The Analogue Pocket is a field-programmable gate array-based handheld game console designed and manufactured by Analogue;[2] it was announced on October 16, 2019 and released on December 13, 2021.[3] It is designed to play games for handhelds of the fourth generation of video game consoles and earlier generations.
Manufacturer | Analogue |
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Type | Handheld game console |
Generation | Ninth generation |
Release date | December 13, 2021 |
Introductory price | US$219.99 |
Media | Game cartridges (Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Sega Game Gear, Neo Geo Pocket, Neo Geo Pocket Color, Atari Lynx, and TurboGrafx-16), SD card |
Operating system | Analogue OS[1] |
CPU | Altera Cyclone V, Altera Cyclone 10 |
Display | 3.5" backlit 1600x1440 LTPS LCD display |
Connectivity | 3.5 mm headphone jack, Game Boy link cable, MicroSD, USB-C (power and dock interface) |
Website | www |
The device features a design similar to the Nintendo Game Boy,[4] including a physical cartridge slot at the rear of the console. Additional connectivity is provided via microSD card support and USB-C connectivity. Support for wireless controllers and HDMI output is also available through a proprietary docking solution.[5]
The Analogue Pocket is designed around an Altera Cyclone V field-programmable gate array, which it uses to replicate the hardware of the Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance handheld consoles.[6] Adapters are available separately which allow the use of Game Gear, Neo Geo Pocket, Neo Geo Pocket Color and Atari Lynx game cartridges and TurboGrafx-16, PC Engine, and SuperGrafx HuCards.[7] This FPGA is also open for developers to create other "cores". The Analogue Pocket includes an additional FPGA[8] for system management.
The Analogue Pocket was announced on October 16, 2019.[9][10][11][12] Its release was delayed three separate times since the initial press release. Analogue cited global chip shortages due to the COVID-19 pandemic as the reason for the product’s delay until December 2021.[13]
A glow-in-the-dark version of the Pocket (Pocket Glow) was launched in September 2023,[14][15] and models with the colors the Game Boy was available in were launched in November.[16]
A Pocket 1.1 system update was planned for launch in January 2022, but was delayed to July. The update introduced an implementation of the PDP-1 system together with the game Spacewar!, as well as save states and "info cards" that display information about inserted Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance and Game Gear games.[17]
In December 2023, Analogue released firmware versions 1.2 and 2.0. Version 1.2 fixed issues with sleep/wake and save states, added FPGA compatibility with cartridge adapters and allowed FPGA cores to detect when the Pocket is docked.[18]
Version 2.0 added custom color palette support for Game Boy games and the ability for FPGA cores to switch aspect ratios when docked. It also fixed a "video issue with some openFPGA cores and resolutions" when docked.[18]
The Analogue Pocket has the following hardware specifications:[19][20]
Size | Approximately 3.4 by 5.86 by 0.86 inches (86 mm × 149 mm × 22 mm) (WxHxD) |
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Screen | 3.5 inch backlit LTPS LCD display, variable refresh 30 Hz - 62 Hz |
Display size | 3.5 in (89 mm) diagonal |
Power | 4300 mAh Lithium Ion battery
USB-C charging with 18W fast charging |
Battery life | 6–10 hours |
CPU | Altera Cyclone V with 49k LEs
Altera Cyclone 10 with 15k LEs |
Memory | 3.4 MB BRAM
2x 16 MB 16-bit Cellular RAM 64 MB 16-bit SDRAM 256 KB 16-bit Asynchronous SRAM |
Resolution | 1600 (w) × 1440 (h) pixels (10:9 aspect ratio, allowing a 10x integer scale of the original Game Boy and Game Boy Color) |
Sound | Stereo speakers, 3.5 mm headphone jack |
In a 2021 review, Sam Machkovech of Ars Technica praised the Pocket's screen, accuracy in simulating Nintendo hardware, audio quality, controls and other features, but criticized its uneven weight distribution and lack of clarity on how the add-on functionality would work. His verdict reads, "What, did you miss all the glowing praise? Buy it—if you can."[21]
In 2022, Brendan Nystedt of Wired gave the Pocket a score of 8/10, praising its screen, controls, compatibility with Nintendo cartridges and potential with OpenFPGA, but criticizing its volume and power buttons as "annoying", the lack of protection for the cartridge slot and the inferior layout for Game Boy Advance games. He wrote, "If you don't care about the nostalgia brought on by using an actual Nintendo Game Boy, the Analogue Pocket might be the ultimate upgrade for your retro games collection."[22]
The Analogue Pocket won a Red Dot Design Award in 2022[23] It was nominated for Wallpaper's 2019 Design Awards.[24] The Pocket was also awarded two Fast Company awards for Best Product Design of 2020[25] and Best Design Innovations of 2020 in the North America region.[26]