How it started

Back in 2019 Bart created the first chat cartridge as a proof of concept.
Unlike today's cartridge, this first version did not use the ESP32, it used an Arduino Nano with an ESP8266 Serial module for the WiFi communication. The project evolved, and in 2021 it was ready for larger-scale testing. Bart crafted 10 cartridges and distributed them freely to anyone eager to partake in the experiment.
A few successful chat sessions were done, but it was quite a slow process.
Here is a picture of what it looked like back then:

The start screen was in black and white, but the chat screen was nice and colorful.

Version 2.0, a fresh start

In 2023, Theo got in touch with Bart and convinced him to revive the Chat64 project. They teamed up to redesign the hardware and rewrite the software from scratch.
They introduced new functionality such as private chat and even an A.I. Chatbot.
The hardware and all software is now open source and available on Github.

Bart and Theo testing software	Theo soldering a proto type

Features

The main feature of the cartridge is communications, users from various 8-bit computers can chat in a single room. Additionally, users can send private messages to each other for one-on-one conversations. And if there’s no one around to chat with, don’t worry—Eliza, our A.I. chatbot, is always available. Ask her anything and enjoy an engaging conversation!

  > Chat with other 8-bit enthusiasts across multiple platforms.
  > Unlock the power of A.I. with Eliza, our interactive chatbot.
  > The cartridge get automatic updates from our webserver, it stays up to date!

Eliza

Eliza is our A.I. chatbot, unlike the old Eliza you may remember from back in the day. This is true A.I.—Eliza on steroids, if you will.
Here is a bit of conversation with Eliza:

Tested platforms

The Chat64 cartridge was developed for the original C64 hardware but can be used on modern C64 compatible platforms as well.
We know the cartridge works well on the following systems: