Who We Are?

Elmar Electronic, a small company with more than 40 years of history and twenty dedicated employees, specializes in the development and manufacturing of industrial and telecommunication equipment. As one of the co-owners, Goran Radan, I have a deep passion for computers, a fascination that took root during the formative years when home computers were in their infancy.

My particular affinity lies with the ZX Spectrum, and my recent hobby has become intricately connected to this technological marvel. This connection inspired the birth of my first retro project, the ZX-VGA-JOY. Despite being deeply involved in touchscreen and graphical interface projects, a curiosity arose within me – could the microcontrollers we employ in our embedded solutions meet the challenge of creating a gaming console for Spectrum games?

The journey began swiftly, with the fabrication of the first prototype crafted from acrylic sheets using a CNC machine. The result was surprisingly enjoyable; suddenly, playing retro games felt remarkably more immersive. The size of the screen and the console itself seemed perfectly tailored, and the controls, made from high-quality tactile buttons, enhanced the overall experience.

To enhance the usability of the console for playing ZX Spectrum games, which heavily relied on keyboard input, software options were developed. The implementation of a touchscreen user interface significantly facilitated these additions.

After discussions with fellow ZX Spectrum enthusiasts, particularly Thomas from Sintech, I decided to take a step further. Instead of viewing this endeavor as a personal challenge, I recognized the potential to produce and bring this console to the market. Despite the abundance of “cheap” retro consoles, I firmly believe that this one has something unique to offer.