(Credit: Retroid)
The Retroid Pocket 6, first revealed in October, has now seen two rounds of price hikes before shipments have even gone out "due to significant changes in the global memory market."
Retroid will discontinue the 12GB version of its gaming handheld and increase the price of the 8GB version by $15, effective today, to $244. In December, the brand also had to end its early-bird pricing, citing the RAM shortage, which raised the price from $209 to $229.
Those who already purchased a 12GB Pocket 6 will still receive it at the price they paid. However, "the recent surge in memory pricing has reached a level that we are unfortunately unable to absorb," the company tweeted. "Under the new supplier costs, we cannot continue offering the 12GB configuration at a reasonable price."
The ongoing RAM shortage has impacted a lot of the gaming industry, but it’s especially true for gaming handhelds, where manufacturers often have slim profit margins to keep prices low.
Last month, Ayaneo unveiled its Next 2 gaming handheld for an eye-popping $4,299, blaming the ongoing crisis. Ayaneo CEO Arthur Zhang told viewers during the Next 2 launch live stream that it had even considered not selling the device because component prices were so pricey.