The moment we heard about the new Commodore 64 Ultimate - a faithful hardware recreation of the original 1982 classic, plus modern conveniences like USB, HDMI, and Wi-Fi - we started salivating to get our hands on it. Now we’re thrilled to announce that Hammacher Schlemmer is the first official online retail partner for the Commodore 64 Ultimate. We talked to Commodore President and CEO Peri Fractic about what makes it so different from any other retro tech out there.

On the Commodore website, you talk about values like human connection, simplicity, and the joy of discovery. Why do those values matter especially now and especially in tech?

Technology was always meant to serve people, not the other way around. For decades, it helped us create, explore, and connect in meaningful ways. But somewhere along the line, that relationship inverted. The tools that were meant to enrich our lives began competing for our attention, fragmenting our focus, and quietly eroding real human connection.

Today’s landscape is dominated by systems designed to maximise engagement rather than fulfilment. That’s not a failure of technology itself, but of intent.

At Commodore, we’re returning to first principles. We believe technology should feel human again - intuitive, purposeful, and even a little magical. It should invite curiosity, not addiction. It should spark creativity, not dependency.

Simplicity matters because it gives people their time and clarity back. Human connection matters because that’s what technology was meant to enhance, not replace. And the joy of discovery matters because that’s where inspiration lives.

We’re not trying to rewind the clock. We’re building a future where technology once again earns its place in our lives by making them better, not busier. The Commodore 64 Ultimate wants nothing from you.

The Commodore 64 Ultimate has gotten some amazing reviews everywhere from Wired to The Guardian to IGN. What do you think these reviewers are responding to?

Authenticity. Not nostalgia as a surface treatment, but as something deeply respected and faithfully preserved.

For years, the market has been full of software emulators that recreate the look of classic machines, often paired with curated software. But what reviewers immediately recognise with the Commodore 64 Ultimate is that this goes far beyond that. This is not an imitation. It is a true hardware recreation, behaving exactly as the original did, cycle for cycle, electrical pathway by pathway, as if you’d just taken it out of the box in the 1980s.

That distinction matters. It’s the difference between remembering the look and feel of something and reliving it.

At the same time, we’ve carefully integrated modern enhancements where they genuinely serve the experience, without ever compromising that authenticity. So while it feels identical to the original, it fits seamlessly into today’s world. Stream a game off our servers via Wi-Fi if you like. Or play one from a 40 year old dusty datasette attached to the back. It all works.

I think that’s what reviewers are responding to. It’s not just the technology, it’s the intent behind it. This is a product built by people who genuinely understand what made the original special, and who refused to cut corners in bringing that feeling back.

What’s been most rewarding is seeing that connection still exists. Decades later, people don’t just remember the Commodore 64. They feel it deep in the happiness of childhood nostalgia. And those who were too young to remember it, rather magically seem to feel the same magic regardless.

Your new computers ship with a USB ‘cassette’ full of games and software. What are some of the highlights?

It’s a very diverse collection that we’ve carefully curated, so I’d feel bad calling any one experience out over another. Having said that, it’s a great showcase of how the developers of Commodore 64 experiences have kept the torch going right up to the present day.

I know I’ve mentioned my hesitation, but I’ll call out just a few that really showcase what’s only possible because we’ve revisited the hardware today. Jupiter Lander 2: Jupiter Fracture is an all-new game that we’ve developed and is available exclusively to owners of the Commodore 64 Ultimate. A sequel to the first game ever published by Commodore on the 64, Jupiter Lander, it greatly expands on what the original was able to accomplish, offering expansive multi-screen stages, gravity physics, atmospheric effects, and a grand storyline that was sorely missing back in the day. I’ll also mention The Tuneful Eight – an incredible showcase of music by legendary chiptune artist LMan that takes advantage of all eight virtual SID (Sound Interface Device) chips available on the Commodore 64 Ultimate, which is 8x as many as were found on the original Commodore 64!

Your website says “Established 1958” and “The official home of the original Commodore”. Aside from the name/logo and the hardware itself, how have you established clear connections with the original company?

Commodore today isn’t just made up of enthusiasts who grew up playing the machine – there are plenty of folks building and advising along with us who have been part of Commodore since the 1970s and 80s. People like Albert Charpentier (“the father of the C64”), Jeri Ellsworth, RJ Mical, Bil Herd, David Pleasance, Dave Haynie, David Ziembicki, and more – even Leonard Tramiel, son of Commodore founder Jack Tramiel, is part of the team, and I regularly text him to ask “What would Jack do?”. We’re honored to have such an incredible mix of talent and veterans.

Finally, the return of Commodore is “powered by the happiness of childhood nostalgia”, with a product that snapshots a particular moment in technological advancement. How do you progress and develop without falling into the same traps that make today’s tech so “toxic, bloated, and addictive”?

This is an important question, and I’m glad you asked. With the Commodore 64 Ultimate, the question answers itself – but what about everything that comes next? At Commodore we’re committed to offering technology that serves a purpose. We believe that the product is the product; a lot of modern technology seems to have forgotten that and only see the user as the product, with data collection through endless engagement as how that product is sold to the customer. At Commodore, we don’t even have tracking cookies on our website. Your privacy is your privacy. Your life is your life. We want to keep it that way.

All of the products in the pipeline reflect this commitment, but I appreciate that we’ll need to prove it with our actions, not our words. We’re already doing that, and stay very tuned for what’s to come!