High-end retro console maker Analogue has delayed the launch of the Pocket, its sleek Game Boy-like portable, to October. The company cited the global semiconductor shortage and logistical issues — there was that very large ship stuck in the Suez Canal for nearly a week that disrupted international shipping — for the delay.
The Analogue Pocket was previously slated for release in May.
“The current global state of affairs continues to create supply chain challenges outside of our control,” Analogue said in a statement posted to its support website. Component shortages and supply chain issues have contributed to “a domino effect of challenges for nearly everyone in the industry,” Analogue explained.
The company promised that it’s “working hard to get Pocket out as fast as possible.”
Analogue issued a similar statement when it delayed the Pocket last year. In July, the company said that issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic were responsible for Pocket slipping from late 2020 to May 2021. Analogue opened pre-orders for the Pocket in August, and quickly sold out.
In February, Analogue said it planned to make more Pocket handhelds to meet demand.
On Twitter, Analogue said that it will restock its other sold-out consoles soon. The company expects to have stock of its Super Nt (the Super NES clone) in April. Analogue’s Mega Sg (the Sega Genesis clone) and DAC (its digital-to-analog signal converter) will be restocked “shortly after,” the company said.
Analogue announced the Pocket in October 2019. The portable device will play Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance games natively, as well as Neo Geo Pocket Color, Atari Lynx, and Sega Game Gear games through cartridge adapters.
