Commodore is back — my take on the C64 Ultimate (Starlight Edition)

I honestly didn’t expect to write this in 2025: there is a new C64 again, officially under the Commodore name. And yes, I went for the Starlight Edition.

Quick disclaimer: this is not a rational purchase. This is a "I really wanted this" purchase.

Why it still matters (to me)

The C64 Ultimate is not just retro decoration. The interesting part is the mix of:

• classic C64 feel,
• modern and reliable hardware,
• and that old "just build it" mindset.

You boot it, poke it, break it, fix it. No giant framework stack, no tooling labyrinth.

My C64 background in one minute

I got my first C64 around age 10. First games, then "backups," then BASIC, later 6502/6510 assembler. At that point, "using computers" slowly turned into "understanding computers."

That direct 8-bit feedback loop is still hard to beat.

Starlight Edition: gorgeous, but expensive

The Starlight Edition looks fantastic. But let’s be honest:

It’s not cheap.

If your metric is pure performance per euro, modern hardware wins instantly. The C64 Ultimate wins in a different category: joy, nerd factor, nostalgia, and the urge to tinker.

For me, that’s enough. For everyone else? Depends.

Offline computing as a counter-model

What really draws me in is the feeling of direct work.

• Power on, start.
• No endless chat/email/social pings.
• No background noise stealing attention every minute.

To me, this feels like a small reinvention of "offline computing": not regression, but intentional focus.

You work on the problem itself instead of constantly servicing a giant toolchain around it. That’s exactly what I remember from the original C64 days — and surprisingly much of that feeling is back.

What I want to do with it

• refresh BASIC/assembler muscle memory,
• revisit old disk archives,
• build a tiny side project,
• and see what old-school workflows are still useful today.

If something cool comes out of it, I’ll post a follow-up.

Media

For now, I’m using two license-safe images from Wikimedia Commons. I haven’t found a clearly reusable Starlight Edition image yet that I can embed without licensing concerns.

As soon as I have my own photos (or clearly licensed press assets), I’ll update this post.

C64 (front/back)

Commodore 1541 floppy drive

Sources / usage rights

• C64 Front/Back — Source: Wikimedia Commons, file: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Commodore-64_front_and_back.JPG
  Author: Evan-Amos (via Commons), License: Public Domain (CC0/PD)
• Commodore 1541 white — Source: Wikimedia Commons, file: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Commodore_1541_white.jpg
  Author: Afrank99, License: CC BY-SA 2.5 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5/)

Checked today. Usage according to the license terms on each Wikimedia file page.