Anyone familiar with customizing their console, stepping outside of the warranty field will know that doing so comes at a price. Not a price that will affect your wallet so much as your pride: these types of modifications require soldering skill and if you don’t have the ability and know-how, you may run into problems. As troublesome as that may sound, help is at hand. Marshall at Retroactive has something up his sleeve - an HDMI 64 converter. Unfortunately, the mod isn’t ready just yet, but you can sign up on his mailing list for updates for when it will be.
To whet your appetite, he anticipates that the converter will be released in the first quarter of 2014. Once it’s ready, your trusty N64 will be capable of running on any HDMI equipped television or monitor - best of all, it will be displayed with a richer, sharper appearance better than before. Or at least, that’s the goal. Making an announcement with the intention to release a product with minimal funding and time is one thing, but if you take a moment to look at what Marshall has already successfully produced - 64Drive - and to much acclaim, then the N64 HDMI converter looks incredibly promising.
Sure there are cheaper, arguably safer options (such as the aforementioned cable choices), but to have your N64 loaded with HDMI connectivity seems an excellent way forward. The need or rather, desire for this feature is not an isolated one as there are many enthusiasts wanting the same thing. You may even find that there will be individuals offering their services by shipping out an N64 already modded with the converter once it’s released. So, if you aren’t confident in your own soldering and console modding skills, maybe there will be other alternatives in the near future.
Finally, there will no longer be a reason why your N64 can’t sit on the space next to your PlayStation 4 and/or Xbox One and certainly no excuses for not loading up GoldenEye for a little Facility level multiplayer mayhem!
Source: Retroactive (via Nintendo Life)
