How to Set Up Analogue Pocket openFPGA

It’s been a long time since I whipped up a guide or tutorial of my own volition. Bore out of immense frustration over the course of five or so hours, I had to write this story and guide.

On Friday, July 29, 2022, Analogue released the 1.1 beta of Analogue OS for the Pocket. I’ve written my fair share about both the console and the software. This particular release was exciting, giving Pocket owners something. Analogue even broke signature silence and gave the public a development roadmap.

The crucial component of this update is openFPGA, Analogue’s copyrighted and trademarked name for their FPGA platform. The Pocket is finally open for FPGA developers to create or port their own cores¹ for the Pocket hardware. This has been the promise before launch. Here’s what I said in my initial impressions:

The Pocket has uncashed checks. At launch, there are no third-party cores, major features are pending on AnalogueOS 1.1, and Analogue’s own promised core support via adapters. The future, like a modern console (or game) is contingent on software support. I’m confident it will be delivered. Heck, the jailbreak could be dropping any day now. It’s still early, but after two years of hype, I was hopeful for more at launch.

Turns out the “jailbreak” was also tied to AnalogueOS 1.1 via openFPGA.

Sometime Friday evening, three openFPGA cores for the Game Boy consoles were released by user spiritualized1997. It’s a rather snappy turnaround from the software release that day. This falls in line with Analogue mythos that FPGA engineer Kevin Horton aka Kevtris releases the Analogue cores under another name, letting users have the same experience while being able to use ROMs. Traditionally this happens much sooner for Analogue’s consoles, not seven months after launch.

I woke up Saturday morning, scrolled through my Twitter feed and saw the news. I was happy! My plans that morning were to work on some Chapter Select production. I decided to fit in adding the cores to my Pocket so it’d be all set up with my games and saves. I thought, “this won’t take long. Move some files to the SD card, boot, bada bing bada boom, new cores!”

That was at 6:00 AM. For three hours straight, I tried to load these cores. Then I kept trying on and off for about two more hours. From reddit to YouTube to developer documentation, I tried to solve my problem. All Analogue-provided instructions were short and lacking: reddit was more helpful, but nothing worked.

So what was my issue? I could not get the Pocket to enter the openFPGA menu. I would be prompted with a QR code that pointed to a “Getting Started with openFPGA” page on Analogue’s site. No feedback from system whatsoever. No detailed official instructions.

Perhaps it’s my career as a technical documentation writer, but this infuriated me. So I’m making the documentation. This process is simple. The troubleshooting should be easy to follow. Shouldn’t be too tough to surpass the current instructions out there.

Current AnalogueOS Version (Updated: 8/28/23)

Current openFPGA Cores (Updated: 3/30/23)

Here’s a table maintained by Josh Campbell of all the openFPGA cores for the Pocket. This table goes beyond my list below.

Game Boy / Game Boy Color by spiritualized1997
Game Boy Advance by spiritualized1997
NeoGeo (Alpha) by Mazamars312
PDP-1 / Spacewar! by spacemen3
Pong by agg23
Sega Game Gear by spiritualized1997
Sega Master System by spiritualized1997
SG-1000 by spiritualized1997
Super Nintendo by agg23

How to install openFPGA Cores on Analogue Pocket

Make sure the Pocket is updated to at least version 1.1 beta.
Download the latest software here. Place the .bin file on the root of your Pocket SD card.
Eject the SD card from your computer and place it in the Pocket.
Power on the Pocket and the console will load the firmware.
After the Pocket installs the firmware, power the system down and eject the SD card.
Pop the SD card in your computer. The file structure should look like this.

Assets
Cores
GB Studio
Memories
Platforms
Saves
Settings
System

Download the ZIP file for the core/s you would like to use. Unzip them to a location on your computer.
Inside the uncompressed folder, you will see three folders: “Assets”, “Cores”, and “Platforms”. These three folders will also be on the SD card, but will be blank at creation.
Copy or move the files inside the uncompressed folder to the matching folders on the SD card, i.e. move the contents of the “Assets” folder on your computer to the “Assets” folder of the SD card.
If you are adding the Game Boy cores, you will need to add the BIOS and your ROMs for the consoles.
Take the BIOS and make sure the name is “ABBR_bios.bin” where “ABBR” is the abbreviation of the console:

Game Boy is “gb”
Game Bot Color is “gbc”
Game Boy Advance is “gba”

Move the BIOS and ROMs to the respective core’s common folder. This is located inside Assets > common.
Eject the SD card and pop it back into the Pocket. Select the openFPGA menu and select the core you would like to use.

