Bad news for fans of Evercade cartridges and anyone who hasn’t bought an Evercade handheld yet. 2022 will see a price rise as Blaze Entertainment deals with exponential increases in supply chain costs.
Meanwhile, some cartridges are set to be retired.
Evercade Handheld Price Rise
Due to the huge rise in the price of electronics production over the past couple of years, the Evercade Handheld will rise in price to £79.99 for a Starter pack and £99.99 for the Premium pack. In Europe, the Starter pack price will rise to €89.99 with the Premium pack increasing to €109.99. In the US, customers will see an increase to $89.99 for a Starter pack and $109.99 for the Premium pack.
Reduced supply in 2021 has been caused by increased demand for components with limited supplies. Screens, computer chips, and more have been impacted by supply chain issues. In fact, given the coronavirus pandemic and the Ever Given blockage of the Suez canal, it’s amazing that Blaze Entertainment hasn’t increased the price of the Evercade handheld before now.
Evercade Cartridges SRP Increase
Similarly, from January 1st, 2022, the price of a new stock Evercade cartridge (as opposed to one currently on shelves or in warehouses) will rise to £17.99 in the UK and €19.99 in the EU, while the US cost will remain at $19.99 plus taxes.
Blaze are insisting that retailers should retain the 2021 SRP for existing stock.
Also announces is the news that some cartridges are set to be retired in 2022. These are as follows:
- Namco Collection 1 (ends June 2022)
- Namco Collection 2 (ends June 2022)
- Technos Collection 1 (ends March 2022)
- Oliver Twins Collection (ends March 2022)
Why are these Evercade cartridges being retired? Well, some contracts were made for exclusivity, or had limited-time agreements. Contracts are rarely forever. The cartridges above will not be rereleased (not in the near future, at least) and new stock cannot be produced.
What does this Evercade price rise mean?
At the time of writing, 2022 is just a few weeks away. So it makes sense to act while there is still time. If you have been holding out on an Evercade handheld, or you want to buy any of those cartridges before they’re retired, you should immediately head to your favorite online store and order them while you can.
After all, those cartridges have a good chance of selling out long before they’re retired…
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Christian Cawley is a writer and editor who covers consumer electronics, IT, and entertainment media. He has written for publications such as Computer Weekly, Linux Format, MakeUseOf.com, and Tech Radar.
He also produces podcasts, has a cigar box guitar, and of course, loves retro gaming.