Casio is adding a new handheld sampler to its repertoire. At The NAMM Show 2026, the company had a prototype of the SX-C1 on show for attendees to play with. There is no release date or price point yet, but the sampler is already making a buzz in the music production world.

Members of the Casio team emphasised the word “fun” when discussing the product, which aligns with its design — it does look very much like a classic Game Boy. The SX-C1, crucially, is also a work-in-progress. Many details are not final and were labelled as “TBD” at NAMM 2026.

Alongside a 1.3-inch OLED display is a directional pad for moving across its built-in step sequencer, among other functions, and buttons labelled with letters for performing specific tasks. Further down, there are 16 LED-backed buttons with an 8-bit-esque font to add to the fun feel of the device. Jog wheels and sliders can adjust the built-in effects array and trim uploaded pieces of audio.

In terms of its technical capability, the SX-C1 can sample sounds at 16-bit/48kHz. It has a built-in microphone and an analogue audio input, and has 64GB internal storage with 10 banks of 16 samples. Its USB-C input can be used to transfer files between devices and stream audio to capture samples in real time. The USB-C can also power the device, and for full mobile functionality, AAA batteries are an option as well; however, currently, the battery life is advertised as two hours, which is far below the expected capacity. Even this is labelled as TBD, though.

We caught the SX-C1 at The NAMM Show 2026, where Casio was displaying two units and some basic info. You can check that out below.

The last compact Casio sampler was the SK-1 keyboard, released over 40 years ago, in 1985. Among the users of the SK-1 were notable artists such as IDM originator Autechre and drum & bass legend DJ Hype. Who knows where the SX-C1 will end up if it makes it to retail?

Check out more gear drops from NAMM 2026.

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