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Why We Created a Collection About the R4

When I was a kid, my parents gave me an R4 card for my birthday.
That small gift unlocked endless possibilities on my console.

With it, I could install anything I wanted: new apps, movies, music, it completely changed the way I experienced my device.

Years later, I launched tern, a clothing brand rooted in internet culture. For me, the R4 felt like an essential subject to document through tern, because it represented freedom, creativity, and a new way of thinking about technology.

Together with the team, we spent weeks trying to track down the people behind the R4: from the first hackers who discovered the security flaws, to the factories that produced the cartridges, and even the ones that made the packaging. Nobody dared to answer us.

So we decided to release this collection as a tribute. We are not affiliated with any company.

During our research, we also realized that the R4 became legendary because of its countless clones and variations. Different actors around the world adopted, modified, improved, and rebranded it.

It was a wild, rule-free universe that reached millions of young people, giving them new ways to unlock possibilities on their consoles.

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