It's simpler than you think! The link cable protocol is just standard SPI. You can communicate with a GameBoy with an Arduino or a Raspberry Pi over link cable. It would be tough (but still possible) to implement an emulated program communicating over an SPI port, but easier with an FPGA to achieve.
Afak, Revo consoles like the K101 Plus have link cables since years ago. Not all Revo models work with real GBA though. It was the best solution for most people until the Analog Pocket released, since just like the Pocket it's a clone console and it's not depending on emulation. And for the price, if you cannot afford an Analog one, you could get a Revo K101 Plus for a fifth of what Analog is asking. Is not as good, but is a nice second choice.
@@MakeOrBreakSociety I really liked digital foundry’s comprehensive technical review, but it’s not fair to compare more regular game review channels to them anyway
For anyone curious about FPGA technology, the best way I can describe it simply is "programmable hardware." Essentially, FPGA allows you to design a hardware system in a software environment and write that system to your FPGA, effectively replicating your design using actual hardware. The resulting hardware is much more efficient than software emulating its setup could ever be. If I had to take a stab at why this thing's got two FPGAs, I would assume they're configured in a cascading fashion where the first FPGA is actively manipulating the hardware setup of the second depending on which console needs to be replicated. While I've never heard of such a thing being done before, I would imagine it's possible and can see where it makes sense to do so in this scenario: the second FPGA would be more efficient if solely dedicated to replicating just one console at a time. All that being said, this second paragraph is just speculation, so take it with a grain of salt. In summary, the idea of using FPGA to create upgraded versions of classic consoles is genius because of their efficiency and flexibility when it comes to replicating hardware. Having never heard of Analogue before this video I'll definitely be doing more research into them and kicking myself for not coming up with something like this first.
Jeez. First video I've seen, this is brilliant. I love you've got some nice laid back presentation going on, makes it far easier to watch than a super serious techy channel! Lovely stuff, cheers!
this is literally EVERYTHING I would want in a modern gameboy, YES YES YES. It looks so sleek too! The one thing I have to gripe about is the position of the L and R buttons, I like being able to actually wrap my finger around them instead of pressing with my fingertip, and it looks like with the position of the game pack they didn't have much of a choice with their placement. with all the other features though this definitely isn't a deal breaker for me, wow.
I fell off the boat with watching your channel, but I'm excited about the pocket so I decided to watch this. Fantastic video! Very informative and great production value. I already have this pre-ordered but I'm all the more excited now. Thanks so much!
FPGA: field-programmable gate array. Basically a programmable processor, which means you can make it behave however you want (within the chip's capabilities). It has 2 likely because one runs as the main processor, and the other as the video chip.
I'd say your explanation isn't completely correct, since any CPU matches that description. An FPGA doesn't just let you say stuff like "add values X and Y and store the result in Z", it lets you change the logic gates inside of it to become any chip you want. So you can tell it to become an NES, or a SNES, or whatever you want, and it can then run the code natively without any emulation
"Reconfigurable" might be a better term than "programmable". The likes of Verilog describe things at a gate level. Describing it as "programmable" implies anything done with an FPGA is a form of emulation, which it very much is not!
@@talideon The P in FPGA stands for programable, you are just being a pedantic prick. Also look up "hardware emulation", which is the term that was commonly used for what FPGA processors do before snobs and marketing got ahold of it. The only reason people don't use the word emulation when talking about FPGA devices aimed at the retro gaming market these days is because it's become a bit of a dirty word amongst retro gaming snobs/"true collectors". Also in this case it's just pure marketing.
@@kandigloss6438 It is a different type of emulation, though, with some interesting differences in how things are done under the hood. Particularly the absence of a host OS and as a result running the code closer to the metal means that features like savestates are much harder to implement correctly, compared to how "easy" it is in software. Rewinding, which is basically ubiquitous in software emulators these days is nearly impossible on an FPGA. However, running closer to the metal also means FPGA emulation is generally "faster" than software emulation, resulting in lower latency from input to execution on the device. Both have their own pros and cons, and both very much have their place to shine, people should just be educated properly on the differences between the two. Neither option is magically superior, they're just tools and people have to decide which of the tools is best suited for their needs.
The fact that it comes with GB Studio is amazing. I'm really looking forward to the games people create using it, I've already seen a GB version of Zelda 1 & it's awesome. If I owned one of these I'd have to have the different attachments like Game Gear, Atari Lynx, & PC Engine
Ok, so I'm deeply satisfied that this is a product that exists for the niche it fills. It's unfortunately a bit too pricey to justify vs something like a 351MP for me personally.
Sat here watching all the reviews on youtube, despite not having a pre-order and owning several modded gameboys yet still lusting after this. Absolutely loved this one Elliot, was a breath of fresh air after some of the standard techy reviews. Classic Retro Future content.
I was hoping for metal, especially given the price. But seeing more reviews on it, it's actually a marvel that they got it down to the price that they did, plus the metal would have likely made it heavier and less comfortable for long sessions.
