Zagdul's Gaming Corner

Commodore is back — my take on the C64 Ultimate (Starlight Edition)

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Commodore is back — my take on the C64 Ultimate (Starlight Edition)

I honestly didn't expect to write this in 2025: there is a new C64 again, officially under the Commodore name. And yes, I went for the Starlight Edition.

Quick disclaimer: this is not a rational purchase. This is a "I really wanted this" purchase.

Why it still matters (to me)

The C64 Ultimate is not just retro decoration. The interesting part is the mix of:

  • classic C64 feel,
  • modern and reliable hardware,
  • and that old "just build it" mindset.

You boot it, tinker, try things out. No giant framework stack — power on and 2 seconds later: ready

And yet it's different from the old days. There are several features that genuinely excite me:

  • The C64 Ultimate has WiFi and Ethernet! It can go online. WOW!
  • Finally a proper HDMI output (getting video out of the original breadbox was a real hassle)
  • Turbo mode (let's be honest, the C64 was never exactly fast. You can use it for the nostalgia, but this turbo mode is something else)
  • Internal storage and USB sticks: you can still hook up your old 1541 (I did) but loading disks from an SD card (internal) or a USB stick is so much more convenient. We couldn't have dreamed of this in the 80s.

My C64 background in one minute

I got my first C64 around age 10. First games, then "backups," then BASIC, later 6502/6510 assembler. At that point, "using computers" slowly turned into "understanding computers."

That direct 8-bit feedback loop is still hard to beat: type, run, fail, fix, repeat.

Starlight Edition: gorgeous, but expensive

The Starlight Edition looks fantastic. But let's be honest:

It's not cheap.

If your metric is pure performance per euro, modern hardware wins instantly. The C64 Ultimate wins in a different category: joy, nerd factor, nostalgia, and the urge to tinker.

There's also a regular "breadbox" version without the LED bling. But I figured — go big or go home. That said, it's really not necessary.

For me, that's enough. For everyone else? Depends.

Offline computing as a counter-model

What really draws me in is the feeling of direct work.

  • Power on, start.
  • No endless chat/email/social pings.
  • No background noise stealing attention every minute.

To me, this feels like a small reinvention of "offline computing": not regression, but intentional focus.

You work on the problem itself instead of constantly servicing a giant toolchain around it. That's exactly what I remember from the original C64 days — and surprisingly much of that feeling is back.

And the best part: the C64 is not actually offline! You can go online with it, even if it still feels a bit "weird" right now.

What I want to do with it

  • refresh BASIC/assembler muscle memory,
  • revisit old disk archives,
  • build a tiny side project,
  • see what old-school workflows are still useful today,
  • and explore what turbo mode can squeeze out of this thing. The good old 8-bit simplicity with a bit more speed — that should be interesting.

If something cool comes out of it, I'll post a follow-up.

Media

For now, I'm using two license-safe images from Wikimedia Commons. I haven't found a clearly reusable Starlight Edition image yet that I can embed without licensing concerns.

As soon as I have my own photos (or clearly licensed press assets), I'll update this post.

C64 (front/back)

Commodore 64 Front and Back

Commodore 1541 floppy drive

Commodore 1541 white

Sources / usage rights

Checked today. Usage according to the license terms on each Wikimedia file page.