SNK's Neo Geo AES+ Won't Arrive Until September 2027 — Blame the AI Memory Shortage

A retro console meant to recapture the vibe of 1990s arcades has ended up caught in 2026's AI chip buying frenzy. In its latest statement, Plaion Replai admitted that the Neo Geo Advanced Entertainment System+ (AES+), originally slated to ship this November, will now be delayed until September 16, 2027 before reaching players' hands.

The console is licensed by SNK and manufactured by Plaion Replai, the same company behind previous reboots of the Commodore 64 and a limited-edition yellow Atari 2600. The company says the delay stems from "demand that has exceeded expectations from players, collectors, and retail channels" — but the real bottleneck, as the official statement directly points out, is the "global memory chip supply crunch driven by AI infrastructure investment." In other words, this machine built to recreate 1990s hardware has been dragged down by 2026's wave of AI servers hoarding memory chips. Plaion Replai stated that rather than launching in November as originally planned amid a severe global shortage, it made more sense to take extra time to secure enough components to meet pre-order demand and a larger global rollout.

The one thing that hasn't changed is the price. The standard classic black edition remains $250, while the limited 35th anniversary all-white edition stays at $350, which comes bundled with a Metal Slug game cartridge and a memory card. As for the modernized remastered game cartridges, each one still costs $90.

Customers who have already placed pre-orders won't be affected by the delay and will keep their spot at the front of the shipping queue; early pre-order customers will also receive a free AES+ controller, with some bundles including a 70%-off coupon for game cartridges.

There's currently no further information on when the global memory supply crunch might ease, or whether the shipping timeline could be adjusted again down the line.