A manufacturing defect on the RetroN 5 game console will delay the device’s release until the first quarter of 2014, according to a press release by distributor Hyperkin on Thursday. The device promises to combine gameplay support for several classic consoles, including the original Nintendo Entertainment System (a.k.a. Famicom), SNES, Sega Genesis, and Game Boy Advance. Unlike other products which offer compatibility with these systems via software emulators, the RetroN 5 will support the original game cartridges from each system, and it appears that the pins required to interface with these cartridges are the faulty component that will cause the console to miss its already once-delayed December 10th launch date.
The RetroN 5 is not the first device of its kind, nor is it even the first from Hyperkin. Although skipping “number 4,” the company released earlier iterations of the console, including the RetroN 1, RetroN 2, and RetroN 3, which supported the NES, with additional support added for the SNES and Sega Genesis, respectively. It then followed up in early 2012 with the SupaBoy, a handheld device that played original SNES cartridges on a built-in 3.5-inch display. Each device was met with excitement upon release, but a bevy of minor technical issues prevented them from gaining significant traction. Hyperkin promised to address these issues when announcing the RetroN 5 in March of this year.
Assuming that the manufacturing issues can be resolved, the RetroN 5 will now launch early next year with an MSRP of $99.99. The console will include both traditional analog AV output as well as HDMI for support with newer televisions. A wireless Bluetooth controller will be included with universal support for all compatible consoles, but three ports on the front of the unit will allow gamers to connect the original controllers for the NES, SNES and Genesis as well.
