Retro game fans are more likely to buy Analogue’s Pocket this year. The portable console that can play Game Boy, Game Gear, Neo Geo Pocket Color and Atari Lynx games with original cartridges went on pre-order last year and sold out within minutes. The company has postponed its launch to May 2021 due to the “unfortunate state of affairs and supply chain challenges”, but has published a new ad assuring interested buyers that it will sell more units in the future.
At the moment, Pocket status on the Analogue website is still “Out of Stock”, with the option to receive notification when it becomes available. Analogue’s announcement makes it clear that it will actually be available for purchase again, and that status is not permanent. Pocket is not a limited edition device, he wrote, and “[m]Pockets ore will be available for purchase in 2021. “In addition, the company is taking steps to prevent bots and money changers from snapping up units and selling them at inflated prices.
To begin with, he promises to implement robust bot protection in his store. All orders placed by bots, which normally happens when a product goes for pre-order or sale, will be canceled. In addition, the company will monitor sites like eBay for listings that resell pre-orders and report them directly to e-commerce platforms. It will also cancel all pre-orders listed for resale. Although Analogue has not said exactly when Pocket will be available for purchase again, it is encouraging interested buyers to sign up for a notification for now.