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:
Start screen in 2021
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 Theo
Bart and Theo testing software Theo soldering a proto type

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:

Original Hardware

The Cartridge has been tested on most revisions of the original Commodore 64 and Commodore 64c.

c64

The C128 and C128D

Users have reported full functionality on the C128 and C128D.
c128

The Mega65

Users have reported full functionality on the Mega65.





For more info about the Mega65, goto: mega65.org
mega65

The C64 Reloaded MK2

Users have reported full functionality on the C64 Reloaded MK2.
More info about the Reloaded MK2:
http://wiki.icomp.de/wiki/C64_reloaded_mk2
C64reloadedMk2

The Ultimate64

Users have reported full functionality on different versions of the Ultimate64 (elite).
Note that the cartridge uses its own Wi-Fi connection and does not utilize the Ultimate64's network capabilities.







More info: https://ultimate64.com/
Ultimate64

Media

Retro Recipes

In 2024 the Chat cartridge got featured on Perifractic's Retro Recipes:


Zapp!64

Chat64 was covered as a new flash article in Zapp!64, issue 19 Mar-Apr 2024