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I’ve seen a lot of goons buying and discussing the Analogue Pocket on the main retro games discussion thread.I just got mine and I'm excited to play it and talk about it. Introduction The Analogue Pocket is a portable FPGA gaming console with design styling that is reminiscent of the original Gameboy. The Analogue company is famous for making FPGA versions of classic game consoles like the NES, Genesis, and SNES. The pocket sports an amazing screen, core support and a cartridge slot. What is an FPGA? In the last few years FPGA retro gaming has become huge with devices like the MiSTer FPGA and Analogue consoles. FPGA stands for Field Programmable Gate Array. A normal computer chip is hard coded to do a specific instruction set, for example an x86 processor. But an FPGA can be reprogrammed on the fly to recreate many different chips. By recreating chips in hardware via the FPGA you can obtain very accurate hardware emulation of various devices such as arcade machines and home consoles. The biggest advantage I see with FPGA vs software emulation is latency and accuracy. With a good FPGA core, it feels just like playing on real hardware. Review of Analogue Pocket I’m a huge fan of the MiSTer FPGA system but wanted a device to game on the road with, I considered modding out a GBA but then I read about the Pocket. I received my Pocket after about a year wait from preordering. I was excited to open the box and was impressed immediately by the build quality, it feels substantial and not cheap. The unit is similar and shape and size to the original Gameboy. I put my microSD card in it, fired up the console and after a short firmware update was off to gaming. I tested the SNES core with Super Mario World, the NES core with Tetris and the Street Fighter 2 arcade core. All ran perfectly and the controls were tight from the D-Pad to the face buttons. I play a ton of NES Tetris which requires quick controls, and it worked great. My one complaint about the controls is the shoulder buttons are a little hokey because of the vertical form factor. The screen gets a lot of rave reviews and for good reason. It’s extremely sharp and has a perfect size/ aspect ratio for retro games. Fun fact its 1600x1440 resolution is ten times the original Game Boy screen resolution. I found it also worked well for SNES and NES games. The small size of the screen made the graphics look sharp but not overly pixelated. Currently there are not display filters available for cores like cartridges have now but reportedly they will come. In addition to cores the system can play original cartridges. Out of the box it can load GB, GBC, and GBA carts but GG, Neo Geo Pocket, Lynx and TG16 adapters are available. It’s a neat feature and allows you to use carts with unique hardware like a Gameboy Camera, a rumble Pak, or Kirby tilt and tumble. The cartridge slot itself is a bit of a compromise to be able to host all these different console carts and isn’t as tight as I would like. Some people have complained that the Pocket is overpriced and undercapable when compared to a Steam Deck, Abernic, or similar console. I think those people don’t understand the FPGA niche and it’s probably not the device for them. My biggest criticism of the Pocket is the nickel and diming from the company for add-ons. This is seen in the lack of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi built in to the device. I’d love to be able to use a BT controller and listen to game audio over Bluetooth plus manage games/saves over wi-fi. It feels like this was left out intentionally so that Analogue could sell their $99 dock which includes Bluetooth and HDMI output but no wi-fi. While the Pocket has USB-C it can only be used with their spendy dock. It feels way overpriced considering USB-C docks for laptops are $20 on Amazon. If you want to use non-Gameboy carts in the cartridge slot you can be looking at spending upwards of $130 from the Analogue store for all the adapters. Overall, I am very impressed by the device and think it’s well worth the price. I look forward to spending many hours playing classic games. I’d recommend it to anyone who is looking for a portable MiSter-like device or has a collection of Gameboy carts they’d like to play. Pros The only portable FPGA system commercially available. Good build quality and controls. Great selection of arcade and console cores. Excellent screen with good aspect ratio for retro games. Allows playing of original cartridges for GB, GBA, GG and others. Cons FPGA is limited compared to some other portable consoles and tops out at 16-bit consoles. Less cores available than MiSTer for example no PlayStation or Saturn cores. No Bluetooth or Wi-fi built in. Output to external display or using Bluetooth controllers requires a $100 proprietary dock. Using non-Gameboy carts requires spendy adapters. Where to buy You can buy from the Analogue store if in stock or scalpers on Facebook, eBay etc if not. https://store.analogue.co/ Loading Cores You need a microSD card for storage. It doesn’t have to be huge; I use a 128GB card and it has tons of free space. After connecting the MicroSD card to your computer you can use a utility to load it up with arcade cores and console cores. The best utility I’ve found is Pocket Updater. It has a simple user-friendly interface and doesn’t require installation. Point it to your SD card and click update is about all you need to do. https://github.com/RetroDriven/Pocket_Updater
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Sep 2, 2023 00:21
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I feel really guilty for not having touched mine for a few months. I might have to remedy that today. It's such a neat device.
