I had barely wrapped up the review of the official 8BitDo 64 controller for the Analogue 3D when the console itself finally arrived from the production site in Hong Kong. It was a long wait — over a year. I placed the order back in October 2024, when preorders first opened, following the standard process; so the unit arrived as a full retail package at the same time all orders were shipped.
Packaging – surprisingly premium
The box it came in is dark-colored, a matte black, and even though it’s just cardboard, it gives off a premium vibe.
My first thought when I picked it up was that it resembles the professional Dell packaging used in the Latitude or XPS families (well… that’s what they used to be called; Dell has changed the names since).
The box has a satin-style matte black finish, very elegant, giving it a premium feel rather than looking cheap.
The manufacturer’s logo and name are printed both on the top and on the sides of the box.
There’s also an informational note on the box asking both the console and the original controller to be updated to the latest firmware version. I already performed the firmware upgrade on the controller, as shown in the dedicated article. This suggests that the software side continued to receive refinements even after the consoles started shipping — likely based on feedback from early testers.
analogue.link/3d-controller-update
Unboxing experience
Once you open the box, the impression remains the same — as if I were unboxing a Dell laptop. They definitely took inspiration from a good source. 🙂
The contents are neatly organized and tightly arranged:
- Analogue 3D console
- USB-C power cable
- HDMI cable
- additional accessories
- inner “tray” support
A small unpleasant surprise is that they included a power adapter with a US/JP plug. Since this was a standard order, I’m not sure if everyone received the same thing or if it was just an error in my case. This means I’ll need to use a European plug adapter.
Honestly, this slightly undermines the premium feeling that both the packaging and the console convey right from the start. It’s curious how they stumbled over such a minor detail.
After some online digging, it appears all consoles were shipped with a USA/JP-style adapter that supports 100–240 V but uses flat prongs.
Inside the box, underneath the console, we also get:
- a few “Apple-style” stickers (the kind Apple used to include in its phone boxes)
- a small tool for cleaning Nintendo 64 cartridges
Some of these cartridges are probably 20+ years old, so they may have buildup on the connector pins.
Design and build quality
The console itself, in terms of design, is very reminiscent of the original Nintendo 64; I’d say it’s a polished and modernized take, fitting for 2025.
The power and reset buttons are more or less in the same positions, the cartridge slot too, and the connectors for original Nintendo 64 controllers are still on the front — slightly more compact now, thanks to the absence of the Nintendo logo.
The materials used, at least to the touch and at first glance, feel top-tier. The housing is made of solid plastic, black in my case (there’s also a white version). It has a matte finish, so fingerprints don’t show right away.
I remember the original dark-colored N64 case also had a matte finish, but not as pronounced, so fingerprints appeared much more easily.
A nice and thoughtful detail: the bottom of the console has a rubberized, grooved “foot”, so the unit stays firmly in place on whatever surface it’s placed on. The weight helps too, because — as I mentioned — it feels solid in the hand.
Ports and connectivity
On the back we have the ports:
- USB-C for power
- HDMI port
- two USB-A ports
- an SD slot
Inside this slot there’s already a custom SD card inserted, branded with the Analogue logo (yet another detail that reinforces the premium feel). This card contains part of the 3D OS system functionality.
Officially, the console uses a closed operating system, supporting only original Nintendo 64 cartridges.
However, given that it includes an SD slot, it wouldn’t be surprising if, in the future, open-source versions of the operating system appear, expanding support to other types of media or games.
Finally, I want to mention the cartridge slot, which fits Nintendo 64 cartridges perfectly — I’d say even better than the original N64 itself.
And now, with the Mario 64 cartridge inserted, all that’s left is to start playing. 🙂
