Hi hi, Pocket owners, this has been a question on my mind for a while. I've done a ton of research, watched countless reviews, and read so many threads and posts for a while. Most of this took place last year, so it was mostly theoretical. I had no job, and was unsure of when I would even start investing in a retro collection.
Now, fast forward a year later. Life has changed, a lot. Now that I have a consistent stream of income, a lot of old things have come back to my mind. I feel like I am stuck, this question is not easy. I feel like both options are great for different reasons, but I am not in a position where I believe getting both at the moment is really a smart investment either.
First, the Analogue Pocket, it has many, MANY compelling upsides. OpenFPGA, the glorious screen, modern tech, conveniceces and accessory ecosystem, along with just being a really well built piece of kit overall. Though some things really scare me.
It isn't repairable, and the long term viability of it is questionable. Junky gameboys and mod parts will be available until I'm old and rotten most likely. Some of these consoles have been around for a much greater time than I have, yet mod parts and replacement bits are still being made and are easy to procure. What about the Pocket? In 5, 10, 15 years, what if Analogue just sinks and I'm left with nothing? The device itself seems similar to other modern devices in that it isn't very open or repairable. I just can't see it having the same parts ecosystem as actual Gameboys either. I want to buy sustainable, long-lasting devices and despite the initial upsides I am extremely skeptical on how long I'd be able to make it last. The reports on durability aren't the most confidence inspiring, either. I don't want to have to baby this thing, I want to be able to throw it in my bag in a pouch or something and keep it around for a really long time.
The layout. I'm going to be quite honest, most of my interest and use case would be to play GBA games. I haven't used a vertical format like this in quite some time. It doesn't seem the most comfortable to me, especially for action games that make use of the triggers in their main gameplay. I haven't held it though, so who knows.
OpenFPGA is nice, though I'm unsure how much I'll use it. Like many people I have a bad problem of downloading a bunch of ROMs (or games in general, to be honest), loading up my system, then never touching any of them for more than a few minutes each. Having everything at your fingertips often decreases the value of said thing, and will leas to you not really appreciating it as much. Back when I was a kid, I could only take so many games with me. And appreciate the hell out of those games I did. 100s of hours in each Pokemon game, constantly replaying Mega Man Zero, etc. It may sound like I have rose tinted glasses, but being forced to be intentional and only select a few games usually results in me playing more for longer periods of time. Not to say it's a bad feature, but I'm just saying I have no idea how much it'd be worth it to me when weighing it against the modded GBA.
I think the last bit is Analogue themselves aren't the most reliable company. Their communication is awful, don't deliver on their promises very well at all, and will randomly kill product lines. I know they're tiny, COVID probably hurt them a lot considering their size, but as a consumer it still affects me quite a bit so I can't ignore it. 200$ is a large investment for something like this, and their track record does not inspire much confidence if I am to be honest.
Now, the Modded GBA/GBC. This has quite a few upsides, as well as downsides. It's pretty simple.
Very repairable, parts have and will continue to exist. Not only that, but mods get better and better over time. I'm a technically inclined person who loves to tinker, so modding my own device is a plus in my book. I know that is not the case for most. Either way, this means I'm pretty much set for life when it comes to the device's sustainability. Even though it'd cost more in the short term, it could save me quite a bit in the long run.
It's dumb. Very simple with no real UI, only playing games when the cartridge is slotted in. Lack of reliance on software means less chance for breakage.
More form factor choices, due to various SKUs and mods.
Lastly, the nostalgia will hit harder. Very superficial, but lets be honest that is quite a big factor for everyone here.
Now, for the cons!
Being dumb and simple doesn't come without shortcomings. The Pocket has a lot of nice options. Also, openFPGA has a great use for ROM hacks and fan patches, which I have crazy interest in. One of my favorite games of all time can not be played officially in English, so even if my use of it would be limited there is still a limited use case.
It's more expensive, doubly so if I go for both. It might make it up in the long run, but that's only theoretical. I have no idea how durable the Pocket it is, how their warranty works and their honor system, anything.
Carrying around two systems is kinda dumb. The Pocket in many ways seems more practical in this regard, especially with the decent ecosystem of cases, pouches, and other things that both systems just do not have in the modern day.
I think that's about it. I know this post was long as FUCK, but I think the community here needed some activity. I don't know when I'll bite the bullet, maybe sometime next year or after. Perhaps when they do another random drop of cool shells. Either way, I just wanted to get this out of the way because it has been plaguing my mind since yesterday. I'd love to hear experience from people who own either, or both!
Kobo devices are the way to go. Easy sideloading, multiple FOSS operating system alternatives, and generally they've got some nice n' cheap options.