Neo Geo AES+ Is Delayed to September 2027 After AI Chip Demand Nearly Killed It
Plaion is adapting the console to use serial NOR flash after suppliers refused the parallel flash chips planned for its memory system.
The Neo Geo AES+ will not arrive until September 2027 after demand from AI data centers nearly forced Plaion to cancel the retro console remake. The project found a way forward by changing how it handles flash memory, but that workaround added more time to an already delayed release.
In a conversation with VGC, Plaion hardware and software director Ben Jones explained that strong preorder demand led the company into a procurement problem it had not faced in nearly 20 years. Suppliers refused to provide the chips planned for the AES+, with AI demand taking priority even though the console uses memory designed around 1990s hardware.
Jones said the shortage put the whole project at risk. Plaion had already secured the chips used inside the console’s recreated game cartridges, including the ASIC components that manage their memory and communicate with the system, but the main console still needed a different answer.
Serial NOR flash gives the AES+ a way forward
The workaround involves using serial NOR flash instead of the parallel flash used by the original Neo Geo design. Plaion is adding a conversion layer that allows the more readily available serial chips to communicate with the console’s parallel interface.
That change is why the AES+ has moved to September 2027. Plaion chief technical officer Bruno Steux said the company did not have a practical alternative because waiting for the original chips could have taken too long and cost too much. Jones also described traveling to Taiwan and speaking with suppliers while the team pursued every remaining option.
AI data center demand has already affected the availability and price of several memory-related components, but the AES+ shows how far that pressure can reach. Even a retro console built to reproduce older hardware can end up competing for parts with much newer technology.
What the Neo Geo AES+ will offer
The console is listed at $249.99 without cartridges. It is designed to reproduce the original system at the hardware level without relying on FPGA chips or emulation, while individual recreated cartridges were listed at $69.95 each.
The chip redesign gives Plaion a route to release after the supply problem nearly ended the project, though buyers now face a longer wait for a premium way to revisit Neo Geo software.
Would the hardware-level approach make the September 2027 wait worthwhile, or does the price matter more to you? Share your take in the comments and follow us on X, Bluesky, YouTube, Instagram, Steam, and Telegram.
