The ZX Spectrum Next Plus brings back Britain’s best-ever computer – again

38 years ago, a British home computer ruled supreme: the brilliant ZX Spectrum. And then a few years later, Amstrad ate Sinclair. If you long dreamed of a world where Sir Clive’s creation instead evolved to take on the mighty Amiga, ZX Spectrum Next Plus (£300) makes it a reality. Again, because this is the second run of the Next, refining the original design – and giving people who unwisely missed out another chance to own a machine. And what a machine it is. The case echoes the original Spectrum+, but inside is a much more powerful beast with new video modes, extra sound channels, SD storage, Wi-Fi, and a 28MHz CPU. It’ll run ancient Speccy games (even loading them from tape if you’re a masochist), updated classics, and new titles created for the system – or you can code your own. Because it uses FPGA, there’s no emulation in sight, and in a neat nod to modern British computing Wizardry, the Next can be boosted by installing a Pi Zero as a co-processor. Now for another crack at Manic Miner…

Craig Grannell Contributor

About

I’m a regular contributor to Stuff magazine and Stuff.tv, covering apps, games, Apple kit, Android, Lego, retro gaming and other interesting oddities. I also pen opinion pieces when the editor lets me, getting all serious about accessibility and predicting when sentient AI smart cookware will take over the world, in a terrifying mix of Bake Off and Terminator.

Areas of expertise

Mobile apps and games, Macs, iOS and tvOS devices, Android, retro games, crowdfunding, design, how to fight off an enraged smart saucepan with a massive stick.