Analogue Pocket delayed, but there's good news on the horizon

By Eric Abent/July 27, 2020 2:02 pm EST

Last year, Analogue revealed the Pocket, its newest retro console. Like the Super Nt and the Mega Sg, the idea behind the Analogue Pocket is to give players a modern way to play retro games – in this case, handheld games from systems like the Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance. When it was first revealed, it looked like an exciting handheld for retro enthusiasts, but today, we're learning that the Analogue Pocket has been delayed.

Like most things that have been hit with delays in recent months, we can probably blame this on the COVID-19 pandemic, as Analogue had to delay another upcoming console – the Nt mini Noir – because of "supply chain challenges" brought on by the outbreak. Originally slated for release sometime in 2020, the Pocket will now release in May 2021.

Pocket pre-orders will open August 3rd, 2020 8am PST. Pocket is shipping May 2021. Limit 2 per order.

Head to https://t.co/AHl6AiJr5Y for unannounced features & details, new accessories, small design changes, pricing & an FPGA developer program.

MANY announcements below: pic.twitter.com/mCK6FYxzCS

— Analogue (@analogue) July 27, 2020

That's a long way away, but the good news is that pre-orders for the Pocket will open up next week on August 3rd at 8AM PDT/11AM EDT. The Analogue Pocket will run $199.99, with an optional dock that costs $99.99. That definitely isn't cheap, but for retro game enthusiasts who have a soft sport for classic handhelds, it could definitely be worth it.

In addition to announcing the start of pre-orders today, Analogue also revealed some design changes it's making to the Pocket and its dock. They're fairly small in scope, as the Pocket has seen its start, select, and home buttons moved to the bottom center of the device instead of the lower right-hand on corner. Analogue has also added a recession on the dock to improve stability while the Pocket is placed in it.

The Pocket will support Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance games out of the box, but Analogue will also offer adapters for Game Gear, Neo Geo Pocket Color, and Atari Lynx cartridges that cost $29.99 each. Up to 4 Pockets can be connected for multiplayer titles through good old fashioned link cables too, which will be available separately. We'll let you know when Analogue shares more about the Pocket, so stay tuned for that.