This Week in Retro

You've seen all the other brands say they're following Sony's digital-only lead while chuckling into a sleeve. Now it's TWiR's turn to respond as the doomsday clock for physical media moves nearer midnight. In other news we revisit the life and career of Psion PLC founder and innovator David Potter, and explore the many hazards of the modern online auction scene, plus a look at a short-lived 3DO reboot, new uses for old RAM, and much more.

Visit https://www.addict.media/ for your copy of Pixel Addict magazine.

00:00 - Show Opening

03:14 - No More Pizza
Story Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/thisweekinretro/comments/1ulqtcr/the_digital_age_is_coming/
PlayStation Blog: https://blog.playstation.com/2026/07/01/physical-disc-production-ending-in-january-2028-for-new-games-releasing-on-playstation-consoles/

18:37 - Farewell To Psion’s David Potter
Story Link: http://bsky.app/profile/anthonybarnett.bsky.social/post/3mpj6lshqn22s
Remembering David Potter: https://www.opendemocracy.net/obituary-david-potter-psion-industrialist-physicist-philanthropist/
The amazing adventures of David Potter: https://www.managementtoday.co.uk/amazing-adventures-david-potter-positioned-intersection-phone-computer-technology-psion-preparing-launch-net-ready-mobiles-annointed-new-ftse-100/article/412010
Additional links:
https://archivesit.org.uk/interviews/david-potter/
https://potterfoundation.com/who_we_are.html

31:17 - Housekeeping - News links found below

37:49 - Is eBay Fantasy?
Story Link: https://www.gameshub.com/news/features/retro-tech-ebay-fantasy-pricing-2885838/

49:02 - Community Question of the Week

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Bluesky:
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https://bsky.app/profile/jasoncompton.bsky.social

Youtube:
Chris - https://www.youtube.com/@005AGIMA
Jason - https://www.youtube.com/@TheRetroAdventurers

Audio Podcast:
https://retroadventurers.podbean.com/

Subscribe to the audio version of the show!
📻 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-retro/id1526487568?uo=4
📻 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2OPQ3cADaB92E9SpRdTe5y
📻 Podbean: https://twir.podbean.com
📻 Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/en/show/5734337
📻 RSS: https://feed.podbean.com/TWIR/feed.xml
📻 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThisWeekinRetro

This Week in Retro is a weekly roundup of the hottest stories from the world of retro gaming and computing, voted on by you, the listener! Hosted by Chris from 005 AGIMA, Jason from The Retro Adventurers and Dave. Edited by Duncan Styles.

News In Brief Links

e-ink ESP32 Based Game Boy: https://www.xda-developers.com/someone-made-an-e-ink-esp32-game-boy-and-it-runs-at-a-very-playable-60hz-refresh-rate/

AI FPGA Cores: https://www.timeextension.com/news/2026/07/extremely-disappointing-are-ai-generated-fpga-cores-the-future-or-the-death-of-accuracy

Windows 11 On DDR1: https://www.tomshardware.com/software/windows/ram-crisis-provokes-enthusiast-to-try-windows-11-on-ddr1-era-hardware-other-key-vintage-components-included-the-core-2-q6600-and-ati-radeon-hd-4650-agp

BBC Search For A Better Screen: https://youtu.be/fM7BpmJlRIs

3DO Revival Dead: https://www.engadget.com/2206578/3do-revival-empire-interactive/

Make Your Own RAM: https://youtu.be/IOtf85sHRlg

🛠 Check out PCBWay at https://pcbway.com/ for all your PCB needs! 🛠

Sega's mission to make its history more accessible, and give the world even more authentic Sonic cartridges, leads our coverage this week. We also look at the ultra-compact, resource-light KolibriOS (runs comfortably on a 30-year old Pentium!) and an Amiga 1200 that's been upgraded beyond belief. Plus your top picks for the best real-world locations to simulate in a game, more Commodore Callback discourse, and a very special 40th birthday!

00:00 - Show Opening

01:31 - Physical and Playable
Story Link: https://www.thegamer.com/sega-producer-yosuke-okunari-all-4500-sega-games-playable/
Additional links: https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/sega-is-re-releasing-the-original-sonic-genesis-games-on-100-cartridges/
https://www.iam8bit.com/collections/sonic-35th

14:21 - Single Floppy Computing
Story Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1w2imHvPHBI
Additional link: http://kolibrios.org
Barebones Windows: http://github.com/byteospro/barebone-windows

29:06 - Housekeeping - News links found below

33:56 - Ultimate Amiga?
Story Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LV2FffhXCYo
Additional links: https://www.pimyretro.org/ultimate-amiga-1200-pistorm-cd32-mode-and-full-hardware-expansion 
https://www.youtube.com/@jit06 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlnwWAIdXqQ 

42:19 - Community Question of the Week

🏆Your monthly support helps us keep the retro news flowing!
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Follow your hosts!
Bluesky:
https://bsky.app/profile/davevelociraptor.bsky.social
https://bsky.app/profile/jasoncompton.bsky.social

Youtube:
Chris - https://www.youtube.com/@005AGIMA
Jason - https://www.youtube.com/@TheRetroAdventurers

Audio Podcast:
https://retroadventurers.podbean.com/

Subscribe to the audio version of the show!
📻 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-retro/id1526487568?uo=4
📻 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2OPQ3cADaB92E9SpRdTe5y
📻 Podbean: https://twir.podbean.com
📻 Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/en/show/5734337
📻 RSS: https://feed.podbean.com/TWIR/feed.xml
📻 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThisWeekinRetro

This Week in Retro is a weekly roundup of the hottest stories from the world of retro gaming and computing, voted on by you, the listener! Hosted by Chris from 005 AGIMA, Jason from The Retro Adventurers and Dave. Edited by Duncan Styles.

