You want to enjoy the old Pokémon games again. MeinMMO editor Benedikt Schlotmann explains why the Analogue Pocket is the best way for him to do just that: to play the old games again.
If you want to play the old Pokémon titles again, you often face a dilemma: Digital ROMs are generally not legal, the originals on eBay are quite expensive, or your old GameBoy has seen better days.
For this reason, I bought the Analogue Pocket a few years ago: The device looks like a GameBoy and can display the old games thanks to a special (FPGA) chip. In my opinion, the Analogue Pocket is the best option if you want to play classics in a fairly modern environment. At least if you own the originals.
The device is designed to play original game cartridges (Game Boy, GBC, GBA), which is legally unproblematic. It is a hardware replication device (FPGA) and does not use BIOS files from other companies.
The Analogue Pocket looks like a Game Boy and feels (almost) like one
The strengths: At first glance, the Analogue Pocket strongly resembles the GameBoy Pocket and that is intentional. The Analogue model has just a few more buttons in appearance. However, in detail, you get several improvements compared to the retro model, which I think are really worth it:
- The Analogue Pocket offers a significantly better resolution: With 1600×1440, you get 10 times the resolution of the Game Boy, and the colors are much better and more vibrant than the original. That alone was already a reason for me to buy.
- Additionally, the Analogue comes with several comfort features: Through the library, you can track your playtime and you can put your cartridges into sleep mode, which saves battery. This is valuable because it prevents the battery of the official cartridges from draining.
- Also in my opinion genius: You can save, load, or pause your game on your Analogue at any time. My wife and I can play in parallel without constantly having to delete each other’s game saves.
- A screenshot function is also available.
- As a bonus, you can connect your Analogue Pocket to an original GameBoy via cable at any time and, in this way, trade Pokémon or play multiplayer.
The weaknesses: My first point of criticism mainly concerns the battery life: It is simply shorter compared to the original: After 5 to 10 hours, it’s over. In the original, you can use batteries, while the Analogue has a built-in battery.
The second point of criticism is the price and delivery situation, as it is not so easy to get an Analogue Pocket:
- For our blue model, I paid $249.99, plus another $60 in shipping and also import fees. In the end, you easily pay 300 to 350 euros. Sometimes even more if you want additional accessories.
- In addition, there are long delivery and waiting times. The device is only available for a limited time, and you must be quick if you want a model. I subscribed to the newsletter to know the ordering time frame.
- For a used Game Boy Advance, you pay between 60 and 120 euros, for a GameBoy Pocket similarly (50 to 80 euros). For the Analogue Pocket, you pay significantly more in comparison:
A third point worth noting: The software of the Analogue Pocket itself is completely in English. German games will also be played in German, but the operating system and many additional features are in English. I did not find an option to change the language.
Great device, but unfortunately also very expensive
Is it worth it? Despite the high price, there is hardly a better option for me when you want to play all the old games again and already have the originals at home. The fantastic display and the significantly better resolution are worth it in my opinion. Also, the additional comfort features, such as the integrated storage system, are significant plus points.
If you do not own any old original games, then the Analogue Pocket is not worth it at all. Because the old originals are a must and for the old game cartridges you could easily pay 100 euros or more today. And ROMs from many websites are illegal and are not supported by the Analogue Pocket. However, if you still have plenty of old games from the old handheld generations of Nintendo and Sega lying around, it may be worth a look.
Additionally, on February 27, 2026, the re-release of Fire Red/Leaf Green for the Switch will come out, making at least these classics playable on modern devices again, completely without retro flair and without the Analogue Pocket.
In general, I consider the Analogue Pocket to be one of the best gaming handhelds you can currently buy. It may be a specialist, but in its specific niche, the device is truly unbeatable in my opinion: The 12 best gaming handhelds of 2025 that you should know about
