GoKawiilHere's a bit of bad news for those looking forward to the modern recreation of the iconic Neo Geo gaming console. The Neo Geo Advanced Entertainment System+ (AES+) has been pushed back until September 16, 2027. It was supposed to start shipping this November, so this is a significant delay.
Manufacturer Plaion Replai, who is making the console under a license from SNK, says the delay is due to increased consumer demand from "fans, collectors and retail partners." The company's been having issues keeping up with this demand because of, you'll never guess, the global AI-induced memory shortage.
"Unprecedented worldwide demand for memory chips, driven by investment in AI infrastructure, has created well documented industry-wide supply constraints," the company wrote in a press release. "Rather than proceed with the previously planned November launch with severely constrained worldwide availability, Plaion Replai has chosen to take additional time to secure the component supply that is now needed to meet the demand of pre-order customers and a substantially larger worldwide release."
There is a silver lining here. The console is being delayed but the price will not increase. The standard edition in classic black still costs $250 and the limited-edition all-white 35th anniversary edition bundle still costs $350. That one also comes with a game cartridge for Metal Slug and a memory card. Modernized game carts are still gonna cost $90, which is already ridiculously high.
Previous pre-orders haven't been impacted by the delay and these customers are still at the top of the queue. Those who do order the console early get a free AES+ gamepad and some bundles include a 30 percent voucher for game cartridges.
This isn't Plaion Replai's first retro console rodeo. It had a hand in a remake of the Commodore 64 and a limited-edition yellow Atari 2600.