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Sep 2, 2023 17:35
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As much as I love the device, I think the screen may be too small for me for things other than GB/GBC. Even GBA feels a little too cramped. I hope Analogue releases a larger one someday with maybe a more horizontal form factor. It’s fantastic otherwise and it’s amazing to have FPGA in a form factor like this. I hope more cores keep getting ported from mister.
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Sep 3, 2023 11:04
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SeANMcBAY posted:As much as I love the device, I think the screen may be too small for me for things other than GB/GBC. I got mine the other day and agree with this sentiment, it's fantastic for Gameboy\GBC and Game Gear, and I suspect if NeoGeo Pocket ever makes it onto it that'll be great too. I like GBA better on the steam deck, because the shoulder buttons are awkward on the Pocket and the larger screen is nicer. SNES looks amazing in square pixel mode, though. I 3D printed a grip and that improved the ergonomics tremendously: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5893526
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Sep 3, 2023 18:32
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Have to agree with this now that it's mentioned, I'd love to have a Pocket XL. The form factor and size are great as is, but maybe by getting rid of the huge bezel they could increase the screen size without changing the actual size of the device? I play mine docked all the time anyway, so I usually don't care about the size of the screen. But it's nice to go portable and continue a game somewhere away from home. I tried ordering the glow in the dark version on Friday, but I was on my phone and had to do the captchas 3 or 4 times. By the time I got to payment info they removed it from my cart.
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Sep 3, 2023 22:09
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digital penitence posted:Have to agree with this now that it's mentioned, I'd love to have a Pocket XL. The form factor and size are great as is, but maybe by getting rid of the huge bezel they could increase the screen size without changing the actual size of the device? After playing more I would also love a Pocket XL, whether that is just a bigger screen or a new device. Five inches like the Vita would be great IMO. I'd be willing to pay a premium price too.
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Sep 4, 2023 02:06
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Played some NES last night and I'm getting more used it. I just not need to game on a tv right before and then it doesn't seem so tiny. The lack of input lag is extremely apparent in Punch Out. I could actually beat Mike Tyson on this thing. I regret spending so much money on mediocre retro collections on my Switch now.
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Sep 4, 2023 22:26
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SeANMcBAY posted:Played some NES last night and I'm getting more used it. I just not need to game on a tv right before and then it doesn't seem so tiny. Yeah, it's not so bad when you get used to it, and also depends on the game. Input lag is so important, especially after you notice it. I'd never go back to a Chinese emulator handheld, even though some of them are decent. I really hope Analogue releases the scanlines for OpenFPGA by the end of this year. Although I will most likely be buying the Tink 4K when it releases, so I'll just run the dock through that. But it would be nice to finally have scanlines while playing handheld too.
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Sep 5, 2023 12:37
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My GITD Pocket is to supposed to be delivered today but it literally hasn’t had an update since the label was printed. The shop apps keeps saying it’s coming today. Anyone experience this?
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Sep 6, 2023 19:27
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Analogue, get your poo poo together. DAC support for the pocket please! Mine is collecting dust!
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Sep 6, 2023 21:06
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IG-88 posted:My GITD Pocket is to supposed to be delivered today but it literally hasn’t had an update since the label was printed. The shop apps keeps saying it’s coming today. Anyone experience this? The tracking is wonky and mine sat for days with label printed status. 8/25 label is printed, 8/31 tracking finally shows status, 9/1 it’s actually delivered.
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Sep 6, 2023 21:58
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digital penitence posted:Input lag is so important, especially after you notice it. I'd never go back to a Chinese emulator handheld, even though some of them are decent. Yep, it’s very noticeable. I beat the FDS version of SMB2 Lost Levels last night for the first time and it definitely helped.
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Sep 7, 2023 18:34
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wonderswan when
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Sep 7, 2023 18:40
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Echo Chamber posted:wonderswan when There is a wonderswan color core already. I’ve heard of the console but never played. What games would you recommend?
