**ColecoVision Emulation Comes to the Adafruit Fruit Jam — With Real Cartridge Support!**
Posted: Sat Aug 29, 2026 3:20 pm
Here’s an interesting new project for ColecoVision fans.
Dan Cogliano (“Dan The Geek”) has created **ColecoJam**, a ColecoVision emulator that runs on the **Adafruit Fruit Jam** development board. The project was released this week, with a complete setup guide published August 25 and featured by Adafruit on August 26, 2026.
ColecoJam allows the Fruit Jam to function as a small, modern ColecoVision emulation system. Games can be stored on a MicroSD card and played using one or two USB game controllers, with HDMI providing video and audio to a compatible display.
Because standard USB gamepads don't have the ColecoVision's 12-key keypad, ColecoJam maps the keypad functions to the gamepad buttons and button combinations.
But perhaps the most interesting part for collectors is an optional **ColecoVision Game Cartridge Reader**.
Dan has developed a cartridge interface that connects to the Fruit Jam and allows an **original ColecoVision cartridge to be inserted and played directly through ColecoJam**. The reader can also be used to create ROM images from cartridges you own. That makes this more than simply another software emulator—it provides a bridge between original 1980s ColecoVision cartridges and modern hardware.
To build the basic ColecoJam setup you'll need:
• Adafruit Fruit Jam
• MicroSD card
• One or two USB game controllers
• USB-C cable
• HDMI cable and compatible 640×480 display
• ColecoVision BIOS
• ColecoVision game ROMs, or the optional cartridge reader and original cartridges
The ColecoVision BIOS and commercial game ROMs are **not included** with ColecoJam. The project's documentation advises users to dump them from their own hardware/cartridges or otherwise obtain them lawfully.
It's always interesting to see new hardware and software being developed around a system that debuted **44 years ago in 1982**—especially when the project finds a way to keep the original cartridges useful.
**ColecoJam setup and documentation:**
https://danthegeek.com/2026/08/25/colec ... arn-guide/
**ColecoVision Cartridge Reader:**
https://danthegeek.com/.../reading-a-co ... n-game.../
**Adafruit announcement:**
https://blog.adafruit.com/.../a-colecov ... ulator.../
What do you think? **Would you build one—and would you use the MicroSD setup or add the cartridge reader so you could use your original ColecoVision cartridges?**
Dan Cogliano (“Dan The Geek”) has created **ColecoJam**, a ColecoVision emulator that runs on the **Adafruit Fruit Jam** development board. The project was released this week, with a complete setup guide published August 25 and featured by Adafruit on August 26, 2026.
ColecoJam allows the Fruit Jam to function as a small, modern ColecoVision emulation system. Games can be stored on a MicroSD card and played using one or two USB game controllers, with HDMI providing video and audio to a compatible display.
Because standard USB gamepads don't have the ColecoVision's 12-key keypad, ColecoJam maps the keypad functions to the gamepad buttons and button combinations.
But perhaps the most interesting part for collectors is an optional **ColecoVision Game Cartridge Reader**.
Dan has developed a cartridge interface that connects to the Fruit Jam and allows an **original ColecoVision cartridge to be inserted and played directly through ColecoJam**. The reader can also be used to create ROM images from cartridges you own. That makes this more than simply another software emulator—it provides a bridge between original 1980s ColecoVision cartridges and modern hardware.
To build the basic ColecoJam setup you'll need:
• Adafruit Fruit Jam
• MicroSD card
• One or two USB game controllers
• USB-C cable
• HDMI cable and compatible 640×480 display
• ColecoVision BIOS
• ColecoVision game ROMs, or the optional cartridge reader and original cartridges
The ColecoVision BIOS and commercial game ROMs are **not included** with ColecoJam. The project's documentation advises users to dump them from their own hardware/cartridges or otherwise obtain them lawfully.
It's always interesting to see new hardware and software being developed around a system that debuted **44 years ago in 1982**—especially when the project finds a way to keep the original cartridges useful.
**ColecoJam setup and documentation:**https://danthegeek.com/2026/08/25/colec ... arn-guide/
**ColecoVision Cartridge Reader:**https://danthegeek.com/.../reading-a-co ... n-game.../
**Adafruit announcement:**https://blog.adafruit.com/.../a-colecov ... ulator.../
What do you think? **Would you build one—and would you use the MicroSD setup or add the cartridge reader so you could use your original ColecoVision cartridges?**