🎹 Heartbeat First Look on the C64 Ultimate & Commodore News

We’re firing up the Commodore 64 Ultimate for a Heartbeat Soundtracker first look — and talking through this week’s Commodore and retro news live. Sunday, August 30, 2026 at 3:00 PM CDT. Aleksi Eeben’s Heartbeat collector box is on the desk: 8 SIDs + 7 sample channels on the C64U. We will unbox it, state the live rules, then play a short listen after the news. Not a full workstation workshop this afternoon and we'll do a full look in a later stream. 📰 News on the desk Keeping Up with the MEGA65? (Gürçe Isikyildiz) — play on stream.    • Keeping Up with the MEGA65?   ZX Spectrum Next Issue 3 — shipping update (Kickstarter Update #29) Commodore Callback reviews + 14-day send-it-back: https://commodore.net/callback · https://commodore.net/policy/returns/ Alien Breed 35th Anniversary Collection: https://commodore.net/alien-breed-35t... Commodore at Gamescom 2026 + TAC-2: https://commodore.net/the-all-new-com... MEGA65 cores — QL: https://files.mega65.org?id=c1d4f142-... · Apple IIe: https://files.mega65.org?id=09c33961-... · A500 OCS: https://github.com/sy2002/AExp VIC-20 week — Games That Weren’t: https://www.gamesthatwerent.com/categ... C64 & Plus/4 homebrew — Lemmings Reloaded: https://lunaticlab.itch.io/lemmings-r... Atari x Activision Treasure Collection: https://atari.com/products/atari-x-ac... Classic C64 collection headed to PS5: https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2026/... Commodore 77 / Cyberpunk 2077 C64 Ultimate: https://commodore.net/commodore-jacks... 🎹 Heartbeat Soundtracker Official: https://sites.google.com/view/heartbe... 📦 On the desk today SeekBox (tech-channel tease, not a review): https://seekboxstore.com/ ClonerAlliance UHD Pro video on @retroCombs-tech:    • 📀️ Archive, Capture, and Stream with the C...   🎹 M-VAVE FM-1: https://amzn.to/4zGIztz 🎹 Behringer JT-4000 MICRO: https://amzn.to/3T7jaZn Other great C64 Ultimate accessories 💾️ Floppy Disks: https://amzn.to/3DrEOj1 🎽 Sew Ready Covers: https://ebay.us/bSOPu0 🕹️ Hyperkin Trooper Controller: https://amzn.to/3l1CHXj 📺️ Prison TVs on eBay: https://ebay.us/jTv90O 🛜️ Ethernet Network Cable: https://amzn.to/4cEJyyB 🔈️ Edifier Speakers: https://amzn.to/3vymO2G 🎽️ microSD Cards: https://amzn.to/3IYL3Kn 🖱️ Tank Mouse: https://tank-mouse.com/ 🖱️ mouSTer: https://retrohax.net/shop/modulesandp... Disclosure: When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to Amazon and the eBay Partner Network. Find me online 📺 YouTube 1:    / @retrocombs   📺 YouTube 2:    / @retrocombs-tech   ☕ Buy Me A Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/retroCombs 🎥️ Subscribe:    / @retrocombs   💵 Merch: https://www.retrocombs.com/shop 📜 Blog: https://www.retrocombs.com/ ❌ X:   / stevencombs   💼 Facebook: https://fb.com/retrocombsfb 🐘 Mastodon: mastodon.social/@stevencombs Subscribe for the bi-weekly hangouts, and VIC-20 membership and up unlocks Discord plus the saved show files. 📖️ Chapter Markers: 00:00 Stream Countdown & Welcome 10:10 Audio Check & RØDECaster Duo Studio Upgrades 12:55 Super Chat Soundboard Demo ("The Lovely Accountant Thanks You!") 16:10 Live Chat Introductions & Global Audience Check-In 19:15 Retro Gear: ThinkNode M9 Meshtastic LoRa Handheld First Look 22:45 Retro Gear: Behringer JT-4000M & MVAVE FM1 Mini Synthesizers 31:20 Heartbeat Soundtracker Collector's Box Unveiled 36:00 Community Showcase: Görcha's "Keeping Up with the MEGA65" Music Video 41:40 Commodore 64 Multi-SID "Keeping Up with the Commodore" Demo 46:45 Klingon & Borg Language Editions of the MEGA65 Theme 49:45 Official Commodore News: New 14-Day Return Policy 51:30 Commodore Releases Alien Breed 35th Anniversary Edition 58:15 Commodore TAC-2 Joystick Revival & Color Choices 59:25 New MEGA65 Cores: Sinclair QL, Amiga 500 Updates & Apple IIe 01:11:40 8-Bit Homebrew Spotlight: Galaga VIC-20 & International Karate Plus/4 01:23:25 Activision 2600 Cartridge Box Set & C64 Games on PS5 01:36:10 The Commodore 77 (Cyberpunk 2077 Edition) Announced 01:42:25 Commodore 77 Hardware Specs: 77MHz Artix-7 FPGA & Arise Demo 01:50:00 Channel Memberships, Discord Community Perks & DiscMag 01:55:00 Heartbeat Soundtracker: Prototype Unboxing & Keyboard Overlay 02:03:55 Heartbeat Live Demo: 8-SID Night Rider Theme & Visualizers 🎼 Thanks to ⁨@WhiteBatAudio⁩ for all the great music! #HeartbeatSoundtracker #C64Ultimate #Commodore64 #Commodore77 #Commodore #MEGA65 #Callback #AlienBreed #Gamescom #RetroComputing #LiveStream #SID #C64News #VIC20 #Atari