How to Install the Image Library

The Pocket supports an image library that will show off art for selected games (as of this writing, it is only for physical games). Spiritualized1997 has also provided these files. You can check out their original reddit post here.

Download the library ZIP from here (Update 12/26/22: The host has changed to Dropbox. The link here has been updated).
Unzip the files.
Insert the SD card into your computer.
On the SD card, navigate to System > Library > Images
1. If Library or Images are not present, that’s okay. We will just copy those files over from the uncompressed zip as well.
Copy over the “GB,” “GBA,” and “GG” folders from the uncompressed “Library Image Set v1.0” zip to the “Images” folder we navigated to on the SD card.
Eject the SD card and reinsert to the Pocket. Insert a cartridge and start it to see art.

Troubleshooting

Problem – I can’t get past the openFPGA QR code!

This is what tripped me up for hours. The solution I found was inside the “System” folder on the Pocket SD card. There are these .bin files located there. Two of them had a file size of zero bytes — “corelist_cache.bin” and “cores_cache.bin”. I deleted those .bin files to force the Pocket to make new ones. Upon boot, the files were recreated correctly and the openFPGA menu opened immediately.

Problem – Some of my ROMs are not listed in the openFPGA core! Where did they go?

I noticed a selection of games were missing from my GBA core. Turns out the ones that were MIA had the file extension “.GBA” not “.gba”. The Pocket is case-sensitive to the ROM file extensions. Fix that and the ROMs will appear.

It is great to see the Pocket cracked open now. It was not great to have these issues and no clear help. I’m hoping these instructions will assist you in tapping into the Pocket’s full potential. It is great to finally see Analogue cashing promised checks.

1. Cores is the term for hardware emulated computers or consoles. For example, the Pocket’s official cores at this time include the Game Boy line and the Sega Game Gear.

Launch Analogue Pocket Thoughts & Impressions

After a year and a half, my Analogue Pocket finally arrived. I am stoked to have yet another way to play Game Boy games at high-fidelity, a pursuit I have been on for over 15 years. It’s not the end-all-be-all of course, but it is another tool in my video game console tool belt.

I wanted to whip up some initial impressions, instead of reviewing it full stop. Let’s use that to segue into the first takeaway.

The Pocket has uncashed checks. At launch, there are no third-party cores, major features are pending on AnalogueOS 1.1, and Analogue’s own promised core support via adapters. The future, like a modern console (or game) is contingent on software support. I’m confident it will be delivered. Heck, the jailbreak could be dropping any day now. It’s still early, but after two years of hype, I was hopeful for more at launch.

This also applies to the Dock. I was shocked to find out the Dock does not support Analogue’s own DAC on day one. There are no Display Modes on the Dock. Settings feel like the bare minimum. I know the Dock was supposed to launch after the Pocket released. It’s safe to assume the delays allowed Analogue to launch them simultaneously, but the Dock feels unfinished. It performs as advertised, but it’s a far cry from Analogue’s usual baseline.

Why is there no Game Boy link cable support while docked? Maybe it can come someday via UBS. I tried using a USB-C extension cable, but all it did was charge the Pocket. Someone on reddit claims they got one to work, but haven’t shared which cable or shown proof. All I want is the Tingle Tuner in 1080p to capture it…

My last complaint at launch is why no Phil Fish boot sequence? The home consoles from Analogue all have neat boot animations with a pleasing tune. I really wish there was more than a white Analogue logo. I miss the Game Boy boot as well, but I understand why that can’t be officially included for copyright reasons. Maybe with the jailbreak I can get my chime back.

I’ll throw out one specific praise of the console: the Display Modes absolutely deliver. I learned from My Life in Gaming’s review that due to the displays high pixel density, Analogue is able to use the pixels and sub-pixels to create these modes. It’s not a mask or filter. I’m truly floored by their performance. I do wish we could tweak them or create our own. Maybe that comes someday with software.

The display truly is unlike anything else. You really couldn’t ask for a better display, especially in the current market of replacement IPS panels.

The Pocket is solid hardware that is now living under the cloud of future software to truly unlock its full potential. With orders backed into 2023, we’ll see what kind of experience those owners will have on their own launch of the console.

Pocket Available for Purchase Next Week

Pocket will be available to purchase on December 14th at 8am PST.
Due to industry wide component price increases, the price of Pocket is now $219. All other Pocket accessories will remain the same price.
There are three fulfillment groups which have the following estimated ship dates. Everyone who wants a Pocket will be able to secure an order.

Analogue is opening the Pocket back up for order on December 14 at 8:00 AM PST / 11:00 AM EST. The orders won’t close down, instead just having orders be grouped up into chunks ranging between Q1 2022, Q4 2022, and 2023.

Existing orders begin shipping the same day and have been upgraded to 2-day FedEx shipping.

Pocket accessories will also be going up for order, but it is unclear if the Lynx, TurboGrafx-16, and Neo Geo Color adapters will be available.

Analogue Pocket Shipping Notices are Being Sent Out

Analogue Pocket pre-orders will begin shipping on December 13th. Due to unprecedented shipping congestion, your order will ship and be delivered between December 14th – December 30th.

Finally.

Analogue is offering holds for people that may be out of town during this window of time. Those holds can be requested until November 28 and will begin shipping on January 3, 2022. If you do not need to change your address or request a hold, your Pocket is supposed to start shipping in the coming weeks.

Analogue OS Preview

Last weekend on October 16, 2021, Analogue revealed a new product. Actually, Analogue has revealed something on October 16 for the past 4 years (2017 – Super NT, 2018 – Mega SG, 2019 – Pocket, 2020 – Duo). Time to put that in my calendar for next year. For the fifth annual announcement, Analogue revealed not hardware, but software dubbed Analogue OS.

Being an operating system, I think Analogue OS is the company’s first truly unique offering. Other companies offer playing old game cartridges on modern displays, albeit technically poor, like a Retron console. Open-source platforms like MiSTer provide the same, if not better, level of FPGA-based emulation for multiple consoles, instead of one like the Super NT and Mega SG. Just like macOS is tailor-made for Mac computers or Android is made for Google’s Pixel, Analogue OS appears to be the software backbone of Analogue’s hardware going forward.

Analogue dumped a lot of screenshots and information about what the OS can and will be able to do. It will launch first on the Pocket, which is (hopefully) no later than 71 days away as of this writing based off the most recent delay. While far more difficult to fully gauge from words and images than actually using the OS, I wanted to dig in to the announcement and promise of Analogue OS. So, let’s start with Analogue’s previous software offerings and what they have previously shown off on the Pocket.

Continue reading →

Analogue Restocking Super NT, Mega SG, and DAC Next Week

Super Nt, Mega Sg and DAC are restocked.
Available Mon Aug 9, 2021 at 8am PDT.
Limit 2 per customer per console.
All orders will ship by the end of the week.
Analogue via email announcement

Hopefully their ordering system can sustain the demand. No word on quantity, so I expect they’ll sell out rather quick. After being out of stock since January 2021 and a small restock, hopefully these stay up for a smidgen longer.

If you want any other these devices, I’d prepare for Monday. Personally, I love my Super NT and DAC. I hope this is a good sign that the Analogue Pocket will hit the October 2021 delivery window, after being delayed out of May 2021 and late 2020.

Super NT Restock Happening Tomorrow

Analogue made the long awaited announcement via Twitter

Super Nt will be restocked in Classic, SF, and Black.
Available April 9, 2021 at 8am PDT.
Limit 2 per customer.

This is no different than the Pocket pre-order structure. I’m curious if it too will sell out in 10 minutes. Hopefully, Analogue’s recent openness about their supply chain and ordering process will turn into action as these restocks happen before Pocket’s launch in October.

Analogue Pocket Delayed to October 2021

Pocket is delayed once more.

