A groundbreaking new hardware add-on promises to bring the beloved Commodore 64 into the modern era with true Full-HD HDMI output and stereo sound capabilities.
The innovative "HD-64" daughterboard, developed by Side Projects Lab (SPL) over the course of a year, enables C64 owners to connect their vintage computers directly to contemporary displays through a single HDMI cable that carries both high-definition video and audio signals.
Building upon earlier work by C64 enthusiast c0pperdragon, the HD-64 captures digital video signals before they reach the computer's VIC-II graphics chip, avoiding the noise and distortion issues common with analog video output. The device then upscales the signal to crisp 1080p resolution while adding stereo audio from the SID sound chip through the same HDMI connection.
The HD-64 includes gaming-focused features like customizable scanlines, anti-aliasing options, color adjustments, and aspect ratio controls that can be modified through C64 software. The developer plans to add adjustable overscan support in future updates.
With vintage CRT monitors and other period-correct peripherals becoming increasingly scarce and difficult to maintain, this new HDMI solution offers C64 enthusiasts a practical way to use their classic computers with modern displays while maintaining authentic gameplay with minimal input lag of less than 1 millisecond.
The first production batch of the HD-64 is scheduled for release later in the first quarter of this year, marking a notable step forward in preserving and modernizing classic computing hardware for contemporary use.