News In Brief Links

UK Amstrad meetup: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQDlb33D6cQ

C= Callback: https://www.timeextension.com/news/2026/06/we-listened-commodore-reduces-the-price-of-its-forthcoming-callback-8020-dumbphone

Mainstream Commodore coverage: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/aHzR9zapK68

Lost NASA craft re-contacted: https://www.reddit.com/r/thisweekinretro/comments/1uf5sp4/a_lost_nasa_spacecraft_came_back_to_life_after_36/

Atari Lynx nostalgia: https://youtu.be/RcjbMCRErz4?is=rOg7aZMELYHfy5OB

CRT Treasure Trove: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpAFuVxTscM

Outrun at 40: https://youtu.be/Y2UkXj_rxgE

Has Richard Garriott (Lord British) truly maxed out his Intelligence and Wisdom scores so that he can undo a 1992 transaction and reclaim Ultima? Can Chris tell the difference between reality and a simulation, or does it all end in air sickness? And will new code development environments for the C64 Ultimate, and for the Atari ST, Amiga, Macintosh, and other 16-bit platforms uncork a tsunami of new applications and games? All these questions answered plus first takes on the Commodore phone and other topics of retro interest as June 2026 winds to a close!

00:00 - Show Opening

01:50 - Britannia Is Saved?
Story Link: https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/the-creator-of-ultima-is-reportedly-reclaiming-the-series-rights-back-from-ea-and-it-could-happen-as-soon-as-next-year/
Additional Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_aVTHKzGbA

13:35 - New IDEs For Old Machines
Story Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjqnU-YNF78
C64U Engine: c64portal.pl
Additional Link: https://macumbaeditor.com/

24:21 - Housekeeping - News links found below

30:31 - Real Or Sim?
Story Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/thisweekinretro/comments/1u7r9cc/comparison_of_geoff_crammonds_f1gp_with_real_track/
Revs Footage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sp6Z-Y1Z-cQ
F1GP Footage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mH476Zrp7UU
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/RaceSimCentral 
How Were The Tracks Built: https://revs.bbcelite.com/deep_dives/building_a_3d_track_from_sections_and_segments.html

40:02 - Community Question of the Week

🏆Your monthly support helps us keep the retro news flowing!
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Follow your hosts!
Bluesky:
https://bsky.app/profile/davevelociraptor.bsky.social
https://bsky.app/profile/jasoncompton.bsky.social

Youtube:
Chris - https://www.youtube.com/@005AGIMA
Jason - https://www.youtube.com/@TheRetroAdventurers

Audio Podcast:
https://retroadventurers.podbean.com/

Subscribe to the audio version of the show!
📻 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-retro/id1526487568?uo=4
📻 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2OPQ3cADaB92E9SpRdTe5y
📻 Podbean: https://twir.podbean.com
📻 Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/en/show/5734337
📻 RSS: https://feed.podbean.com/TWIR/feed.xml
📻 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThisWeekinRetro

This Week in Retro is a weekly roundup of the hottest stories from the world of retro gaming and computing, voted on by you, the listener! Hosted by Chris from 005 AGIMA, Jason from The Retro Adventurers and Dave. Edited by Duncan Styles.

News In Brief Links

Commodore Callback: https://commodore.net/callback/

Bobby Price Passes Away: https://www.legacy.com/legacy/robert-bobby-prince-lll

Nintendo DS Sega Rally Found: https://nintendoeverything.com/lost-sega-rally-nintendo-ds-prototype-discovered-after-20-years/

Computer Fair Discussion: https://www.reddit.com/r/thisweekinretro/comments/1u7rv6r/computer_fairs/

Command and Conquer ST Port: https://indyjo.itch.io/commandconquer

Retro Malware: https://www.malwarebytes.com/blog/threat-intel/2026/06/retro-gaming-fans-are-the-new-target-for-fake-github-malware

🛠 Check out PCBWay at https://pcbway.com/ for all your PCB needs! 🛠

An exclusive reveal this week as ex-Melbourne House/BEAM Software developer Tony Smales shares an in-depth tour of the never-released Arcade Wizzard pinball game for Commodore 64! We also look at the definitive overview of the rise and fall of the Sega Dreamcast and explore home computer shopping in 1998. 

