Ayaneo is embracing a weird drip-feed strategy with its KONKR Pocket Advance. Not only did it break up its GBA clone handheld into a sprinkling of breadcrumb teasers post-launch, but it's now slowly revealing new colorways that apparently over 15,000 of you missed out on.
Psst, there's already great GBA clones out there
The KONKR Pocket Advance looks pretty neat, but there's already a bunch of GBA-inspired handhelds out there, including the Anbernic RG34XX that hits many of the same 2000s notes for around $60 and the RG35XXSP, an emulation-based take on the clamshell version that's typically under $55. There's also an RG SP successor inbound, so keep an eye out for that.
That's according to Ayaneo's stats shared in a live sharing session, as CEO Arthur Zhang reveals that "15,000+" KONKR Pocket Advance units have sold so far. That has apparently helped the best retro handheld contender become a number 1 seller at Chinese retailer JD.com, and while I'm happy for the Game Boy Advance homage, the same stream features yet another "you should have waited" colorway drop.
Yes, Ayaneo did just drop a KONKR Pocket Advance colorway that's basically a pink GBA homage to Princess Peach. However, as if that wasn't painful enough for players among those 15,000+ buyers who would have bought the Sarkura-shelled version, there's now a transparent "Onxy Ice" variant with big 2000s vibes.
The Onxy Ice KONKR Pocket Advance is the first translucent model to hit the lineup, featuring a shell that gives you a slightly smoky peek at the handheld's innards. I can almost guarantee some of you have been waiting for a GBA clone with this get-up specifically, so if you already settled for one of the existing colorways (Coral, Navy, Grey, or the new jammy pink version), this reveal is going to sting.
The inconvenient cherry on top of this GBA clone release strategy is that while the pink version revealed just days ago has the previous early bird discount, the Onyx Ice version starts at $109. For whatever reason, the transparent plastic bumps the actual full MSRP up to $129, despite boasting the same 3GB/32GB starting specs. You'll have to fork out $149 for the 4GB/64GB flavor once the introductory period is over, and that's the sort of pricing I feared in the first place.
Considering the still available GameCube Indigo (Navy) and NES grey Pocket Advance models are still available for $89, it feels like transparent tech fans are getting a raw retro handheld deal. If I were sitting wishing there was a translucent GBA flavor, only to have one dangled in my face after pre-ordering another colorway, I'd be pretty disgruntled, and I'm struggling to see a reason for the strategy beyond keeping the hype going.
I've witnessed retro players get really upset with the likes of Analogue for releasing different flavors of its Analogue 3D a month after launching black-and-white 4K N64 consoles. That situation was still iffy, but the KONKR Pocket Advance has already had two previously unannounced colorways within its first week.
I'm sure fans will be pretty vocal about Ayaneo's strategy here, but the KONKR Pocket Advance is shaping up to be a solid modern GBA. The gaming handheld maker has a real knack for making portables that feel lavish in the hands while providing punchy specs, and if I can take it for a test run, I'm sure it'll keep up with my modded GBA consoles.
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