** Clydeware LLC ** Gaming

An original 8-bit game console

$6,041 raised

of $30,000 goal

20% Funded

38 days left

Back this project to help bring it into existence. Funding ends on Feb 26, 2026 at 03:59 PM PST.

$299

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GameTank is a new video game console based on WDC’s modern version of the venerable 6502 microprocessor. Similar in spirit to fantasy consoles like the Pico-8 or TIC-80, the GameTank is set apart by its implementation as a physical hardware device first, and an emulator second. Its custom framebuffer-based graphics architecture allows it to produce smoother and more fluid animations than are typical of 8-bit hardware. Additionally, the audio system is highly configurable, using a second 6502 as a dedicated sound coprocessor.

This system uses big chunky cartridges and outputs NTSC composite video from an RCA jack, recalling the tactile experience of early 90’s game consoles. Given its unique hardware design, it is not built to play games from any other platform but rather is an ecosystem of its own. Besides the processors, the system is built out of basic logic and RAM chips instead of an FPGA or microcontroller. In other words, this isn’t just another emulator—it’s an entirely new breed of hardware for the next generation of 8-bit games.

Retro Roots, New Branches

In most consoles of the 8-bit era, a "sprite" refers to a hardware feature with which an image could be placed in the outgoing video signal at a chosen location. These images would have a small fixed size, and there’d be a limited number of sprites that could be drawn per horizontal line. They would be overlaid onto a "tile map" which constructs a background out of image blocks placed on a grid. The grid could be shifted as a whole to create a scrolling effect, but individual tiles in the grid would be locked to the grid lines.

The graphics hardware inside the GameTank differs significantly from the above description. Instead of fixed-function tiles and sprites, a region of memory termed a "framebuffer" contains data for individual pixels of the on-screen image. This is paired with a larger store of off-screen memory "Sprite RAM" and a blitter circuit, which is dedicated to rapid copy of bytes from Sprite RAM to the framebuffer. the GameTank is designed with a generous amount of Sprite RAM to support large sprite sheets, and because the blitter can copy arbitrarily-sized regions of data, these sprite sheets can be densely packed.

Features & Specifications

• CPU: WDC’s W65C02S clocked at 3.5 MHz
• Video: 128x128 framebuffer, some rows on top and bottom hidden by most TVs
• Graphics acceleration: Hardware-accelerated byte copy, also known as a "Blitter", can transfer images to the framebuffer on every clock cycle at 3.5 MHz
• Graphics RAM: 512 KB used as source data for blitter
• General-purpose RAM: 32 KB banked in 8 KB sections
• Audio: W65C02S at 14 MHz with 4KB RAM, default 14 kHz sample rate
• Controller: D-Pad + "A" "B" "C" and "Start" buttons, 2x ports
• Cartridge: Custom 36-pin 0.1-inch pitch format, standard board contains 2 MB of flash memory
• Expansion port: 26-pin rear expansion port exposing 12 bits of GPIO and other system signals

Comparisons to Vintage 6502-based Systems

| | GameTank | Atari Lynx | NES / Famicom | Atari 2600 | | | ———— | —————————————————— | –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– | —————————————————— | | Release | 2026 | 1989 | 1983 | 1977 | | CPU | W65C02S @ 3.5 MHz | 65SC02 @ 4 MHz | 2A03 @ 1.79 MHz | 6507 @ 1.19 MHz | | Memory | 32 KB RAM + 512 KB Sprite RAM + 4 KB Audio RAM | 64 KB RAM | 2 KB RAM | 128 bytes | | Graphics Model | Blitter + framebuffer | Blitter + framebuffer | Tile + sprite PPU | Line-by-line TIA | | Resolution | 128×128 | 160×102 | 256×240 | ~160×192 variable | | Colors | 200 colors, all onscreen | 4,096, 16 per line | 56, 16 onscreen | 128, 4-6 per line | | Audio System | Dedicated W65C02 @ 14 MHz + DAC | 4-channel stereo (FM+D/A) | 2 pulse + triangle + noise | 2-tone (very limited) | | Open Source | Hardware + software | No | No | No |

Cartridge Programmer Tool

For developers, there’s also a dedicated tool for flashing ROM files on to GameTank-compatible cartridges! It connects to the computer via a USB Type-C connector, so you don’t have to go check your spare cables bin for a micro (or worse, mini) USB cable.

Development Software

To streamline the process of making GameTank games, there’s a C SDK based around CC65, an open-source compiler targeting 6502-family processors. The SDK not only provides libraries for common operations like drawing sprites and playing music, but also automates tasks like creating a linker configuration and generating header files with code references for your game assets. See the wiki for more info.

Any toolchain able to generate 6502 assembly can target the GameTank platform. In addition to C, there has also been software written in Rust and C++. One user has even ported to the console from a language of their own creation!

Support & Documentation

All of the GameTank’s hardware is open source: including schematics, board files, 3D print files, and part lists. The C SDK, the emulator, the client program for the cartridge flasher, and many of the games are all also open source. The console board designs are maintained in both surface-mount and through-hole versions for robotic assembly and DIY soldering, respectively.

You can find more information about the GameTank on our website. There we host a wiki, and can read about the console’s development on our blog. We also invite anyone to join our Discord and participate in our community of developers.

Manufacturing Plan

We plan to assemble GameTank hardware with Soldered Electronics based in Croatia. They have brought many Crowd Supply projects to life in the past.

Fulfillment & Logistics

Once production and testing are complete, units will be packaged and shipped directly to Crowd Supply for fulfillment.

Risks & Challenges

The GameTank has been feature-stable for two years. We have several working prototypes in hand from early small batches, so we know that in one form or another we can produce units of this console. The remaining work lies in engineering the components most vulnerable to availability issues out of the system, as well as getting the console and flasher FCC certified.

Certification: We are pursuing FCC certification and CE/UKCA marking for the GameTank. Any revisions required to pass the tests will add some turnaround delay. We are finalizing a representative prototype to send to a testing lab to run the testing and any revisions concurrent to the campaign.

Component Availability: Some chips core to the GameTank’s design are less available now than when the project started. However for the riskiest chips that remain in the system we have secured a large stock in advance to ensure we have them when needed for assembly.

In the Press

Time Extension

"GameTank...,on the surface, resembles a forgotten Famiclone from the late ’80s, but is in fact a brand-new ‘retro’ platform that runs unique hardware and will be home to its own range of exclusive games."

Tom’s Hardware

"[GameTank] may punch well above its weight, with its clean-sheet dismissal of legacy baggage, its twin-CPUs, and its custom framebuffer-based graphics architecture."

Retro Dodo

"[GameTank] channels all of those feelings we had when plugging in home consoles from the ’90s like the RCA jack, a chunky cartridge going ‘clunk’ as you slot it in, and wired controllers that the dog can trip over. "

Produced by Clydeware LLC in Port Washington, NY.

Sold and shipped by Crowd Supply.

GameTank Developer Kit

The GameTank Developer Kit includes the console, a controller, a blank cartridge, and a cartridge flasher so you can get started loading your own ROM files right away! A physical copy of Accursed Fiend will also be included.

$299 Free US Shipping / $12 Worldwide

Orders placed now ship Jul 12, 2026.

GameTank Blank Cartridge 2-Pack

A pair of blank and unlabeled 2 MB cartridges for GameTank. Buy extras to dedicate to your next projects, or collect your favorite community titles!

$40 Free US Shipping / $12 Worldwide

Orders placed now ship Jul 12, 2026.

About the Team

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