Pocket is delayed and shipping in October 2021.
The current global state of affairs continues to create supply chain challenges outside of our control.
There have been sudden and severe electrical component shortages as well as logistical issues leading to a domino effect of challenges for nearly everyone in the industry.
We’re working hard to get Pocket out as fast as possible and we appreciate your understanding and patience. An email is being sent to everyone who pre-ordered Pocket. If you have any questions about your pre-order or would like to cancel at anytime for a full refund, please contact Analogue Support at support.analogue.co or by email at support@analogue.co.

Unsurprising given the chip shortages around the world. It is such a shame this delay happened just one month before the previous target month of May 2021. I just talked about its impending launch with Cameron Hawkins on my new podcast, since we both snagged a pre-order.

I can’t possibly see the Analogue Duo hitting 2021 now either. Analogue has reassured that the Super NT will be restocked next month, with the DAC and Mega SG following afterward.

I am really glad I went ahead and assembled a MiSTer now too. Now we wait for October…

Analogue Console Restock Incoming

Super Nt, Mega Sg and DAC restocks incoming asap. Super Nt in March/April. Mega Sg and DAC soon after. There will be a heads up before live on the store. As always, sign up for stock notifications to be notified the instant they are back in stock: https://www.analogue.co/store

Analogue via Twitter

By the time the restocks come to fruition, the everything will have been out-of-stock for 3-4 months. The Super NT has been flickering out of stock since early 2020, while the Mega SG finally went out after Christmas 2020 along with the DAC. It is great to see Analogue restocking the consoles, especially the Super NT. We also just crossed the sub-100 days left until the end of May 2021, which is the current release window for the Pocket. The Duo is also supposed to be releasing this year. It seems Analogue’s production is kicking back up, but we have to see if it can keep up with demand.

Analogue Consoles Entirely Out of Stock

Analogue Store

I had a feeling that this was going to happen soon. I kept look at the Mega SG consoles, noticing that the stock was limited to the USA and JPN variant. The Super NT has been out of stock throughout 2020. The Analogue Pocket famously sold out in 10 minutes. The Analogue DAC is also out of stock, ending the second run of the niche digital-to-analog converter.

Those fortunate enough with an Analogue Pocket pre-order should expect the console in May 2021. Analogue is also launching a PC-Engine/Turbografx console dubbed the Analogue Duo this year. I imagine pre-orders will sell out immediately.

In fact, as of this writing, the only Analogue product in stock is a triple pack of Mega SG cartridge adapters for $49.99, plus $20~ in shipping. Hopefully Analogue can resupply all of their non-exclusive variant consoles and make some new ones (like an affordable NES console). They do rock solid work and I love my Super NT and DAC. I cannot wait for my Pocket to arrive to test and play it to no end. I just wish Analogue’s products were more widely available for folks.

Analogue Pocket Sells Out in 10 Minutes

Phew. What a stressful morning. I did manage to snag a black Analogue Pocket system along with a Dock, Sega Game Gear adapter, a link cable, and a case.

As for all the other Pocket consoles, the entire first-run sold out within 10 minutes. The high demand led to slamming Analogue’s store and plenty of customers—including myself—got stuck at the “select shipping” part of checkout. The loading wheel just kept on spinning. I managed to get through on my phone over LTE first before my computer loaded shipping options. Once the shipping options loaded for many, the items in their cart were suddenly “out of stock.”

Pocket pre-orders are sold out. We will be producing more and do our best to meet demand during this unfortunate global state of affairs.

Signup at http://analogue.co/store to be notified by email when we are able to make Pocket + accessories available again.

Analogue via Twitter

Now all that is left is to wait for May 2021. If you were lucky like myself or just want to read as much as possible about the Pocket, I’ve written two in-depth previews about the system. My first preview was back in April, detailing all we knew since its announcement in October 2019. The when Analogue announced today’s pre-orders, I wrote all about the new changes, accessories, and features.

Analogue Pocket Pre-Orders Go Live on August 3

Analogue has come forward and shared all the latest details surrounding their hotly anticipated console — Pocket. After a tease last week, Analogue has announced that pre-orders for the Pocket will begin next Monday, August 3, 2020 at 8:00 AM PST. Most of Pocket’s accessories will also go up for pre-order at the same time. There is a limit of two Pocket consoles per order, presumably to help mitigate demand.

