Last year, Konami announced it was set to join Nintendo, Sega, and Sony by launching its own mini retro console. The TurboGrafx-16 mini was expected to launch on March 19, but then Coronavirus happened.
As Kotaku reports, Konami has announced that the TurboGrafx-16 mini, known as the PC Engine Mini in Japan and the PC Engine Core Grafx Mini in Europe, will no longer launch this month. It's down to production, or a lack thereof.
Konami explained in a statement that, "manufacturing and shipping facilities in China have encountered an unavoidable suspension due to the current Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. As a result, the delivery of all TurboGrafx-16 mini products, which was originally scheduled for March 19th, 2020, will be delayed until further notice."
With the amount of disruption caused by coronavirus, it's not surprising to see the retro console delayed. What's is surprising is the fact Konami doesn't feel confident selecting a new launch date for the hardware. It suggests the company isn't just considering the situation in China, which is thought to be improving, but also the situation in the markets where the TurboGrafx-16 mini will be offered, notably across the US and Europe.
Across all three versions of this retro console Konami is planning to include 60 games, 54 of which are unique. In the US there will be 57 games included, split between 25 TurboGrafx-16 titles and 32 PC Engine titles. Hopefully, Konami manages to sort the situation out and get the mini console launched in time for the holiday season, but ultimately it will all come down to how COVID-19 spreads over the coming months.
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