If you’ve been after a high-end retro gaming solution and been slightly put off by stock issues, one major supplier may finally be resolving them… maybe.
Playmaji, the company behind the Polymega, reckons they’ll ship all remaining pre-orders this year, according to a statement given to VG247’s buds over at Time Extension.
This is exciting to hear, though we’d still advise caution in your optimism. Despite friends already having their units back when I ordered, I’m currently sitting on a Polymega order placed in September of 2021 – which still hasn’t shipped.
Grimly, this order was for a ‘Deluxe’ package that included all add-ons at the time of order – and in the meantime, despite being unable to ship, Playmaji has added several more modules and add-ons to the Polymega family, making this definitive and deluxe package no longer so. Polymega has faced an enormous glut of customer complaints from those in a similar situation, but this statement suggests that the company might finally be on top of things.
If you’re unfamiliar with the Polymega, it’s a cool concept indeed: a single base unit that plays CD-based games from 15 classic consoles including PlayStation, Sega Saturn, and Neo Geo CD. This can then be augmented with add-on modules for cartridge-based machines including the NES, SNES, and Mega Drive. With enough add-ons, the Polymega can become an all-in-one solution, albeit an expensive one – the base system with the four initial modules is over $700.
Supply constraints have been a general problem in the retro console world. Polymega rival Analogue, which instead focuses on single-format re-releases using FPGA technology instead of software emulation, is pretty much constantly out-of-stock, also inviting fan complaints. But Analogue only opens orders for units they have in-hand, then ships right away – so it’s different methods of handling the same problem.
If Polymega does indeed manage to ship its pre-orders, it might be one of the most readily available high-end retro gaming products available going into 2024. And who knows – we might even be able to give one a test-drive for VG247!