The Multisystem 2 Pocket has taken another big step towards becoming a finished handheld. The team behind the MiSTer FPGA-based project has shown what it hopes will be the final physical design before production, with changes that should be particularly interesting to Sega and fighting-game fans.
Six face buttons make the cut
One of the most useful changes is a full six-button face layout. That configuration is closely associated with systems such as the Sega Mega Drive and Saturn, and it is especially useful for arcade fighting games where mapping extra actions to shoulder buttons can feel like a compromise.
The latest design also moves to a conventional cross-shaped D-pad and retains dual analogue sticks. The project has been developed openly by Heber and The Retro Collective, with community feedback feeding into successive prototypes.
A portable MiSTer-style FPGA system
The Pocket project is intended to bring the wider MiSTer FPGA experience into a self-contained handheld. Rather than using conventional software emulation, FPGA cores recreate the logic of older hardware in programmable silicon, an approach valued by retro enthusiasts for its low latency and hardware-level accuracy.
The Retro Collective first publicly launched the handheld project in May 2026 and has continued documenting its development. The September update shows the project moving beyond early industrial-design concepts towards a much more production-ready form.
The dock may be the most interesting part
The team has also confirmed plans for a dock, giving the Pocket a route to a television or monitor while charging the handheld and supporting additional hardware.
More intriguingly, the developers have discussed the possibility of expansion hardware in the dock, including a second FPGA. The suggestion is that extra FPGA resources could potentially help the platform tackle substantially more demanding systems — with Dreamcast specifically mentioned as a possibility.
That should be treated as an ambition rather than a confirmed Dreamcast feature. There is no announced Dreamcast core, final specification or guarantee that the proposed expansion will deliver it. Even so, the fact that the hardware is being designed with expansion in mind makes the dock much more interesting than a simple TV-output accessory.
The Console Revive take
The six-button layout is a smart decision. A portable FPGA machine aimed at a broad range of retro systems benefits from controls that can comfortably handle Mega Drive, Saturn-style and arcade layouts rather than forcing everything into the now-standard four-button arrangement.
For us, though, the modular dock idea is the bit to watch. FPGA hardware has become increasingly important to retro preservation and modern ways of playing original-era systems. If the Pocket can combine portability with meaningful hardware expansion, it could become much more than another retro handheld.
The Dreamcast angle is especially exciting, but we would not buy the device on that promise yet. Until the team demonstrates working hardware and a suitable core, it is best viewed as a potential future direction rather than a feature.
Console Revive will keep following the project as pricing, production timing, final specifications and the dock become clearer.
Sources:
The Retro Collective / RMC Retro — original Multisystem 2 Pocket project announcement
Time Extension — September 2026 final-design coverage
