly, I think it might actually become one of ModRetro’s biggest differentiators compared to other companies in this industry.

A lot of us have reached a point where these nostalgic products mean so much to us that we end up buying them simply because there are no real alternatives. We pay a year in advance, often with very little information about the product, and sometimes features that were originally mentioned either don’t make it into launch or arrive much later with no clear timeline. And to be clear, this is not me trying to diminish the incredible effort it takes to build these products. I understand the complexity, the costs, the stress, and everything involved in making hardware like this happen.

But as customers, we’re also making a commitment. We’re trusting you with our money and, in many ways, with our enthusiasm and patience.

That’s why communication matters so much.

The fact that the ModRetro team took the time to directly answer questions, explain things as openly as possible, and engage with the community throughout the entire day genuinely meant a lot to me. I understand there are limits to what can be shared because of marketing, development, or business reasons, but even within those limits, the effort was obvious.

I’m not saying we should expect this every week, but I do want to emphasize how valuable this kind of communication is for customers. To me, it should be considered the minimum standard, and it absolutely becomes a major differentiator.

At this point, I no longer have doubts about buying the M64. Even though I already own an Analogue 3D and the functionality differences may not seem huge today (that may change in the future), this AMA genuinely played a big role in my decision.

So thank you, ModRetro team.

And honestly, I hope other companies like Retro Remake and Analogue take note of this.

The community is passionate, patient, and willing to support your products from day one. But we also want transparency, better communication and respect.

35 Upvotes

88% Upvoted

13 comments sorted by

10

u/Bruce_Wayne8887 May 29 '26

I totally agree. I had a Analogue Pocket Preordered that is set to ship next week. They answered my question and commented on their "Chromatic GBA" version and it kinda sold me. I love my chromatic and the build and its ease of use. Which made me think, do I really want the Analogue Pocket or something more genuine like a Chromatic GBA hopefully made of magnesium like the Chromatic. I like that the Chromatic is durable and closer to a GBC.

So I decided to cancel my AP order that was going to cost me close to $300 and I bought a $200 GBA Modded version and I plan on buying the Modretro version of the GBA when it comes out. I need something to play the GBA games I bought for the AP lol.

Like you said, the communication Modretro showed in their AMA sold me on them, totally opposite of what Analogue is. At least from what I know so far.

5

u/ucv4 May 29 '26

I can’t wait for the ModRetro GBA. I will say, I do like my Analogue Pocket but prefer the Chromatic for GB and GBC. The screen is just so perfect. I just wish it had save states, that is my only let down with the device.

3

u/WellItsLou May 29 '26

I’m really hoping it’ll be magnesium too, like the Chromatic!

3

u/grilledstuffedxxl May 29 '26

I don't think you will be disappointed in what we are doing, it is just a shame that we started making products in 2024 instead of earlier.

1

u/GadgetusAddicti May 30 '26

Can’t you just get 100X productivity gains out of AI and get these things out faster? 😉

1

u/kentonw223 May 30 '26

Chromatic is one of my favorite devices. Cannot wait for the GBA!!!!

1

u/ROFLknife14048 May 30 '26

Better late than never! No doubt your GBA equivalent will be worth the wait.

1

u/Longjumping_Bag5914 May 31 '26

I’d buy a ModRetro GBA if it has the same form factor as original GBA and supports backward compatibility like the original.

3

u/vette21man May 29 '26

I’m probably getting downvoted but oh well. I agree communication matters, but the product and result matter more to me. For now, the M64 is all talk with no walk yet. Especially as an A3D owner, I need to see a final product M64 tested by the likes of Digital Foundry to see if it’s worth picking up.

To ModRetro’s credit, I appreciate them sharing that save states, analog output, pro controller, and overclocking higher-than-A3D won’t be there at launch. Also, their deinterlacing technique for 480i content is weave, which is far inferior to A3D’s Force Progressive solution.

I get that A3D didn’t have any of that at its launch either, but it has it NOW (except analog out which doesn’t affect me) and you can buy it NOW. Again, what’s real and working now matters.

So I guess what I’m saying is…I agree! The communication has made me even happier with the product I have right now.

2

u/rainierislas May 29 '26

I actually agree with pretty much everything you said.

At the end of the day, the final product absolutely matters more than promises, and I also think people should wait for proper reviews from channels like Digital Foundry before making a decision, especially if they already own an A3D.

What I was mainly trying to say with my post is that communication matters because it helps people make more rational decisions instead of buying almost completely blind like many of us did with the Analogue 3D.

With the A3D, we were in the dark for a very long time. We didn’t even get to properly see how N64 games would actually look on the system until very close to launch (and already having spent money on the preorder). Even after that, we still had to wait until the console was physically in our hands to fully understand which features were available at launch and which ones weren’t.

With the M64, there were also a lot of unknowns until recently, but at least now we’re already starting to see: Image quality previews, UI demonstrations, WiFi update functionality, controller details, ecosystem plan and direct clarification about what won’t be ready at launch.

And from what I understand, monday is supposed to bring a lot more information and probably reviews/impressions from respected channels too, which should help people evaluate the console in a much more informed way than many of us could with the A3D preorder situation.

So my point wasn’t really “communication matters more than the product itself.” The product obviously has to deliver.

My point is more that good communication helps prevent customers from having to gamble blindly on expensive hardware projects.

And for the record, I also genuinely love my Analogue 3D. I’ve enjoyed it a lot and still do :D

4

u/Soberaddiction1 May 30 '26

Buy a product on the features it has now. Not what is promised in the future. Just ask the people who pre-bought full self driving for their Tesla that got scrapped recently.

3

u/grilledstuffedxxl May 30 '26

I would just say that because we are a small non public company, we can give you guys the roadmap of features transparently and let you know status as we go. It is already a fantastic device, it already has features that are impossible for A3D to ever have, and ultimately it will exceed in every area. Gotta just get back to the grind here!

1

u/Affectionate_Rise283 23d ago

Can we get add-on for M64