Pocket pre-orders ship at the latest in December, Analogue said in a post on its website. “Unfortunately, due to new covid restrictions with our assembly partners, their capacity to deliver within our agreed timeframe has been affected,” Analogue explained. “This has created a domino effect of delays beyond our control in what would otherwise be a seamless process.” Analogue said after Christmas, Pocket and all accessories will be restocked and shipping immediately. This is the latest in a string of pandemic-fuelled delayed for the retro handheld. It was once due out last year, before being shifted to May, then to October. “We understand how frustrating this is,” the company continued. “It’s very frustrating for us, too. We are excited to get these amazing devices in your hands as soon as possible.” Analogue said those who have pre-ordered can cancel for a refund by emailing support. Pocket is Analogue’s first foray into the world of portable gaming. The idea is to deliver a field programmable gate array (FPGA) driven console capable of playing Game Boy family cartridges either using its high-resolution internal LCD or via a dock connected to another display. Support for Neo Geo Pocket Color, Game Gear and Atari Lynx is also possible via adapters. In recent years, new screens and mods have been developed for many of these original consoles but the Pocket seeks to combine everything into a stylish casing.
