Analogue Pocket and EverDrive compatibility issues leave retro gamers stranded

There’s a strange controversy that has ensnared the Analogue Pocket and EverDrive flash cartridges. An unknown problem is causing the cartridges to not work properly with newer variants of the handheld. And it’s unclear which party is at fault for the issue.

EverDrive maker Krikzz claims that there’s an issue with newer versions of the Analogue Pocket preventing its cartridges from working. While flagging a forum post by an Analogue Pocket owner, Krikzz writes, “When the system writes to a file, it reads the sector containing the directory information, applies the required modifications, and writes the sector back. However, in the new AP, some bits become corrupted for an unknown reason, resulting in damaged file system sectors.” Krikzz then goes on to say, “It seems like some hardware related problem. With same firmware version old AP works well, but AP from new batch does not work.”

It appears that Analogue has been contacted about the issue. In its alleged response, the handheld maker states:

For support with modern 3rd party games, accessories and other devices – please contact the manufacturer for troubleshooting and information with Analogue products. Analogue does not provide customer support for 3rd party devices.

Not that surprising of an answer as Analogue can’t be expected to support every accessory or device made to work with the formats it covers.

However, it appears that there are conflicting reports suggesting that EverDrive may be the one at fault. These reports claim the issue may be caused by component changes in newer EverDrive Minis.

As mentioned earlier, it’s unclear where the blame falls. But, hopefully, Analogue or Everdrive will figure out the cause and make the necessary adjustments.