Krikzz launches the EverDrive-64 PRO with native 64DD support

Ukrainian hardware developer Krikzz has officially released the EverDrive-64 PRO, a $169 flash cartridge that adds native 64DD support and a Cyclone 10 FPGA to the Nintendo 64. As previously reported during the initial firmware leaks, the new hardware is available directly from the Krikzz storefront.

Playing 64DD games used to require importing a bulky magnetic disk drive that launched in Japan in December 1999, with software releases continuing into 2000. The peripheral was a commercial failure with exactly ten software titles to its name, including the F-Zero X Expansion Kit and Mario Artist. Today, those original disks are expensive collector items. The PRO runs those disk images natively, bypassing the need for the aging physical drive.

Double the memory of the X7

The previous standard for Krikzz boards, the EverDrive-64 X7, topped out at 64MB of SDRAM and used a Cyclone IV FPGA. The PRO doubles that memory to 128MB (1024 Mbit). That extra headroom is necessary for running unmodified 64DD disk images and massive modern ROM hacks that break the original console's memory limits.

The new board also includes an on-board physical button specifically for swapping disks in multi-disc 64DD games. Pressing a physical button on the cartridge shell saves you from having to power cycle the console or navigate through digital menus just to change a virtual disk.

The open source alternative

The PRO enters a market that already has the SummerCart64. That open-source cartridge also handles 64DD games and features 64MB of SDRAM alongside 14MB of flash memory. The SummerCart64 has been the go-to for developers needing extreme memory overhead for custom projects. Krikzz's new board counters with its built-in FPGA-based NES core, external emulator support, and a high-speed USB port for development.

I have an EverDrive-64 v3 and a SummerCart64. Possibly I should upgrade! The v3 requires a physical reset to save your game to the SD card, a quirk that has ruined more than one game save. The PRO, like the X7 before it, saves instantly. The built-in NES core is also a nice touch. The Nintendo 64 has always struggled with software emulation of older consoles, so offloading the NES processing directly to the Cyclone 10 FPGA solves a long-standing annoyance.

Gray shells ship first

Beyond the major hardware upgrades, the PRO supports all original Game Pak save types natively, including SRAM, EEPROM, and FlashRAM. It handles IPS and APS auto-patching on the fly, monitors battery voltage, and supports custom menu themes.