@@samaki16 "back in stock" means you can secure an order and get it in 2023+ Yes atm. But yes I know I placed my order seconds after it went life yesterday, I should be in the first group to get it in the spring next year
@@CASyHD. I had to wait 40 mins after it went live to order cuz I had to get my money together since it was the day before I got paid. I'm praying 40 mins didn't put me in the Q4 group ... God plz
Me encanta ver cómo has evolucionado en TH-cam. Pasaste de videos donde nada más te mostrabas en una mesa, a incluir bastantes escenas humorísticas. Saludos desde México, Elliot ✌️
In case anyone doesn’t know an FPGA is a programmable gate/logic array that lets you essentially program, and then run, at a logic gate level any processor design(GA gate array). Unlike emulation which only interprets the old processor instructions onto the new one, an FPGA runs the program calls on bare mental at a gate level. This can be done on a general purpose CPU too but they are too slow for real-time. This still can have bugs, processor and chip design for the GBA, etc are not published and open source, but most of the older microchips have been completely reversed engineered so compatibility should be very good and patches can always be made. This needs 2 most likely to enable the clever features like save states where the second FPGA most likely injects data into the first one. These chips are quite expensive so the base cost on this is actually very reasonable IMO. Field Programmable Gate Arrays can be found in many relatively low production, low latency (video, audio, communications, etc) applications. Definitely going to try to pick one up if I can. Everything I’ve been looking for.
FPGA stands for Field Programmable Gate Array. Basically, they represent a massive collection of individual logic gates that can be linked together to replicate other hardware. In other words, you can program an FPGA chip to actually physically BECOME another processor. This is different from emulation in the sense that emulation can only simulate other hardware, and sometimes inaccurately.
Unless they plan to make this stuff run more demanding tasks than retro 2d games, I don't really see a point in using FPGA. Emulators for these handhelds are pretty much 1 to 1 in terms of accuracy these days, and can be run on a toaster. It's overdesigned for what it's made for, and you won't be able to run any games past the GBA era since it would require at least an analog stick. It's like buying an rtx3090 to play n64 games.
While I do love the software dive that Modern Vintage Gamer did, the deep dive into the hardware that you have done is what im more into and definitely interested in. This device is much more amazing than I initially thought after MVG's video just from my understanding. This thing is COOL!
Elliot, I really think you are one of the most qualified TH-camrs to do a direct comparison between the pocket and the very best modded version of a GBA. I hope to see you do a video on that and I bet I'm not alone. Cheers!
Man i had no idea this thing had so many features. The dock and the turbo graphics adapter are the sweetest part of the deal for me look forward to your future videos on thoese.
This thing had my mouth watering but I think I'll never be able to afford it in this life between the price of the console itself and the high price of each retro cartdrige. They're kinda hard to come by in my case because it's hard to collect retro games when you're 22 and most of the stuff I want to collect is from a time where I wasn't even planned so pretending to be 45 instead of 22 can only go so much. Have fun for me too M'Dudes. I'll just keep making googly eyes at the reviews trying to seduce the handheld.
All of their other devices have been 'mysteriously' hacked to play games off the SD card soon after launch, or you can use an Everdrive. But yeah I don't think I can justify this one.
@@frostedbutts4340 Between the adapters,the cables and the cartdriges to buy second hand where the shipping costs are often more than said cartdrige I think I'll have to take out a loan from my bank. I think I'll pass.
I have no clue why but before the video I was thinking about the game boy peripherals and if it worked the pocket and weirdly said yes when Elliot said it works with the sewing machine. By the way, Great job Analogue team and amazing video Elliot!
I got mine just in time before Christmas and I am loving it. Yes, for 90% of the people a cheaper Emulation Device (like the Anbernic RG 351V) would be totally sufficient, but boy, no comparison to the Analogue Pocket. Truly the Rolls-Royce of Retro-Handhelds ♥
I would enjoy a GBA Device more, than a GBC Design. What pisses me off is that it requires real cartridges and don't allow backups. There are multiple reasons. First real cartridges do cost a lot, especially rarer ones. Everdrives or similar flashcards do cost some money and an import might be nessesary. Using and creating backups would be nice. First people don't need to carry around all games, they might want to play. Creating backups can be nice on multiple reasons. First one is obvious. I can create backups to maybe expand the archives, because I have a special card. I can save my saves. Maybe I want to change the battery and don't want to worry about it too much. It also allows to have multiple saves. The chip itself looks like the real shit. I just recently saw a video based on that chip in a retro station. The problem was, everything was out of stock and I wasn't able to make a picture on what I need to spend. It allowed more consoles and it run on Roms. I want something from both. I want a device that can run originals but I also want to play pirated games. Let's be real. There are some good games that wouldn't get Re released. Just look what Nintendo official gave people via several VCs and look on how big the library is. Also not everyone is around anymore. It's not like don't want to give them money. Buying used doesn't give the developers any money.
The whole cartridge required thing really sucked to hear and I can’t help but think this shoots analogue in the foot. Hoping the emulation community can figure out how to bypass this
Big reason why I modded my GBA to an AGS-101 backlit screen. So I can play every GameBoy type game on it with a comfortable device that works for my big hands. lol This does look cool though, but for sure is too rich for my blood.
Ace video, really nice work Elliot. Really chuffed I managed to get my pre-order in on the new window today. Don't care if it ends up taking til 2023! This is a great piece to have for any enthusiast and you did it justice.
I definitely sighed up for preorder, this is definitely a must have device, I have GB GBA Sega Game Gear games in my collection and this just makes since, love your videos Elliot and have done some mods to my own systems because of your videos.
So, saying it's 500 dollars is a lot bit facetious. It's 220 for the base model, and that will play GB, GBC, and GBA out of the box. It's another 30 per module which, frankly, while cool, I don't see a whole lot of people getting this for the Game Boy family of games rushing to grab the TurboGrafx-16 module. Now, I could understand wanting to grab the dock, which will allow you to use this on a TV, that's another 100 dollars, which, I will admit is a non-insignificant price increase
Consider the following: Out of the box, the Analogue Pocket comes rigged up to run Gameboy, Gameboy Color, and Gameboy Advance games with no need for any adapters. However, optional adapters are sold for it which allow it to play GameGear, Lynx, and Neo Geo Pocket and Neo Geo Pocket Color games with possibly more in the works. So, if you have a particularly large library of old portable cartridges and for more than just the Gameboy line, this may be good to replace aging systems to keep playing these games off the legitimate cartridges.
I can't justify buying this in my head. My gameboy library from my childhood is like 12 games. This is really only for the collectors out there who wanna enjoy their libraries to the fullest. It's crazy cool though. I wish I could be more hyped for this.
I'd say 12 games and the interest to buy another 10 or so that appeal to you even over the course of years is enough to justify a purchase if you think you'll make use of it and enjoy it enough. It hurt me to pre-order it myself so I'm being a bit of a hypocrite but all my Pokemon and Dragon Warrior games have already made me want a polished revisit of my childhood games along with the lust to buy more within reason
I haven't seen so many reviews on TH-cam for a console, in so short a time, as has been for the Pocket. The most bewildering thing about it is most folks viewing these reviews, who have yet to order one, will not have a chance of receiving it for almost two years, if then.
What a beautiful piece of kit! 5:33 Technically you’d have to have cut out 100 of those screens to match the resolution of the Analogue pocket - 10 by 10 screens worth as it is 1600x1440 compared to the Game Boy’s 160x144. Yes - they really do use 100 pixels to represent a single pixel of the Game Boy screen! 7:52 I knew Elliot couldn’t resist a Mega Duck reference. Wished we had seen your beloved SolarStriker make an appearance here! 10:55 GB Studio is what I used to create the classic “The Retro Future: Hunt for the Mega Duck” game a few years back. Would be great to see you create the official sequel
Really great review, thank you for breaking it down and explaining everything in a way we can understand. Got my preorder in this morning and so stoked to try it out myself.
I’m so glad that this isn’t a limited edition product. I bought a GBA SP Unhinged, which I still love, but it does mean that I need to wait a bit to justify a Pocket as well.
@@filippodiciocchis1276 Tbh it's pretty easy to mod a 3DS, but there's a special feeling to actually putting a cartridge into a device and playing it that way. I still have no regrets about buying the upgraded SP Unhinged :D
@@worldsboss yeah I know I have done it by myself a few years ago, it still works I have an Old 3DS, lovely machine even if the glossy colour is a bit tacky compared to the other versions 😅
Got mine 3 weeks ago, and to be honnest... I'm playing mainly SNES games on it. It's just incredible. The screen is gorgeous, absolutly no input lag, and every roms I tried worked perfectly. Playing perfect emulation (material emulation) SNES on a handled device is a dream come true. I'm in love with it. Things to improve: The plastic is not that high end, it could be better. The D-Cross is a challenge to master. The battery lasts around 4/5 hours maximum, it could have been better. More grids/effects on SNES emulation would be greatly appreciated (I hope it comes).
Preordered mine today, hope I get it in batch 1 ^^ was mostly excited for the adapter pieces to crappier made handheld consoles that are a pain to repair :p
Great review. This was going to be my solution for playing GBA games on a TV but, after watching your video on the Home Boy 88, I picked up one of those instead. I have no regrets whatsoever. XD
Eh, to say FPGA isn't emulation is a pretty big streach at best. They've been spewing that nonsense for a number of their systems, but emulating a system accurately in fpga is just as much down to programer skill as software emulation. Excited for mine to arrive soon!
It's not emulation. At best, it's that there's some inconsistencies in their VHDL/Verilog/whatever description of the hardware with the real thing, but it's not emulation.
It's hardware emulation but that is pretty significantly different to software emulation in how it accomplishes the task of pretending to be another device. But you're correct that it's very much up to the programmer's skills on whether or not it accomplishes to function as the original device.
@@RAHelllord thankfully Kevtris is as obsessive as they come about perfection and has made several products that are so accurate that they're considered long term replacements for these aging systems.
It absolutely is emulation, and accuracy is excellent but not perfect (see the MDFourier tests on various Analogue consoles that offer objective, measurable numbers, and likewise compare against the same tests run on recent MiSTer FPGA cores and software emulators like Higan that are often closer to original hardware than Analogue products). I'm not sure why people get a bee in their bonnet over something being labelled emulation. Perhaps because generations of people trying to run grossly outdated emulators like SNES9X on grossly underpowered devices has tarnished that reputation, or people just don't actually understand how FPGA and VHDL works. "Emulation" isn't a catch-all statement for quality, nor is FPGA based emulation 100% guaranteed to be accurate (there's good and bad clone hardware out there too).
i own a software defined radio that can be turned in to almost any radio by software but ive heard of FPGAs but never knew they were like a hardware version of a software defined radio thats neat u can tell it to be any hardware that you want
Yeah I have a gba sp that works and an atari lynx with a new screen that works. So I ain't paying $500+ for this... But if I was making 6 figures maybe I'd get one. But really too expensive for my taste.
The fact that it has a real functioning link cable port is mind blowing to me.
It's simpler than you think! The link cable protocol is just standard SPI. You can communicate with a GameBoy with an Arduino or a Raspberry Pi over link cable. It would be tough (but still possible) to implement an emulated program communicating over an SPI port, but easier with an FPGA to achieve.
@@Vizimech There is YT video of someone emulating the GBLink protocol to make GB games online: th-cam.com/video/KtHu693wE9o/w-d-xo.html
It would be cooler if the Analogue Pocket had a built-in Game Boy Wireless Adapter.
Afak, Revo consoles like the K101 Plus have link cables since years ago. Not all Revo models work with real GBA though.
It was the best solution for most people until the Analog Pocket released, since just like the Pocket it's a clone console and it's not depending on emulation. And for the price, if you cannot afford an Analog one, you could get a Revo K101 Plus for a fifth of what Analog is asking. Is not as good, but is a nice second choice.
There are a lot of handleds that emulate the GBA and GB with ports that can connecto to OG gameboys.
I had no idea about the developer port on the inside 👁👄👁
After watching your video and then this one my money wants to go on its own to get an AP :')
Retro always was the braver vtuber
hey wulff den 👋
The Embargo lifted and literally everyone posted their videos on this lol
Yep just finished the one by LMG rofl this is the one I wanted
I wish they had more available :(
That's how it works
@@MakeOrBreakSociety I really liked digital foundry’s comprehensive technical review, but it’s not fair to compare more regular game review channels to them anyway
Ikr, MVG has a pretty good in depth review on it.
For anyone curious about FPGA technology, the best way I can describe it simply is "programmable hardware." Essentially, FPGA allows you to design a hardware system in a software environment and write that system to your FPGA, effectively replicating your design using actual hardware. The resulting hardware is much more efficient than software emulating its setup could ever be.
If I had to take a stab at why this thing's got two FPGAs, I would assume they're configured in a cascading fashion where the first FPGA is actively manipulating the hardware setup of the second depending on which console needs to be replicated. While I've never heard of such a thing being done before, I would imagine it's possible and can see where it makes sense to do so in this scenario: the second FPGA would be more efficient if solely dedicated to replicating just one console at a time. All that being said, this second paragraph is just speculation, so take it with a grain of salt.
In summary, the idea of using FPGA to create upgraded versions of classic consoles is genius because of their efficiency and flexibility when it comes to replicating hardware. Having never heard of Analogue before this video I'll definitely be doing more research into them and kicking myself for not coming up with something like this first.
This is by far one of your best videos yet, very impressive production quality and the new set up is looking PENG!!!!!! Nice work El.
Thanks Brandon!
You guys buddies irl? lol
They've collabed in the past
@@EdgarGnz4444 Ok, because one’s a tool, and the other is not.😂
@@EdgarGnz4444 The Retro Future Dodo
Jeez. First video I've seen, this is brilliant. I love you've got some nice laid back presentation going on, makes it far easier to watch than a super serious techy channel!
Lovely stuff, cheers!
Thanks very much!
This channel inspired me to buy and mod my own GBA which I will be doing in a few months!
hell yeah! I did mine last year and it's super fun. once you get it set up there's no looking back
I just got a GBA with a backlight!
I made a gbc q5
I did an iPod classic with rockbox
A GBA with a backlit IPS is better than the Analog Pocket for playing GBA games.
this is literally EVERYTHING I would want in a modern gameboy, YES YES YES. It looks so sleek too! The one thing I have to gripe about is the position of the L and R buttons, I like being able to actually wrap my finger around them instead of pressing with my fingertip, and it looks like with the position of the game pack they didn't have much of a choice with their placement. with all the other features though this definitely isn't a deal breaker for me, wow.
I fell off the boat with watching your channel, but I'm excited about the pocket so I decided to watch this. Fantastic video! Very informative and great production value. I already have this pre-ordered but I'm all the more excited now. Thanks so much!
FPGA: field-programmable gate array.
Basically a programmable processor, which means you can make it behave however you want (within the chip's capabilities).
It has 2 likely because one runs as the main processor, and the other as the video chip.
I'd say your explanation isn't completely correct, since any CPU matches that description. An FPGA doesn't just let you say stuff like "add values X and Y and store the result in Z", it lets you change the logic gates inside of it to become any chip you want. So you can tell it to become an NES, or a SNES, or whatever you want, and it can then run the code natively without any emulation
It has 2 because one is specifically used for development.
"Reconfigurable" might be a better term than "programmable". The likes of Verilog describe things at a gate level. Describing it as "programmable" implies anything done with an FPGA is a form of emulation, which it very much is not!
@@talideon The P in FPGA stands for programable, you are just being a pedantic prick. Also look up "hardware emulation", which is the term that was commonly used for what FPGA processors do before snobs and marketing got ahold of it. The only reason people don't use the word emulation when talking about FPGA devices aimed at the retro gaming market these days is because it's become a bit of a dirty word amongst retro gaming snobs/"true collectors". Also in this case it's just pure marketing.
@@kandigloss6438 It is a different type of emulation, though, with some interesting differences in how things are done under the hood. Particularly the absence of a host OS and as a result running the code closer to the metal means that features like savestates are much harder to implement correctly, compared to how "easy" it is in software. Rewinding, which is basically ubiquitous in software emulators these days is nearly impossible on an FPGA. However, running closer to the metal also means FPGA emulation is generally "faster" than software emulation, resulting in lower latency from input to execution on the device.
Both have their own pros and cons, and both very much have their place to shine, people should just be educated properly on the differences between the two. Neither option is magically superior, they're just tools and people have to decide which of the tools is best suited for their needs.
The fact that it comes with GB Studio is amazing. I'm really looking forward to the games people create using it, I've already seen a GB version of Zelda 1 & it's awesome. If I owned one of these I'd have to have the different attachments like Game Gear, Atari Lynx, & PC Engine
GB version of Zelda 1??? 😦
wth…499$ ? same price of a Last GeN playstation 5 ??
wait…theres no ps5 on sell at any stores…
It's not "10 times the resolution". It's 10 times on each axis. It's 100 times the resolution overall.
Ok, so I'm deeply satisfied that this is a product that exists for the niche it fills. It's unfortunately a bit too pricey to justify vs something like a 351MP for me personally.
You should get it honestly
Well, I think the price is more than fair. Just look at the quality. Theres nothing even close to it.
Or just save your money and just emulate it lol
Or just buy it
@@pandurlolgg5780 nah an emulator is better
This has me totally sold on this thing now - thanks for the review!!!!
Yoo absol
Sucker falls for marketing gimmick 😂
Sat here watching all the reviews on youtube, despite not having a pre-order and owning several modded gameboys yet still lusting after this. Absolutely loved this one Elliot, was a breath of fresh air after some of the standard techy reviews. Classic Retro Future content.
Thanks so much
"Even turn it into a hair drier... that might not be true" There's nothing that would prevent you from controlling a hairdrier with those GPIO pins
I do hope they make a version of the back with cart holder so the cartridges stay in more snugly.
I was hoping for metal, especially given the price. But seeing more reviews on it, it's actually a marvel that they got it down to the price that they did, plus the metal would have likely made it heavier and less comfortable for long sessions.
For me, the price is comparable to the wii($250 2009 USD ) so 218 is nothing haha
I managed to snag a pre-order when they went live last century. Looking forward to getting it!
So lucky, I was fiddling with accessories and then it went sold out in my cart :/ I pray I can get a Round 1 Pre Order down later today/tomorrow
@@CASyHD. it’s back in stock I just got mine like 30 min ago but in their website
@@samaki16 "back in stock" means you can secure an order and get it in 2023+ Yes atm. But yes I know I placed my order seconds after it went life yesterday, I should be in the first group to get it in the spring next year
@@CASyHD. I had to wait 40 mins after it went live to order cuz I had to get my money together since it was the day before I got paid. I'm praying 40 mins didn't put me in the Q4 group ... God plz
Me encanta ver cómo has evolucionado en TH-cam. Pasaste de videos donde nada más te mostrabas en una mesa, a incluir bastantes escenas humorísticas. Saludos desde México, Elliot ✌️
What i most like in your video is the fact you don't resist in open it, I'm so glad to see its pcb. thanks to show us the inside in.
Man oh man you’re so lucky I’m still trying to find one for retail 😭
@I. C. Weiner I got one thanks to you. Thanks man!
In case anyone doesn’t know an FPGA is a programmable gate/logic array that lets you essentially program, and then run, at a logic gate level any processor design(GA gate array). Unlike emulation which only interprets the old processor instructions onto the new one, an FPGA runs the program calls on bare mental at a gate level. This can be done on a general purpose CPU too but they are too slow for real-time. This still can have bugs, processor and chip design for the GBA, etc are not published and open source, but most of the older microchips have been completely reversed engineered so compatibility should be very good and patches can always be made.
This needs 2 most likely to enable the clever features like save states where the second FPGA most likely injects data into the first one. These chips are quite expensive so the base cost on this is actually very reasonable IMO. Field Programmable Gate Arrays can be found in many relatively low production, low latency (video, audio, communications, etc) applications.
Definitely going to try to pick one up if I can. Everything I’ve been looking for.
I’ve been waiting 16 months for mine - 2 more days 😭
I'm most excited for the future when 3ds devices like this are created
FPGA stands for Field Programmable Gate Array. Basically, they represent a massive collection of individual logic gates that can be linked together to replicate other hardware. In other words, you can program an FPGA chip to actually physically BECOME another processor. This is different from emulation in the sense that emulation can only simulate other hardware, and sometimes inaccurately.
Unless they plan to make this stuff run more demanding tasks than retro 2d games, I don't really see a point in using FPGA. Emulators for these handhelds are pretty much 1 to 1 in terms of accuracy these days, and can be run on a toaster. It's overdesigned for what it's made for, and you won't be able to run any games past the GBA era since it would require at least an analog stick. It's like buying an rtx3090 to play n64 games.
Holy crap!!!!!! You got one Elliot?!?! I'm crazy jealous!!
6:53 " A lot of people dont know, but GameBoy was actually in stereo "
literally the writing on GameBoy Classic: "Dot Matrix With Stereo Sound"
While I do love the software dive that Modern Vintage Gamer did, the deep dive into the hardware that you have done is what im more into and definitely interested in. This device is much more amazing than I initially thought after MVG's video just from my understanding. This thing is COOL!
Man I just found you me stuff today and there are so many of yours that I want to watch lol. I’ll be at this for a few days. Excited for the next one.
if they do an analogue advance i will 100% shell out the money
I just love how big the screen is, considering it just for that.
Elliot, I really think you are one of the most qualified TH-camrs to do a direct comparison between the pocket and the very best modded version of a GBA. I hope to see you do a video on that and I bet I'm not alone. Cheers!
Man i had no idea this thing had so many features. The dock and the turbo graphics adapter are the sweetest part of the deal for me look forward to your future videos on thoese.
This thing had my mouth watering but I think I'll never be able to afford it in this life between the price of the console itself and the high price of each retro cartdrige. They're kinda hard to come by in my case because it's hard to collect retro games when you're 22 and most of the stuff I want to collect is from a time where I wasn't even planned so pretending to be 45 instead of 22 can only go so much.
Have fun for me too M'Dudes. I'll just keep making googly eyes at the reviews trying to seduce the handheld.
All of their other devices have been 'mysteriously' hacked to play games off the SD card soon after launch, or you can use an Everdrive. But yeah I don't think I can justify this one.
@@frostedbutts4340 if thats the case I might preorder one but on the fence about risking it
@@natalie_v0.0.1 No harm in waiting imo. They said this isn't a limited run so you can get one later.
@@frostedbutts4340 yeah you’re right I think I’ll wait. I’m just impatient and like new unnecessary gadgets.
@@frostedbutts4340
Between the adapters,the cables and the cartdriges to buy second hand where the shipping costs are often more than said cartdrige I think I'll have to take out a loan from my bank. I think I'll pass.
Would've been great if you had shown footage of original hardware gameboy color gameplay side by side
Metal Jesus rocks does that side by side on his channel
You are my favorite gaming youtuber. You are cool,smart, and funny. I wish i have friends like you..
This thing is absolutely gorgeous. Can't wait for knock off replacement shells
I have no clue why but before the video I was thinking about the game boy peripherals and if it worked the pocket and weirdly said yes when Elliot said it works with the sewing machine. By the way, Great job Analogue team and amazing video Elliot!
I got mine just in time before Christmas and I am loving it. Yes, for 90% of the people a cheaper Emulation Device (like the Anbernic RG 351V) would be totally sufficient, but boy, no comparison to the Analogue Pocket. Truly the Rolls-Royce of Retro-Handhelds ♥
Opened TH-cam hoping for this exact video... Was not disappointed 🙌
I would enjoy a GBA Device more, than a GBC Design.
What pisses me off is that it requires real cartridges and don't allow backups. There are multiple reasons. First real cartridges do cost a lot, especially rarer ones. Everdrives or similar flashcards do cost some money and an import might be nessesary. Using and creating backups would be nice. First people don't need to carry around all games, they might want to play. Creating backups can be nice on multiple reasons. First one is obvious. I can create backups to maybe expand the archives, because I have a special card. I can save my saves. Maybe I want to change the battery and don't want to worry about it too much. It also allows to have multiple saves.
The chip itself looks like the real shit. I just recently saw a video based on that chip in a retro station. The problem was, everything was out of stock and I wasn't able to make a picture on what I need to spend. It allowed more consoles and it run on Roms.
I want something from both. I want a device that can run originals but I also want to play pirated games. Let's be real. There are some good games that wouldn't get Re released. Just look what Nintendo official gave people via several VCs and look on how big the library is. Also not everyone is around anymore. It's not like don't want to give them money. Buying used doesn't give the developers any money.
The whole cartridge required thing really sucked to hear and I can’t help but think this shoots analogue in the foot. Hoping the emulation community can figure out how to bypass this
It does though. Digital foundry review goes into it a little.
now we need a analogue pocket sp
or even just the normal advanced
It's emulation at the hardware level. The best thing after the original platforms.
Big reason why I modded my GBA to an AGS-101 backlit screen. So I can play every GameBoy type game on it with a comfortable device that works for my big hands. lol This does look cool though, but for sure is too rich for my blood.
Actually scratch my last comment, this whole vid feels super high quality. Love your work man.
Ace video, really nice work Elliot. Really chuffed I managed to get my pre-order in on the new window today. Don't care if it ends up taking til 2023! This is a great piece to have for any enthusiast and you did it justice.
I definitely sighed up for preorder, this is definitely a must have device, I have GB GBA Sega Game Gear games in my collection and this just makes since, love your videos Elliot and have done some mods to my own systems because of your videos.
So, saying it's 500 dollars is a lot bit facetious. It's 220 for the base model, and that will play GB, GBC, and GBA out of the box. It's another 30 per module which, frankly, while cool, I don't see a whole lot of people getting this for the Game Boy family of games rushing to grab the TurboGrafx-16 module. Now, I could understand wanting to grab the dock, which will allow you to use this on a TV, that's another 100 dollars, which, I will admit is a non-insignificant price increase
Consider the following: Out of the box, the Analogue Pocket comes rigged up to run Gameboy, Gameboy Color, and Gameboy Advance games with no need for any adapters. However, optional adapters are sold for it which allow it to play GameGear, Lynx, and Neo Geo Pocket and Neo Geo Pocket Color games with possibly more in the works. So, if you have a particularly large library of old portable cartridges and for more than just the Gameboy line, this may be good to replace aging systems to keep playing these games off the legitimate cartridges.
This channel inspired me to spend a lot of money on every game boy I used to own as a child... and now this lol
The GBA SP was sending its Audio to the Dataconnector aswell. You can pick up an Headphonejack adapter on Amazon for ~8$ .
Quite like the background for a change (instead of the green studio). Nice!
I can't justify buying this in my head. My gameboy library from my childhood is like 12 games. This is really only for the collectors out there who wanna enjoy their libraries to the fullest.
It's crazy cool though. I wish I could be more hyped for this.
I'd say 12 games and the interest to buy another 10 or so that appeal to you even over the course of years is enough to justify a purchase if you think you'll make use of it and enjoy it enough. It hurt me to pre-order it myself so I'm being a bit of a hypocrite but all my Pokemon and Dragon Warrior games have already made me want a polished revisit of my childhood games along with the lust to buy more within reason
Nice. Looking foward already for follow up video.
And this gameboy is amazing! I started watching you when i get my first gameboy color :)
looks and sounds great, especially you can dock it and play on the tv with it's dock.
I haven't seen so many reviews on TH-cam for a console, in so short a time, as has been for the Pocket. The most bewildering thing about it is most folks viewing these reviews, who have yet to order one, will not have a chance of receiving it for almost two years, if then.
While I already preordered one before seeing this, I was excited to see your take and was pleased to see you reaffirming my thoughts.
Finally. I've been following this since it was announced but about a month ago I couldn't find any updates about it.
I just got my black one yesterday and all I can say is this thing is fricking amazing!
Out of all reviews i saw of the AP today, this was the best.
Ah thank you so much
What a beautiful piece of kit!
5:33 Technically you’d have to have cut out 100 of those screens to match the resolution of the Analogue pocket - 10 by 10 screens worth as it is 1600x1440 compared to the Game Boy’s 160x144. Yes - they really do use 100 pixels to represent a single pixel of the Game Boy screen!
7:52 I knew Elliot couldn’t resist a Mega Duck reference. Wished we had seen your beloved SolarStriker make an appearance here!
10:55 GB Studio is what I used to create the classic “The Retro Future: Hunt for the Mega Duck” game a few years back. Would be great to see you create the official sequel
Ah thanks for the info mate!
Really great review, thank you for breaking it down and explaining everything in a way we can understand. Got my preorder in this morning and so stoked to try it out myself.
The humor is growing on this channel. And a good humor at that. Great video there, Eliott!
Thats it the first line in this video had me rolling. Subscribing
This seems like a really incredible little machine! Very expensive, but it looks like it’s worth it if you can afford one.
I own that knife! The CRKT Snap Lock is just satisfying to use when you come to terms with its sideways opening mechanism
lmao I love your enthusiasm in this video hahaha love the funny bits
I’m so glad that this isn’t a limited edition product. I bought a GBA SP Unhinged, which I still love, but it does mean that I need to wait a bit to justify a Pocket as well.
I would buy a modded new 3DS and you can emulate almost everything, maybe the screen is not as sharp as this one 😅
@@filippodiciocchis1276 Tbh it's pretty easy to mod a 3DS, but there's a special feeling to actually putting a cartridge into a device and playing it that way. I still have no regrets about buying the upgraded SP Unhinged :D
@@worldsboss yeah I know I have done it by myself a few years ago, it still works I have an Old 3DS, lovely machine even if the glossy colour is a bit tacky compared to the other versions 😅
@@filippodiciocchis1276 The 3DS is another truly fantastic system! I have a lot of love for that one too
Best video about the Analog Pocket on the platform. Others are too scared to take it apart!
I just watched the video because love how you make them 😁
Mine will arrive on Thursday I believe, can't wait!
We just got our shipping notification today, can’t wait!
I’m getting excited to receive mine in the mail. I was lucky to get the transparent blue. 🙂
Been using GBStudio on and off for a few years now so I look forward to seeing that next video
Now we need analog+shoulder button variant of this
That display is to die for. Gg lookin forward to the re.
The bottom two holes are in fact not “LEDs” its just one LED for power indication the other is an IR Port for gbc games that used this feature.
Another amazing video :) I love how your personality shines through!
So happy you got this! Can't wait for mine!
Got mine 3 weeks ago, and to be honnest... I'm playing mainly SNES games on it.
It's just incredible. The screen is gorgeous, absolutly no input lag, and every roms I tried worked perfectly.
Playing perfect emulation (material emulation) SNES on a handled device is a dream come true.
I'm in love with it.
Things to improve: The plastic is not that high end, it could be better. The D-Cross is a challenge to master. The battery lasts around 4/5 hours maximum, it could have been better. More grids/effects on SNES emulation would be greatly appreciated (I hope it comes).
AKA, "The Gameboy to end all Gameboys"
Crazy price, I wish I had one. But then, I don't even use my game boys.
Great video! This thing has been exciting to me for a long time now. Im very interested in seeing you look into the Gameboy game maker!
Preordered mine today, hope I get it in batch 1 ^^ was mostly excited for the adapter pieces to crappier made handheld consoles that are a pain to repair :p
I just got done building my all black boxy pixel GBAsp and now I have to buy this beauty T.T
Great review. This was going to be my solution for playing GBA games on a TV but, after watching your video on the Home Boy 88, I picked up one of those instead. I have no regrets whatsoever. XD
Eh, to say FPGA isn't emulation is a pretty big streach at best. They've been spewing that nonsense for a number of their systems, but emulating a system accurately in fpga is just as much down to programer skill as software emulation.
Excited for mine to arrive soon!
It's not emulation. At best, it's that there's some inconsistencies in their VHDL/Verilog/whatever description of the hardware with the real thing, but it's not emulation.
@@talideon It is entirely fair to say it's hardware-based emulation
It's hardware emulation but that is pretty significantly different to software emulation in how it accomplishes the task of pretending to be another device. But you're correct that it's very much up to the programmer's skills on whether or not it accomplishes to function as the original device.
@@RAHelllord thankfully Kevtris is as obsessive as they come about perfection and has made several products that are so accurate that they're considered long term replacements for these aging systems.
It absolutely is emulation, and accuracy is excellent but not perfect (see the MDFourier tests on various Analogue consoles that offer objective, measurable numbers, and likewise compare against the same tests run on recent MiSTer FPGA cores and software emulators like Higan that are often closer to original hardware than Analogue products). I'm not sure why people get a bee in their bonnet over something being labelled emulation. Perhaps because generations of people trying to run grossly outdated emulators like SNES9X on grossly underpowered devices has tarnished that reputation, or people just don't actually understand how FPGA and VHDL works. "Emulation" isn't a catch-all statement for quality, nor is FPGA based emulation 100% guaranteed to be accurate (there's good and bad clone hardware out there too).
I know damn well what Elliot was looking forward to the most was hooking it up to the sewing machine
i own a software defined radio that can be turned in to almost any radio by software but ive heard of FPGAs but never knew they were like a hardware version of a software defined radio thats neat u can tell it to be any hardware that you want
Just ordered mine, I got the 8:14 email confirmation which I hope means I’m in the first group!
Oh God I totally forgot there was some gameboy games that made that joke banana in your pocket joke until now
Elliot you look awesome with your new looks. Keep the beard!
Great coverage...im so hyped for this man
I ordered mines yesterday can’t wait 👍🏿🙏🏿
Watched the LTT video then spotted this one, it looks nice. much better job covering it although they went over a lot more in depth in someways.
Hyped for mine to arrive, eager to fire it up and to also Dock it up :3
Yeah I have a gba sp that works and an atari lynx with a new screen that works. So I ain't paying $500+ for this... But if I was making 6 figures maybe I'd get one. But really too expensive for my taste.
Purchased mine last night 🙌🏼