The Covid-19 pandemic has played havoc with entertainment releases throughout 2020 so far, and the Analogue Pocket release is the latest to fall foul to the trend. The new handheld console that we’ve all been waiting for was supposed to be launching this year, but now gamers are going to have to wait till May 2021 before they can get their hands on one.
So why is everyone getting excited? Surely that’s a bad thing?
Well, the good news is that pre-orders are opening next month, a week away from the time of writing these very words! Handheld enthusiasts will be able to oder a console from August 3rd 2020, 8am PST. At last, something to get excited about!
Everything We Know About The Upcoming Analogue Pocket Release
The Analogue Pocket handheld, for those of you that haven’t checked it out yet, will give gamers access to over 2,780 Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance carts. It’s essential a clone console that you can stick any of the above carts in.
Excited? Good, you should be.
The pre-order limits each person to two units, priced at $199.99 each. That’s £155.22 or €169.97 for any UK or European gamers. The Analogue Dock will set you back $99 (£76.85, €84.14).
Have There Been Any Design Changes?
Funny you should ask!
The company haven’t been sat about idly while the pandemic has been going on. They’ve used the time to make some nice design upgrades and have added some extra features to the device.
Looks like this delayed Analogue Pocket release might be a good thing after all!
For starters, the Start, Select, and Home buttons have been moved into the centre of the console for easy accessibility. The company state that this will make for a much more comfortable gaming experience, which can never be a bad thing.
What’s more, pressing the power button now puts the console into sleep mode. Like the Nintendo Switch, this new mode uses a small amount of power but suspends your game ready for when you want to come back to it.
The dock has also had a design change too. The USB-C port is now recessed, which means that it will be safer and much harder to break now it’s tucked nicely away. The dock, which can have four controllers connected up to it either wired or wirelessly, allows you to keep your device charged and also play your games up on your TV too.
Are There Any More Exciting Features?
There’s a new feature called ‘Original Display Modes’ that will give nostalgic gamers a feel of using the original DMG Gameboy. A whole host of accessories have also been announced too including screen protectors, a hard case, and a fast-charging power supply.
As well as being able to play all of your favourite games from the Game Boy series, you can also buy a set of special cartridge adapters to play Game Gear, Atari Lynx, and Neo Geo Pocket Color cartridges. Plus, musical gamers can get MIDI and Analog sync cables for hooking the music maker program up to their computers.
This thing is the gift that keeps on giving!
Will you be getting your wallet ready for the Analogue Pocket Release? Let us know your thoughts over on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!
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Seb Santabarbara has bought every Nintendo console that has ever been released in his 31 years on Planet Earth. His favourite game franchise is Zelda, and he’s patiently waiting for Banjo-Kazooie to come back to the fold. When he’s not playing games, he’s travelling the world in his self-converted camper van.
