Three delays later, patience is wearing thin for retro gaming’s most mysterious console.
The Analogue 3D is turning into one of those gaming stories that just won’t end, and for all the wrong reasons. After months of waiting, it’s been delayed once again. This marks the third pushback, and honestly, people are starting to question whether they’ll ever get their hands on it.
Analogue broke the news on their site with another carefully worded statement, talking about “unexpected and uncommon issues” and “esoteric circumstances.” It all sounds very official, but at the end of the day, the message is the same: it’s not ready. They insist they’re moving at “maximum pace” to get orders shipped while also making sure everything meets their usual high standards.
To their credit, Analogue did admit what everyone’s feeling: “We know this sucks.” And it does. According to them, the Analogue 3D is basically finished—99% of the work is done. The hardware and packaging have been locked in for months. It’s that elusive final 1% they say is holding things up, which has now pushed the release into Q4. They even said they’re setting that date “conservatively,” which makes it sound like December is a real possibility.
The frustrating part is that after four years of development, nobody has actually seen the Analogue 3D in action. There’s no gameplay demo, no video of it running, just promotional images and promises. It’s gotten to the point where some fans are not even sure the console is real.
Meanwhile, the competition isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. ModRetro, another company working on retro hardware, is already generating buzz and might even launch their system before Analogue manages to get the 3D out the door. For a company with such a rich history, Analogue is failing to replicate its glory days, and it’s a shame for all of us involved.
Analogue did give preorder customers an out by linking to a cancellation page, but plenty of fans are still holding on to the slight glimmer of hope. After so much waiting, many of us just want to see how this all plays out.
The easiest way for Analogue to restore a little trust would be to show the console running. Just a short clip of it playing a game would be enough to reassure people that it’s more than an illusion. Instead, fans are stuck refreshing their inboxes and hoping this latest Q4 timeline actually sticks.
The Analogue 3D remains one of gaming’s biggest “maybe next time” stories. If it does finally make it out this year, it could still turn into the retro machine everyone’s been dreaming about. With each delay, though, Analogue is only doing a disservice, not only to their fans but also to the much-awaited console itself.
