The Commodore 64 is back and this time it's brought some friends

One of the most iconic and important computers of the 1980s is set to make a comeback, with an all-new Commodore 64 planned for release later this year.

It comes after the successful purchase of the Commodore name, trademarks, patents and licences by YouTuber Christian Simpson (AKA Peri Fractic), which was announced in June.

Simpson paid in the "low seven figures" for Commodore and hasn't wasted any time in revealing initial plans for the company. The first thing on the agenda is seemingly the relaunch of the much-loved C64.

Called the Commodore 64 Ultimate, the new version will come in three variants – Basic Beige, Starlight Edition, and the Founders Edition. They each essentially do the exact same thing, but have different lighting/colour effects.

The Basic Biege model looks exactly like the C64 of the 80s, save for some new, modern ports and capabilties. The Starlight Edition is transparent but contains LED lighting that can change colours, while the Founders Edition is also transparent but glows in gold and features 24k gold badges and a holographic serial number sticker.

Only 6,400 units of the latter will be made, so it's a true collector's edition.

The computer itself is essentially identical with each version. It will be able to play the 10,000+ C64 games out there today, except with more RAM than the original and in an optional 48MHz Turbo mode.

Those games can be stored on just about anything – the old discs, cartridges, tapes or even just run from USB storage.

Indeed, the C64 Ultimate comes with a USB that looks like an old cassette filled with more than 50 games, and you can just use a file browser to load and play them. There's even a brand-new game being made for the machine's launch – a sequel to Jupiter Lander: Ascension (Commodore's first ever game).

In terms of specs, the Commodore 64 Ultimate will support 1080p out over HDMI, plus three USB-A 2.0 ports and one USB-C. There's a microSD card slot too for expansion.

Wi-Fi is built in along with Ethernet for wired internet connectivity.

All three models are available to preorder on the official Commodore webpage right now, with the Basic Biege version priced at an early bird bonus of $299.99 / £223.89 / €257.99 / AU$458.98.

The Starlight Edition is $349.99/ £261.09 / €300.99 / $535.48, while the Founders Edition is the priciest, at $499.99 / £372.99 / €429.99 / AU$764.98. The first batch of machines is rapidly selling out – it's proving to be very popular – and are expected to ship from October/November.

I'm hugely tempted myself, too. As the former editor of Your Commodore and Commodore Power in the UK, this is right up my street (and brings back some fond memories).

It's not the first reissue of the Commodore 64, of course – that was TheC64 from Retro Games in 2022 – but it's from the all-new Commodore company. Hopefully that makes it as authentic as can be.