Analog
Analogue has released multiple variations of the Analogue Pocket, its Game Boy-style handheld console that can play old cartridges and game ROMs using its FPGA chip. But until now, all of those designs have been riffs on the regular Pocket’s black (or white) plastic chassis.
The company’s latest Pocket iteration may appeal more to those who prefer the sturdiness and durability of anodized aluminum over the cheap practicality of plastic. On July 15, the company will release a limited run of all-aluminum Analogue Pocket consoles in four different colors: white, gray, black, and a Game Boy Advance-esque indigo. The company says that “every single component” of these consoles is “completely CNC’d from aluminum,” including not only the frame but every single button as well.
The new material does come at a cost: an aluminum Pocket costs $500, more than twice as much as a regular plastic Pocket, which costs $220.
The aluminum versions of the Pocket run the exact same software as the standard plastic versions, and are compatible with the same cartridges and accessories. Analogue’s site doesn’t compare the weight of the aluminum and plastic Pocket consoles, though intuitively we’d expect the metal one to be heavier. The aluminum consoles begin shipping on July 17.
Analog
When the Pocket first launched in late 2021, ongoing supply chain disruptions and high demand led to months-long waits for initial models. Things have improved somewhat since then: You can’t just open Analogue’s store on a random day and pick one up, but the base black-and-white plastic models do restock on a fairly regular basis. Analogue has also released several special editions of the handheld, including one made of glow-in-the-dark plastic and a colorful series of models reminiscent of Nintendo’s mid-’90s “Play It Loud!” hardware refresh for the original Game Boy.
While we liked the Pocket a lot in our original review , the hardware has become much more capable thanks to a series of post-launch firmware updates. In the summer of 2022, Analogue added OpenFPGA support to the Pocket, allowing the FPGA chip to emulate consoles like the NES, SNES, Sega Genesis, and others, in addition to the portable systems the Pocket was designed for. Updates towards the end of 2023 allowed those third-party emulation cores to use their own display filters, allowing them to replicate the look and feel of classic CRT TVs and other displays.
The updates also fixed several bugs in the system. The latest update is version 2.2, released in March, which primarily adds support for the Analogue Pocket Adapter Set, which allows other types of vintage game cartridges to be inserted into the Pocket’s cartridge slot.