GoKawiilDeveloper builds FPGA clone of 3dfx Voodoo Graphics card paired with custom 486 CPU
An independent hardware developer has extended their z486_MiSTer project, a software-defined 486 PC built on FPGA hardware, by adding a working recreation of the original 3dfx Voodoo Graphics (SST-1) chip called zSST. Combined into a system dubbed z486 XL, running on a Xilinx KV260 board at 100 MHz, the setup can run period DOS games like Tomb Raider using their original 3dfx renderer.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
This project shows how retro computing enthusiasts are using modern FPGA boards to preserve and recreate obsolete but historically important hardware at the logic level rather than through emulation, offering more faithful timing and behavior. It also highlights how surviving source releases, like 3dfx's Glide SDK, remain crucial reference material for reconstructing discontinued technology long after the original company disappeared.
- zSST is a from-scratch SystemVerilog implementation of the 3dfx Voodoo Graphics chip, not an emulator.
- It runs alongside a custom 486 CPU core on a Xilinx KV260 FPGA board, forming the z486 XL system.
- Tomb Raider is the primary tested game so far, running with its native 3dfx rendering path.
MiSTer FPGA Analogue Pocket Dock Kit — This article's whole retro-PC recreation runs on a Xilinx Kria KV260 board, the exact FPGA platform used to bring Voodoo Graphics back to life. If you're into FPGA tinkering and recreating classic hardware like this project does, owning the same board lets you experiment with SystemVerilog designs like zSST yourself.”,
See MiSTer FPGA Analogue Pocket Dock Kit on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: nand2mario.github.io — Retro Gaming, 2026-09-15
Published there as: “Recreating Voodoo Graphics and a Late-1990s Gaming PC on an FPGA”
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