The Next Analogue Pocket Limited Edition Is Made From Aluminum, Costs $500

Isn't that price a little bonkers for a portable system like this?

I don't mean relative to how much it costs to make and such, but just the fact people are spending that much on a wee retro handheld to play some old games.

I wish they'd update the d-pad instead as it isn't quite as good as it should be imo.

If they bundled other items, like a dock, or cart adapters, but charging 300USD more just for the shell is really tough. Guess I'm keeping my plastic Pocket!

If this was a standalone console I might have one by now. I don’t feel like buying one and a dock. I don’t enjoy playing handheld, but as is it sounds like a pretty slick piece of hardware.

No clicky d-pad, no deal. They are beautiful though

@RetroGames Definitely an enthusiast-level device, although I'd argue the "regular" Pocket already was so this revision is aimed at a niche within a niche.

I could see myself considering one of these if I didn't already own a Pocket, but the metal shell isn't enough of an upgrade to swallow that price. The OG unit already felt pretty luxe.

I also have a lot of ongoing reservations about Analogue as a company. After a strong start with their earlier consoles (I adore the Mega SG and Super NT), they've become concerningly evasive and consumer-unfriendly. And while the Pocket has turned into a really nice device, that's owed largely to fantastic support from external developers doing amazing things with that second FPGA. Analogue's own support has been slow and, in my opinion, inadequate. I'd honestly be hesitant to ever buy anything from them again, which makes me sad to say after being such a fan of their earlier hardware.

@Poodlestargenerica is the d-pad mushy? My favorite d-pads are NES and Genesis 6-button. Wii U Pro also is way up there, as is TG-16.

Hoping we get some 3D news soon...!

Also hoping for an update to the Analogue Pocket OS and firmware... There are so many basic features missing from the device... like being able to sort the games by length of time played, as one really basic example.

No interest whatsoever in this variant. $500 is too much - I'd sooner use that money to buy a load of Game Gear and Gameboy Advance games since I never owned those consoles back in the day!

@Blast16 Agreed on the Wii U pro controller, my all time favorite. I use it to play emulated games on my Mac, and it's perfect. My other favorite dpad is the clicky one on the DSi.

I hope they solved the d-pad diagonal issues.
I've seen lots of reports of hyper/hyposensitivity, and I personally had to open my launch Pocket to add thin strips of electrical tape to the underside of my d-pad just so the diagonals would register.
I wasn't willing to wait weeks/months for an out of warranty swap.

I really wanted an analogue pocket when it first was announced but since it's so expensive and difficult to nab, I ended up just building a funny playing GBC for nearly half the price and it's way more fun and customizable.

I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a solid way to play Gameboy and GBC but that doesn't want to mod actual Nintendo hardware.

@Blast16 I haven't actually held one, though I was very interested from the start about what the d-pad would be like. From what I hear, it neither does the clicky tactile feel, or the more classic SNES style correctly. Personally I want to forget my finger is on a d-pad.

This is really getting stupid now...

They sure know how to milk money out of the FOMO crowd.

It's kind of annoying that analogue seems more interested in milking this product rather than making the next one. I want analogue fpga with new nintendo 2ds xl like design 😕

I have been wanting one, but thought even the editions before were to expensive. I am thinking $150 tops lol.

@Blast16 It just has the errant diagonal issues that many 8bitdo controllers and the Switch Pro controller suffers from.

You press up, down, left, or right on the dpad, and if you aren't dead center with you press, you might get a diagonal input instead.

Makes stuff like Contra and Tetris unplayable.

I guess its a little mushy like classic era dpads. I happen to like those.

@Peteykins Wii U is my favorite modern controller. I also really like Switch Pro a lot, but the d-pad needs to be the old one, but I get by with it.

My favorite third party controller would probably be the Retro-Bit Big 6, which is the Genesis 6-button layout and d-pad in the 3-button controller’s shell. Feels chunky in your hands but also smoother in use than the original. Love it!

@DestructoDisk Absolutely. I do like the older pads that are a bit mushy. I must be able to play games like Contra or Tetris!

Have they photoshopped it incorrectly?

In the head on photo the power and volume buttons are in the left side like the existing pockets. But on the side view photo the buttons are on the right side of the device.

“Precision cnc'd entirely in aluminum. With uncompromising attitude to quality. There has never been a handheld video game system like it.”

How convenient to forget about the aluminium Game Boy Micro!

@user0 you're absolutely right. Amateurs. It seems they've flipped the side view images horizontally.

I mean people bought D on CD-R, so why not? There's enough suckers out there.

Lol nope considering how these retro handhelds are churned out now I would rather spend money like that on something else.