LowRes NX is a fantasy console: an imaginary, purely software machine whose specifications were deliberately restricted to recapture the spirit of 8-bit consoles. Created by Timo Kloss and released in 2017, it displays a 216 × 128 pixel picture and handles background layers, hardware sprites and four audio voices, exactly like a late-80s console — except everything is programmed from a modern computer or phone.
Its distinctive feature is the language: LowRes NX games are written in BASIC, a modern dialect extended with instructions dedicated to the machine's display and sound. An .nx cartridge is in fact nothing more than a text file containing the program and its graphical data: you can open it in an editor, read the game's code and change it. That makes it an excellent way into game programming, and a good share of its library consists of beginners' creations published on the project's forum.
| Type | Fantasy console |
| Author | Timo Kloss |
| Availability | 2017 |
| Resolution | 216 × 128 pixels |
| Video | background layers and hardware sprites |
| Sound | 4 voices |
| Language | BASIC |
| Controller | Mandatory |
📷 Screenshot coming soon:
system-lowresnx.png
Emulator availability per board:
| Emulator | RPI3/RPI02W | RPI4/400 | RPI5/500 | OGA/OGS/RG351 | PC | RG353 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Libretro lowresnx | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
The system relies on a single emulator, Libretro lowresnx, available on every board. Netplay and RetroAchievements are not available on this system. CRT output is supported.
No BIOS is required for this system.
Put your games in:
/recalbox/share/roms/lowresnx/
Accepted extensions: .nx, .zip, .7z
An .nx file contains the whole game: the BASIC program and its data. Community creations can be downloaded from the project's official website and forum.