Analogue Pocket gets a new 2021 release window Eurogamer.net If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. Analogue Pocket gets a new 2021 release window Plus a slightly new design as pre-orders open. News by John Linneman Senior Staff Writer, Digital Foundry Published on 27 Jul 2020 9 comments Analogue, the company behind the FPGA driven retro consoles, such as the Mega Sg and Super Nt, has finally shared additional details on the upcoming Analogue Pocket - its first foray into the world of portable gaming. As announced last year, the idea behind the pocket is to deliver an FPGA driven console capable of playing Game Boy family cartridges either using its high-resolution internal LCD or via a dock connected to another display. Support for Neo Geo Pocket Color, Game Gear and Atari Lynx is also possible via adapters. In recent years, new screens and mods have been developed for many of these original consoles but the Pocket seeks to combine everything into a stylish casing. This was already known but we've since learned more about its features suggesting something even more ambitious. Firstly, the internal LCD screen, which uses an obscenely high-resolution 1600x1440 3.5" panel, supports variable refresh rate technology. This is key when it comes to properly handling games across different handheld systems as each device uses its own internal refresh rate. VRR ensures that judder and frame duplication won't become an issue. Analogue also confirms that the scaling and display features have been redesigned specifically around the internal LCD which should hopefully ensure even scaling and options to suit each platform. The dock is also rather robust in that it supports up to four players wirelessly while offering both digital HDMI output and support for the Analogue DAC - a digital to analog converter designed to support older CRT displays. This should enable a seamless docking experience similar to the Nintendo Switch or PSP Go. The dock supports controllers via Bluetooth, 2.4g and even wired via one of the USB ports on the back. Playing portable games on a TV is certainly interesting but the inclusion of a secondary FPGA included within the hardware is perhaps most exciting. Analogue will be launching a developer portal starting today enabling devs to build new cores for use with the Pocket. We're told that it should be possible for MiSTer developers to port their cores to the new platform as a result. Whether this will actually come to pass remains to be seen but there's a lot of potential here. The physical design has also changed slightly since the initial reveal. The start, select and home buttons have been moved to the center of the console similar to an original Game Boy as opposed to their original position along the lower right corner of the device. It's also confirmed that the Pocket will support sleep mode allowing you to jump in and out of games even when playing from cartridge. It all sounds very promising but, of course, we'll have to wait a little longer to get our hands on it. Due to the current situation with COVID, the system is now releasing in May 2021 but pre-orders will open on August 3rd, 2020 at 8am PST. The Pocket itself is priced at $199.99, which is reasonable especially when compared to the cost of modded original systems. The Dock, then, is sold separately for $99. We'll be sure to have more on this closer to release. Become a Eurogamer subscriber and get your first month for £1 Get your first month for £1 (normally £3.99) when you buy a Standard Eurogamer subscription. Enjoy ad-free browsing, merch discounts, our monthly letter from the editor, and show your support with a supporter-exclusive comment flair! Support us View supporter archive More News Splatoon 3 Amiibos will be out next month Ink-coming! 3 Fans think Phil Spencer's shelf is teasing the Xbox Game Pass streaming box UPDATE: Xbox confirms old Keystone prototype. 59 Modder dives into Demon's Souls files following PS5 jailbreak, discovers fabled Ring of the Chieftain Who knows what's nexus? 3 Google announces cloud gaming Chromebooks less than a fortnight after Stadia shutdown GeForce Now preinstalled. 10 Latest Articles Preview Football Manager's new Console edition is the best you'll get without a PC Getting Touch-right. Splatoon 3 Amiibos will be out next month Ink-coming! 3 Fans think Phil Spencer's shelf is teasing the Xbox Game Pass streaming box UPDATE: Xbox confirms old Keystone prototype. 59 Modder dives into Demon's Souls files following PS5 jailbreak, discovers fabled Ring of the Chieftain Who knows what's nexus? 3 Supporters Only Premium only Off Topic: Take a minute to appreciate Cookin' with Coolio's incredible scallops recipe. What a great book. Premium only Off Topic: Reading City of Glass in comic form "Where exactly am I going?" Premium only Off Topic: Il Buco is a transporting film about a really big hole Underlands. Off-Topic Netflix handled Sandman brilliantly It was Dreamy. 9 Buy things with globes on them And other lovely Eurogamer merch in our official store! Explore our store