00:00 - Show Opening

08:21 - Pinball Lost and Found
Story Link: https://www.gamesthatwerent.com/2026/06/three-big-commodore-64-recoveries/

40:09 - Sega’s Nightmare
Story Link: https://youtu.be/tcOtWuNlUF0?is=O4C-puLKHHWyGIV4

Rumoured handheld: https://www.notebookcheck.net/SEGA-rumor-new-2D-retro-handheld-with-physical-cartridges.1317101.0.html

53:12 - Housekeeping - News links found below

01:00:29 - 1998 Computer Shopping
Story Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpLew7igK-w

01:20:19 - Community Question of the Week

🏆Your monthly support helps us keep the retro news flowing!
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🕸 TWiR Sub Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/thisweekinretro/

Follow your hosts!
Bluesky:
https://bsky.app/profile/davevelociraptor.bsky.social
https://bsky.app/profile/jasoncompton.bsky.social

Youtube:
Chris - https://www.youtube.com/@005AGIMA
Jason - https://www.youtube.com/@TheRetroAdventurers

Audio Podcast:
https://retroadventurers.podbean.com/

Subscribe to the audio version of the show!
📻 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-retro/id1526487568?uo=4
📻 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2OPQ3cADaB92E9SpRdTe5y
📻 Podbean: https://twir.podbean.com
📻 Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/en/show/5734337
📻 RSS: https://feed.podbean.com/TWIR/feed.xml
📻 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThisWeekinRetro

This Week in Retro is a weekly roundup of the hottest stories from the world of retro gaming and computing, voted on by you, the listener! Hosted by Chris from 005 AGIMA, Jason from The Retro Adventurers and Dave. Edited by Duncan Styles.

News In Brief Links

Atari 2600 chess (again): https://www.pcmag.com/news/chatgpt-gets-absolutely-wrecked-in-chess-match-with-1978-atari

GentleOS: https://github.com/luke8086/gentleos32

AGP on Windows 11: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vs4bqCEnvUA

THEA1200 prototype video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wy07UEd6rng

Spray-on Retrobrite: https://youtu.be/L5anoqGw-hc?is=pkPR7AtAbArCOUgX

Sealed NES Super Mario auction: https://www.theverge.com/games/949593/super-mario-bros-3-million-auction

LEGO Batman C64 Easter egg: https://bsky.app/profile/cabel.panic.com/post/3mnpxqsbwok2i

Episode Credits

"Sega-dreamcast-set" by Asim Saleem (Asim18) is licensed under CC BY 3.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/?ref=openverse.

By Evan-Amos - Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17385690

This week's guest Jason Timmons has quietly built up Vintage Computer Festival Midwest (https://vcfmw.org/) into the world's largest annual retro computing event. He joins the crew to talk about the end the line for the revived Checkmate Amiga case, the surprising differences in teletext penetration in the United States vs. the United Kingdom, and a look at the "overrated?" Amiga 500 Batman Pack.

Visit https://www.addict.media/ for your copy of Pixel Addict magazine.

00:00 - Show Opening

09:48 - Checkmate Check Out
Story Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOssyAw8LoQ

33:05 - Teletext Admiration Society
Story Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCZEHoolBCg

54:18 - Housekeeping - News links found below

58:23 - Holy Clickbait Batman!
Story Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QY3Ud7zNQM

01:17:38 - Community Question of the Week

🏆Your monthly support helps us keep the retro news flowing!
https://www.patreon.com/thisweekinretro

🕸 TWiR Sub Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/thisweekinretro/

Follow your hosts!
Bluesky:
https://bsky.app/profile/davevelociraptor.bsky.social
https://bsky.app/profile/jasoncompton.bsky.social

Youtube:
Chris - https://www.youtube.com/@005AGIMA
Jason - https://www.youtube.com/@TheRetroAdventurers

Audio Podcast:
https://retroadventurers.podbean.com/

Subscribe to the audio version of the show!
📻 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-retro/id1526487568?uo=4
📻 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2OPQ3cADaB92E9SpRdTe5y
📻 Podbean: https://twir.podbean.com
📻 Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/en/show/5734337
📻 RSS: https://feed.podbean.com/TWIR/feed.xml
📻 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThisWeekinRetro

This Week in Retro is a weekly roundup of the hottest stories from the world of retro gaming and computing, voted on by you, the listener! Hosted by Chris from 005 AGIMA, Jason from The Retro Adventurers and Dave. Edited by Duncan Styles.

News In Brief Links

Daytona USA Recomp: https://youtu.be/p0U5ltlUf30

Family Computing 1998: https://youtu.be/IpLew7igK-w

Metal Slug Vodafone Live: https://www.timeextension.com/news/2026/06/the-small-sprites-are-really-cute-a-long-forgotten-mobile-port-of-metal-slug-has-been-rescued-from-the-digital-abyss

Red Dwarf Adventure pitch: https://www.timeextension.com/news/2026/06/the-devs-behind-loco-motive-once-pitched-a-red-dwarf-adventure-game-and-it-looks-smeggin-brilliant

Older gamers: https://www.timeextension.com/news/2026/06/i-think-they-are-missing-a-trick-evercade-boss-says-the-games-industry-is-failing-older-players

Commodore 64 spellchecker: https://github.com/johnwbyrd/bloomer

Stop Killing Games: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8e8e7g0r82o