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Sep 7, 2023 18:48
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Oh. I figure it still might be complicated with the Swan's button layout and lack of a cartridge adapter, though I'm aware of people working their way around that. I haven't owned a Swan. No experience with the system's library. That's exactly why I'm curious.
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Sep 7, 2023 18:59
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I've heard that the challenge with WonderSwan is that it had a higher screen refresh rate than the Pocket's screen supports (75Hz vs. 62Hz, I think). Any WS implementation is going to suffer from screen tearing or other screen sync issues.
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Sep 7, 2023 23:11
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Dr. Spitesworth posted:I've heard that the challenge with WonderSwan is that it had a higher screen refresh rate than the Pocket's screen supports (75Hz vs. 62Hz, I think). Any WS implementation is going to suffer from screen tearing or other screen sync issues. The MiSTer implementation can do 60hz or 75.4hz. But only if your monitor supports it and 75.4hz sure is an oddball for a console. The pocket can only run 60hz for wonderswan but allegedly the screen tearing isn’t that bad. I don’t think we will see a cartridge adapter anytime soon. The controls also are worked around. The GitHub explains how the controls and screen limitations work for the core. https://github.com/agg23/openfpga-wonderswan Apparently there are a few good games available like Mr. Driller but I’m most excited about playing bad games. Like the mega man game titled “Rockman & Forte: Mirai Kara no Chōsensha” where your bosses are a bbq, a fan (named air con man), and compass man. Although only released in Japan of course there is a fan translation: https://www.romhacking.net/translations/2660/
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Sep 8, 2023 00:12
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My favorite WonderSwan games are Gunpey and Ganso JaJaMaru-kun, a remake of an arcade platform NES game I like even though it has jank stuttery scrolling. This remake fixes that. The core seems to be pretty good on the Pocket, I hope someone makes an accurate filter once they’re on openfpga since I’ve never messed with a real WS.
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Sep 8, 2023 19:49
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My package has apparently made it stateside to LA and it’s somewhere between Skidrow and Chinatown
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Sep 9, 2023 00:17
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PSA: Just get rid of the goo with your finger. No need for chemicals. You're welcome.
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Sep 9, 2023 01:15
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SeANMcBAY posted:Yep, it’s very noticeable. I beat the FDS version of SMB2 Lost Levels last night for the first time and it definitely helped. I also beat the hidden worlds and I’m pretty proud of myself. This thing actually makes me want to play old games in my backlog. I think I’ll finally get to Wario Land 3 and 4. 2 is one of my favorite games ever so it’s weird I never actually completed those.
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Sep 9, 2023 21:13
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Wario Land 3 is definitely a great game. WL4 is supposed to be, too, but I've never gotten deep into it - I had 3 as a kid though, and it obsessed me.
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Sep 9, 2023 21:17
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death cob for cutie posted:Wario Land 3 is definitely a great game. WL4 is supposed to be, too, but I've never gotten deep into it - I had 3 as a kid though, and it obsessed me. I like how different each one is.
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Sep 9, 2023 21:48
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death cob for cutie posted:Wario Land 3 is definitely a great game. WL4 is supposed to be, too, but I've never gotten deep into it - I had 3 as a kid though, and it obsessed me. The Wario Land games are great! I can vouch for WL4, I played it when it came out and absolutely loved it. It’s WL3 I’ve never played, so I’m the opposite. I should really give it a shot.
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Sep 10, 2023 10:30
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4 I gave up on back then since the time limits stressed me out. Same reason why I couldn’t play Majora’s Mask and Pikmin. Now that kinda stuff doesn’t bother me.
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Sep 10, 2023 15:40
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Yeah, someone let me know when I can order one without going through a scalper. Just the regular model. I was checking on its dock because I want to guarantee the thing will still play somehow even if the screen/battery goes to hell in the future. Apparently it's completely proprietary and nothing but their dock can do HDMI or accept controllers? Yikes.
