The NeoGeo AES+ was nearly canceled after Plaion could not secure the memory chips needed to manufacture it, according to the executive leading the retro console project.
Plaion hardware and software director Ben Jones told VGC at Tokyo Game Show that component procurement forced the team to rethink how the machine worked. “We were almost dead,” he said of the moment the original plan became unworkable.
The problem surfaced after preorders were stronger than expected and Plaion began locking down parts for production. Jones said suppliers could not provide the required memory, a constraint VGC connects to surging demand for chips used by AI infrastructure. Because the AES+ is meant to remain compatible with original 1990s NeoGeo cartridges rather than simply emulate the old hardware in software, changing components created a larger engineering problem than swapping one part on a conventional miniature console.
Plaion and SNK have moved the worldwide launch from November 2026 to September 16, 2027, a ten-month delay. The companies had already attributed the slip to global component supply constraints; Jones's interview adds that canceling the device was a real possibility before engineers found a route to redesign it.
The delay gives the team time to validate the new approach, but it also pushes delivery well beyond the original holiday window for customers who already placed preorders.
Gaming