this post was submitted on 12 Sep 2024
92 points (97.9% liked)

RetroGaming

19213 readers
1 users here now

Vintage gaming community.

Rules:

  1. Be kind.
  2. No spam or soliciting for money.
  3. No racism or other bigotry allowed.
  4. Obviously nothing illegal.

If you see these please report them.

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 

Analogue Pocket Limited Edition Colours: A GBC Inspired Throwback

The Analogue Pocket is set to release six new limited edition consoles with colours that pay homage to the beloved Game Boy Color. These vibrant editions will feature shades of Kiwi, Teal, Grape, Berry, Dandelion, and Gold.

Pre-orders open September 12th at 8 a.m. PT for $249.99 each. Shipping is expected to begin on September 16th.

Key Facts:

  • Inspiration: Colours reminiscent of the iconic Game Boy Color.
  • Launch Date: Limited quantities available starting September 12th.
  • Price: $249.99 per console.
  • Shipping: Begins on September 16th after order confirmation.

Analogue Pocket: The retro gaming device that offers authentic experiences by utilizing FPGA technology for hardware emulation, allowing players to enjoy classic cartridges from Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and even Game Boy Advance.


In your opinion, how do these new colours compare to their normal range?

top 23 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] [email protected] 18 points 2 months ago (2 children)

I woud love one but the price is so high. I understand the build quality is great etc. But it's still a lot of money.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

Myoo Mini It's not hardware but GB/GBC emulation is pretty accurate esp with how far shaders have come

[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 months ago

I'm having a great time with the miyoo mini plus. Great little console.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago

So obviously the price comes from the fpga hardware emulation vs software emulation, but if you didn't know: there are software emulation alternatives that are cheaper (but these emulations are kind of wrong in some very minor ways)

[–] [email protected] 13 points 2 months ago

Limited edition, just like every other product Analogue releases.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 2 months ago (1 children)

The GBC was my first console (I had the green one), I feel so much nostalgia seeing these!

But the price is far to high for my little pockets.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

You can get an sp with that price. But I'm glad they are making them.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 months ago (1 children)

At $249, you can get an SP, reshell it, stick an upgraded screen in it, and buy an EZflash Omega + micro SD card.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago

You can play just about anything via FPGA with the Analogue Pocket.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 2 months ago

That's cool but I'm still too poor for any of their products

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 months ago (2 children)

Why not just get a Steam Deck and emulate everything?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 months ago

Phones have been able to do gameboy emulation well for 10-15 years, this is for real enthusiasts who want a cool toy

[–] ramirezmike 3 points 2 months ago (4 children)

to be fair, the emulation on these devices is significantly more accurate, right?

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Yes, but I suspect that GB emulation has been perfect for a decade or 2 lol

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago

Yes, fond memories of using No$Gb on my 486 laptop back in the day to play pirated copies of Pokémon Red and Blue...

To shine a spotlight on just how long ago, the DOS version of No$Gb had a Y2K easter egg built into it, which I got to witness in real time. And it was hilarious.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 months ago

Not necessarily. Accuracy comes down to specific implemention of the emulator, hardware or software.

Where FPGA shines is it can do operations in parallel, just like actual hardware would. This means there will be a lot less latency in the emulation, giving it a feel that's close to the original hardware.

An FPGA implementation of the GBA can be as inaccurate as software emulation, and just because a game seems to play the same way doesn't mean the emulator is calculating everything in the exact same way as the original hardware. Cycle accuracy isn't technically necessary to have it still seem exactly the same so long as the timing is the same. That's what the PS1 core on the MiSTer is (timing accurate, though not perfectly cycle accurate).

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago

Not necessarily. FPGA cores are black box reverse engineered from the original hardware, which involved a lot of guess work and trial and error. Chances are there are some flaws that crop up in the process. The only way to get a 100% accurate FPGA core would be if someone used leaked HDL from Nintendo, which would be very illegal and would land that developer in court.

For example, I believe the Verilog for the N64, Gamecube, and Wii were all leaked in the gigaleak, but the person who developed the N64 core for the MiSTer never downloaded or read that code, and instead completely reverse engineered the original black box hardware to write his core. That core is not 100% accurate, and some games even require patches to function properly. Granted, that is more due to space limitations in the MiSTer FPGA, but even if there were no such limitations, it would be very unlikely that the HDL written would be functionally identical to the leaked HDL.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago

I think analogies pocket is attempting to replicate original hardware. You can plug in old games.

I like emulation cause I don't need to keep physical games on me all the time or swap them out, and I get upscaling, save states, and fast forward. Emulation is way better to me.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 months ago

If I had more physical GB/GBA carts I’d pull the trigger. But while I have a Steam Deck and plenty of other devices with good emulation, I can’t justify $250+ for a device to play retro games!

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I’m just here to spread contempt for companies that rely on manipulative business tactics to function and encourage people not to buy one for that reason alone.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 months ago

Analogue continuously limits production and comes out with all these higher priced "limited edition" versions to try to drive up sales and create a false sense of scarcity for their products. It's a pretty scummy business tactic.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago

Trying not to get scooped by Chromatic, I guess?