So much nostalgia in one device.
For those of us born in the eighties, we've seen the real time evolution and development of game consoles across the years. We all love the traditional at-home console, but one of the things that really takes us back are the handhelds.
There were tons. From the Game Boy to the Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advanced, and the Neo Geo Pocket and Game Gear, handheld games definitely had a special place in the lives of many early game lovers.
Trying to play in the dark with no backlight, batteries running out before being able to save... Those were definitely the days, weren't they?
Now, we've got a new handheld to look forward to, and that device is called the Analogue Pocket!
Looks Like a Game Boy
The Analogue Pocket is being developed by Seattle company, Analogue, to be a device that can support play for multiple handheld game cartridges.
The device resembles a Game Boy Pocket, and allows for the insertion of gameboy cartridges to be inserted into the back of the device. Sporting a 3.5 inch display with 615ppi and 1600 by 1440 resolution (which is 10 times that of the original Game Boy), you can play all your favorite retro cartridge games in great quality.
The device will also include an sound synthesizer and sequencer called Nanoloop. This is a great feature for those who create music and do live performance as well, allowing you to do so much on a small device.
And of course, a Lithium-ion rechargeable battery. No need to worry about those AA batteries dying all of a sudden.
The Analogue Pocket will also have an ever increasingly rare 3.5mm audio jack. Will wired headphones exist by then...?
With the ability to play Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advanced games on this single machine, this grants users essentially a library of more than 2780 games. Along with the adapter set to also be released for the device, this will allow players an even larger play library with the ability to play even more handheld titles, even those of the Atari Lynx.
Docking Station
Also available at the time of the Analogue Pocket's release will be the Analogue Dock, which is set to be sold separately from the device.
According to the official site, the Analogue Dock is set to have a USB-C dock with an HDMI output to hook up the device to a television, something deemed as almost unimaginable at the time of the release of the original Game Boy.
Along with connecting the Analogue Pocket to the Analogue Station, users can then connect either wireless Bluetooth controllers or even wired controllers with USB support to the system to play directly.
Sound Production with Nanoloop
Analogue has also confirmed that their new Analogue Pocket will not just be for playing games, but for making music as well.
Included in the system is the Nanoloop sequencer, allowing users to create sounds right from the device to either capture music sounds or even play and edit those sounds live.
Here's a sample from Analogue.
With tons of unique sounds to be created, there's no doubt that Nanoloop will get a ton of use from those with the Analogue Pocket.
Release and Price
The Analogue Pocket is set to be released in 2020 at a price of US$199.99, but the price of the Analogue Dock has yet to be announced. The only announcement that has been made so far has been for the US only, so it's unknown if the Analogue Pocket will be set to be released in other countries as of yet.
By the looks of the page, the device will come in two colors: Black and White.
Register to the mailing list on the Analogue Pocket Official Site to receive the newest information on the Analogue Pocket!