The hardware itself has gotten some tweaks and clarifications as well. The “start,” “select,” and “home” buttons have been moved from the lower right corner to the bottom middle. The super high-resolution display retains its incredible specs and is now confirmed to be made out of Gorilla Glass. Another super snazzy feature is what Analogue dubs “Original Display Modes.” These allow users to mimic Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance screen properties—think scan lines for Game Boy systems. I wonder how far this kind of feature can and will go. The Pocket will support Game Boy and Game Gear (I think, but more on that in a bit) right away. Could features like mimicking Atari Lynx or Sega Game Gear screens become a reality? What about just the diverse screen types within the Game Boy line itself? Could I chose between a regular GBA, a frontlit GBA SP, a backlit GBA SP, and a Game Boy Micro? What about the DS screen? There is plenty of potential for this kind of feature and I wonder how far Analogue will take it.

There is also a sleep/wake feature built into the hardware; simply pressing the power button will put the Pocket to sleep and suspend gameplay. The Pocket has a 4300 mAh battery that can support 10+ hours of sleep time and 6-10 hours of game time. Recharging happens over USB-C and folks may use an 18W fast charger if they’d like.

I found the biggest surprise from today’s announcements to be the plethora of accessories for the Pocket. The Dock got its time in the spotlight with its own improvements. Now there is a small recession to provide better stability for the Pocket itself. The Dock comes in at $99 and goes up for order the same day and time as the Pocket. It has two USB-A ports for wired controllers and supports both Bluetooth and 2.4g wireless controllers for up to four controllers at once. As someone who just bought a 2.4g 8BitDo controller, I am super stoked for its inclusion.

Besides all of the Game Boy games, Pocket will support Sega Game Gear, Neo Geo Pocket, and Atari Lynx. These adapters take their design language from Analogue’s Mega SG adapters and the DAC. The slick transparent design is right up my alley. Based off the images, the adapters appear to sit flush with the bottom half of the console. These adapters are $29.99 a pop and only the Game Gear adapter will be up for pre-order next week. I assume this is because Analogue already has the core for it thanks to the Mega SG. Since says that the Game Gear adapter will also ship in May 2021, I assume that the Pocket will also have Game Gear support out of the box, if you have the adapter. The other adapters only have a date of 2021.

There are cables out the wazoo for the Pocket. Besides a traditional style link cable, there are cables for connecting the Pocket to various music devices thanks to the inclusion of Nanoloop music software. There is a MIDI-IN cable, analog sync, and USB-A. All of these connect to the Pocket through the link cable port, just like one would use Nanoloop on a real Game Boy. I wonder if it would be possible to route it through the USB-C port though. I doubt it is a question of hardware, but rather software. It’d be nice to see this as an option down the line, instead of through a older port. All of the cables are $19.99, except for the traditional link cable and a USB-C to USB-C cable, both of which run for $15.99.

The Pocket has a few other odds and ends as far as accessories go. There is a clear plastic hard-shell case ($29.99) that also doubles are a vertical stand for the console. You can buy a tempered glass screen protector for $15.99 and a fast charging USB-C Power Supply for $19.99.

Analogue came out of with more than just hardware announcements today. They also announced two developer initiatives. First, Analogue has partnered with GB Studio to let people make Game Boy games and run them on the Pocket. GB Studio pitches itself as an “easy to use drag and drop retro game creator.” Analogue has also opened up a developer form for folks to apply for an Analogue Pocket FPGA dev kit so that developers can create their own cores before the system’s release next summer.

The Pocket feels like the end-all be-all for Analogue. It is more than just an FPGA console for the Game Boy, but this amalgamation of games, music, and development. I can’t wait to actually get my hands on one just to see how it feels and plays. I want to push its limits and explore the legacy that Pocket actually provides access to.

If you want to read more about the Pocket, I wrote a whole preview back in April based on everything Analogue publicly talked about. I compared the price to the competition, whipped up charts comparing resolutions, and broke down the software design.