Analogue Pocket: Something Gamers Can Look Forward

Let's face it; it has been a pretty horrific 12 months across the world. With the dawn of the new year comes added hope that we can soon resume everyday life, but in the meantime, we have something gamers can look forward to. There are several new devices for 2021, from handhelds to consoles and including the analogue pocket, which is what we are going to talk about today. If you are a fan of retro, old school, and handheld game consoles, you are going to simply adore this latest addition to the market. Set for release in May you will be able to play old cartridges and relive your gaming youth. You can even introduce the next generation to the past!

Introducing the Analogue Pocket

The Analogue Pocket is so named because this, of course, is the digital age. So, anything analogue must be old, right? Well, this is a new technology made to look like old technology showcasing the best of new technology, confused? Don't be; this is actually an utterly brilliant invention from a company who hails from Seattle. While you can still get your hands-on retro handheld consoles, this one device will be able to play all of your Gameboy, Gameboy colour, and Gameboy Advance games without any need to add additional software or hardware. What's more, it will also offer you access to some cracking game cartridges from the Atari Lynx, Game Gear, or Neo Geo Pocket Colour for the latter three you do have to make an additional purchase to get the cartridge adapter, but this will only set you back approximately £30 which to be fair is not a lot more for all that extra gameplay.

The Look

Of course, in order to stay true to their mission, the console has a look and feel of an old-style Gameboy. The top half is the LCD screen and the bottom half offering the cross and dot controls. When it finally releases you will be able to order a black or white console, and although it is slightly delayed, it is undoubtedly well worth the wait. Many people have been on the pre-order list for months, and we are on the home straight with not much longer to go. It is worth mentioning that the console actually plays the original game cartridges; this is not an emulation, it is a total return to retro gaming. The whole reason the company exists is to preserve how they remember the quaint gaming experience to its most authentic and genuine roots. This is old school gaming making a comeback. It is fair to say that as technology has moved on and graphics have become enormously enhanced, so the visual experience may be much better on newer devices, however, we still love Old School. The screen is 3.5 inches and offers a Gorilla Glass finish, giving it a little bit of added protection if you happen to drop it. The resolution is pretty impressive at 1600 by 1400 pixels which runs rings around the original Gameboy resolution of 160 by 144 pixels. It doesn't take a math genius to work out that this is ten times better in terms of the original display.

But Better is Not Authentic

True dyed in the wool gamers may say that if you are looking for a retro experience, you really can't use modern technology that gives you something better. Well, the people at Analogue Pocket have thought of that too. You can actually pick an option that gives you the chance to play the games in original ratio in an original format: bugs, flaws, problems and all so, if you want to play your game in the original grainy pixel settings you can. One advance in technology that we are sure people will love is the fact that there are no longer batteries required. Instead, you have a 4300mAh battery that offers USB-C charging so there is less danger of running out of power right at the crucial moment as you take on the big boss level. It can then be recharged and ready to start again, offering potentially 6 to 8 hours of solid gameplay, although if you change the settings to low power and sleep mode, you can probably push that figure up to 10 hours of gameplay. The other good news is that once you have finished playing, all you need to do is hit the power button and your progress is automatically saved. The device goes nicely into sleep mode, so there is no danger of losing your game data when the device powers down.

To Sum it Up

There really isn't anything bad we can say about the analogue pocket handheld console. It will release in May, and you can simply grab yourself the basic console or add some extras including the adapter cartridge mentioned above or the dock which will set you back a further £100. This does have built-in Bluetooth which enables you to connect wireless controllers and potentially support up to four players. If you prefer a wired experience, the dock has two USB ports where you can connect your wired controllers. Finally, the fun does not stop with playing games, because you can also use the handheld with GB Studio and create your own unique games. We will leave the full details of that for another article but let's just say it is a super cool feature and will appeal to many users.