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Sep 10, 2023 16:59
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Detective No. 27 posted:I feel really guilty for not having touched mine for a few months. I might have to remedy that today. It's such a neat device. If you might want to sell it without nasty scalpers markup… let me know
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Sep 13, 2023 16:13
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The cartridge slot wasn’t a big draw for me but it’s cool to have! I picked up a Japanese copy of the game Warioware Twisted from eBay for $30. The cartridge has a rumble pack and gyroscope. There’s over 200 tiny mini games and most use the gyroscope. It’s a very bizarre and fun game. The Japanese version frequently sells for half or less of the English version. The game is action driven and I feel I’m not missing much by having it in Japanese. Plus google translate on the phone can cover a lot. I would not recommend emulating it as the gyro and rumble add a ton to the game. It’d be like playing a lightgun game with a controller, technically the game is the same but you took the soul/fun out of it. Apparently the rumble motor in these games can die but it’s easily replaced with a cellphone rumble motor. Mine is currently rumbling strong. The cart sticks out a good bit from the back:  Here’s a pretty good review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rOLirYFOwo
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Sep 19, 2023 23:51
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mysteryberto posted:The cartridge slot wasn’t a big draw for me but it’s cool to have! I picked up a Japanese copy of the game Warioware Twisted from eBay for $30. The cartridge has a rumble pack and gyroscope. There’s over 200 tiny mini games and most use the gyroscope. It’s a very bizarre and fun game. The Japanese version frequently sells for half or less of the English version. The game is action driven and I feel I’m not missing much by having it in Japanese. Plus google translate on the phone can cover a lot. This game is probably the strongest reason for owning some way (Analogue Pocket or not) to play actual GBA carts in a handheld format. Or at least, the only one I actually care about.
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Sep 20, 2023 01:28
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I completed that game long ago so I don’t really need it again (great game btw) but I do kinda want to get a Game Boy Camera again.
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Sep 20, 2023 02:27
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I got that game for like 700 yen back when I got my Pocket at launch. It rules. I really love the feel of the motor, sort of like flipping through a month/day/year rolling input box on an iPhone (dunno if current iPhones still do this tbh). I don't think there have been any updated "feature roadmaps" for openFPGA but RIP to Q2 for those original screen modes I guess eh.
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Sep 20, 2023 06:16
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https://twitter.com/analogue/status/1706322795158741344?s=46&t=zpYUUMLitkL1LQfCkNP_qA
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Sep 25, 2023 16:03
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SeANMcBAY posted:https://twitter.com/analogue/status/1706322795158741344?s=46&t=zpYUUMLitkL1LQfCkNP_qA This is the kind of thing I originally wanted but they sound very limited from that release. This this should have been the primary release as far as I'm concerned. I want to play it loud.
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Sep 25, 2023 17:26
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DisposableHero posted:This is the kind of thing I originally wanted but they sound very limited from that release. This this should have been the primary release as far as I'm concerned. I want to play it loud. Same. Those all look awesome. I’d probably buy clear or smoke clear. https://store.analogue.co/#pocket-limited-editions Seems kind of crappy to be pushing all these limited edition colors at $250 while the base colors at $220 are sold out.
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Sep 25, 2023 17:49
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SeANMcBAY posted:https://twitter.com/analogue/status/1706322795158741344?s=46&t=zpYUUMLitkL1LQfCkNP_qA How is it that I had to wait 11 months each for the Pocket and Dock but these will ship in weeks? Was the pandemic that devasting in the supply chain? Also, Is there a way to get the SNES classic controllers working on the Dock? It recogizes them but won't connect.
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Sep 25, 2023 18:10
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Island Nation posted:How is it that I had to wait 11 months each for the Pocket and Dock but these will ship in weeks? Was the pandemic that devasting in the supply chain? Which SNES controller? I have the Switch online one and it connected immediately.
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Sep 25, 2023 19:10
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SeANMcBAY posted:Which SNES controller? I have the Switch online one and it connected immediately. The Switch online ones
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Sep 25, 2023 22:26
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Island Nation posted:The Switch online ones Maybe try connecting it to your Switch and updating the controller firmware in settings then try it again on the Pocket?
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Sep 25, 2023 22:28
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I also have zero issue with the Switch SNES controller, in fact it's my preferred controller because all of my 2.4g 8Bitdo controllers will randomly disconnect and I haven't had that problem with the Switch SNES controller. I like the atomic purple, smoke and clear.... and the neon green one  Maybe decision paralysis will keep me from buying one when I have a black one and the glow in the dark one.
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Sep 26, 2023 01:40
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Island Nation posted:How is it that I had to wait 11 months each for the Pocket and Dock but these will ship in weeks? Was the pandemic that devasting in the supply chain? It genuinely was. I know that for printed material, lead times on offshore publications has dropped from six-to-eight months in 2021 to six-to-eight weeks currently (and everything else is riding around on the same cargo boats as books).
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Sep 26, 2023 01:57
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