The Analogue Pocket, a modern handheld gaming system that can play retro Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, Sega Game Gear and other cartridges, will be getting new limited edition colors inspired by the Game Boy Color, Analogue said in a press release on Tuesday. Pre-orders will go live on September 12th at 8 a.m. PDT at $250.
The GBC Color Edition of the Analogue Pocket pays homage to the original Game Boy Color lineup. This new limited edition run will include dandelion, kiwi, grape, berry, teal and gold. At $250, it's $30 more expensive than the standard black and white units.
Analogue is known for producing high-quality retro systems, but it isn't the only company making retro video game emulation hardware. Companies like Ambernic and Ayaneo have too been releasing emulation handhelds at a frequent clip. The main differentiating factor between Analogue and other retro handheld makers is that the Pocket uses field-programmable gate arrays which allows for hardware emulation of classic systems. Unlike other manufacturers which opt for software emulation, FPGAs behave most similarly to the hardware its trying to emulate, allowing for minimal latency and better overall game compatibility.
Analogue products typically launch with high demand at limited quantities, especially drops of limited edition colorways. Some fans have criticized Analogue for dipping its toes too frequently in the limited edition pond, accusing the company of trying to get repeat sales of systems people may have previously purchased. It doesn't help that the standard black and white Analogue Pocket units frequently are out of stock. Limited-edition color drops typically sell out quickly, with some ending up on sites like eBay soon after for inflated prices. The aluminum edition, which came out in July, did take longer to sell out than past drops but price was likely a factor as it was more than double the price of a standard Pocket at $500.
Like past limited-edition drops, the GBC Colors edition will likely sell out quickly.