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The Game Boy got a glow up and it’s called the Analogue Pocket. The Pocket is a reinterpretation of old-school handheld systems that can play thousands of Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance games, plus titles from other vintage devices.
The Pocket comes in either a matte black or a crisp white, with a screen that stretches the entire width of the device. There are no bright colors or obvious branding in sight, in fact, it’s entirely monotone – an ode to minimalism. The 3.5″ LCD screen offers 1600×440 resolution (according to Analogue, that’s ten times the resolution of the original Game Boy). And the Pocket plays Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance cartridges – this isn’t an emulator. Plus, Analogue has made cartridge adapters for Sega Game Gear, SNK Neo Geo Pocket Color, and Atari Lynx, as well. There’s even a dock that will output the device to an HDTV and allow you to connect Bluetooth or USB controllers.
The Pocket looks like Apple designed a Game Boy. It’s the kind of thing you’d see hip, graphic designer parents firing up while their kid is on the playground, but it’s also just a damn cool way to get your hands on the games of your childhood. This thing looks a helluva lot different than my Ice Blue Game Boy Pocket, which now resells for $600 bucks (I told you not to throw it out, mom). But that’s why the Analogue Pocket works: it’s a chic, adult version of the device we grew up loving, and with the first Game Boy game turning 30 this year, it’s certainly timely.
The Analogue Pocket isn’t just an homage to handheld gaming, however. There’s a digital audio workstation called Nanoloop pre-loaded onto the device that includes a sequencer and synthesizer, “designed for music creation and live performance.”
There’s no concrete release date, but the Analogue Pocket is set to debut in 2020 and will sell for a cool $199. You can sign up to get updates on the device here (opens in new tab), which you might want to do, as there are only limited quantities available.
Ah, nostalgia. We look back at 30 years of Game Boy: How Nintendo’s modest handheld became such a massive success (opens in new tab).
