Sinclair ZX Spectrum Next funded in under 7 minutes in Kickstarter

Fresh from recovering from the news that we are getting a new Commodore 64 in 2025 comes the info that we are getting a new, rebooted version of its original main rival – the ZX Spectrum.

The Sinclair ZX Spectrum Next hit Kickstarter and was funded in under seven minutes and has now almost 5x’d its original target of £250,000, and it still has 27 days to go.

Of course, we have had Spectrum Next computers before – this one is Issue 3 and brings with it a new, more powerful FPGA chip on board in the form of an Artix A7 XC7A35T-2CSG324C.

It will also carry support for additional platforms such as the Sinclair QL and even the Commodore 64 (watch out, new Commodore).

Billed as what the Spectrum may have become had Sinclair kept going – of course, Sinclair sold the Spectrum to Alan Sugar’s Amstrad back in the day. Would it have turned into a machine to rival the Commodore Amiga and Atari ST? We will never know, but close your eyes and imagine for a second.

New cores

Commodore 64 to experience and enjoy classic SID sounds while playing iconic C64 games from tapes, cartridges and even multiple disk spanning titles! 

Third parties can also develop cores, and there will be a BBC Micro core available, too.

Beyond the Spectrum, the machine will also run other classic Sinclair hardware such as the ZX80 and ZX81, as well as all flavors of Spectrum. The only thing missing really, is the Sinclair C5 (in-joke for those who know)

Sinclair ZX Spectrum Next Issue 3 price

With an estimated delivery date of around December this year, it looks as though it and the new Commodore 64 will be hot on each other’s heels. You can back the Spectrum Next Issue 3 for the next few weeks with pledges on the following rewards:

• Just the board: £160
• Upgrade Board (for previous versions of the Next) £180
• ZX Spectrum Next: £300
• ZX Spectrum Next plus accelerator: £320
• The ZX Spectrum Next Magenta Accelerated £340

The Early bird offering which saw the price of £280 has gone already.

Sinclair ZX Spectrum Next Issue 3 specs

Native ZX Spectrum Next Issue 3:

• Processor: Z80N at 3.5MHz with turbo modes at 7MHz, 14MHz and 28MHz
• Compatibility: Full ZX Spectrum family compatibility
• Memory: 2MB RAM
• Video: 2, 8, 16 & 256 colours modes (128 x 96, 256×192, 320×256, 512×192 & 640×256 high resolution modes)
• Video Output: RGB, VGA, HDMI, 50Hz and 60Hz modes
• Extra Hardware: Hardware sprites, zxnDMA, CTC, Copper, Enhanced ULA, Layer2 and Tilemap (Layer3)
• Storage: 1 x SD Card slot, with DivMMC-compatible protocol, 1 x internal microSD card slot with preinstalled card (fully supported by NextZXOS)
• Audio:  9-channel sound via three stereo AY-3-8912, plus two x 4-bit DACs
• Joysticks:Two ports compatible with Cursor, Kempston, and Interface 2 protocols — extended to support even Megadrive joypads or configurable as serial ports
• PS/2 port: Mouse with Kempston mode emulation and/or external keyboard
• Special: Multiface functionality for memory access, save games, cheats and more
• Tape support: Combined MIC and EAR port for loading and saving
• Expansion: Original external bus expansion port (now with +3 disk interface support)
• Accelerator Board (optional): GPU / 1GHz CPU / 512Mb RAM
• Networking: Built-in Wi-Fi module
• Real Time Clock: Built-in RTC with battery backup 
• OS: NextZXOS and NextBasic, featuring an expanded command set
• Alternative OSes: CP/M (included),SymbOS and esxDOS
• Additional cores and official ROMs: Sinclair QL/Next and C64 with cores also launchable via NextZXOS. Community cores available

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