Visit Guide
ZX SPECTRUM NEXT
The ZX Spectrum Next is, currently, the biggest representative in a new equipment wave that aim to recreate a Spectrum experience, up to date with the 21st Century. Criticized by some, admired by others, it is incredible how it was able to put together a community that had already been burnt with other projects that did not work so well.
The Next first appeared in a 2017 Kickstarted, but the version with a carcass designed by Rick Dickinson (Spectrum’s current designer, and of many other Sinclair devices and that, unfortunately, passed away in 2018) was only submitted in 2020.
The project originally started in Brazil, fruit of Fabio Belavenuto and Victor Trucco’s work, and whom had launched a Spectrum clone which had had some success. Henrique Olifiers joined them – a Brazilian rooted in the UK and a part of the videogame industry – and, in no time, many other well-known names in the community also joined the project, to make it come true (example: Jim Bagley).
This is a product with a Sky license (the company that holds Sinclair’s and ZX Spectrum’s brand rights).
Even after all the delays, they were able to develop a computer and deliver it to the supporters of their first crowdfunding campaign. Meanwhile, they have already released a second one that, in the span of one month, raised over $2 Million from over 2,500 supporters.
We supported the first crowdfunding – being exposed here is our computer in the Accelerated version. We also supported the second crowdfunding: we tried to be the last ones just for the joke of it and to be able to say we had the last ordered Next and, with two days until the end of that deadline, we must have won a bronze medal.
Spectrum Next prototype
On display we also have a board from one of the first Next prototypes. It was given to us by Miguel Guerreiro, a Portuguese man. Miguel is one of the most relevant people in the Spectrum community nowadays, since he is the main creator of the esxDOS, which is the most used software to access contents in SD cards on a Spectrum. Miguel was involved in a possible adaptation of esxDOS for the Next, and due to that, he had access to this unique equipment.
Initial Board
- The FPGA board created by Victor Trucco, in 2016, with great success in Brazil. It has the ability of using multiple ROMs for different Spectrums/Sinclairs. This is the board the Spectrum Next was based on. Next’s firmware – TBBlue – is also based on Victor and Fábio Belavenuto’s work.
TK-Pie (ZX-Pie)
- It is an interface created by Victor Trucco that allows to connect a Raspberry Pi to a ZX Spectrum and its’ clones.
