Neo Geo AES+ Retro Console Preorders Open Starting At $249.99

by Paul Lilly — Tuesday, July 28, 2026, 11:05 AM EDT

Earlier this year, we covered the initial announcement of SNK and Plaion's upcoming Neo Geo AES+ hardware reincarnation. For retro gaming fans looking to lock down a unit, the wait is over. Preorders are now officially open at Amazon, bringing the legendary 1990s sprite-based powerhouse back to the consumer market starting at $249.99 for the Standard Edition.

For those who want to splurge, there is an Anniversary Edition priced at $349.99, which is also up for preorder. Both models feature the same core hardware, but the Anniversary Edition sports a white colorway, a wireless arcade stick instead of the wired model that comes with the Standard Edition, a white memory card, some extra cabling, and an exclusive all-white Metal Slug game cartridge.

A third and much pricier option is the Neo Geo AES+ Ultimate Edition, which lists for $999.99 and, as far as we can find, is only available to preorder direct from Plaion. The Ultimate Edition ups the ante by packing in all of the launch peripherals and all 10 launch games.

Neo Geo AES+ Anniversary Edition (angled retail box) - render.

One of the things the original Neo Geo was known for was the high cost of entry. Bringing a reborn Neo Geo AES+ home today is much more affordable than it was back in the day, though the cost can quickly add up depending on how many peripherals and physical game cartridges you stock up on (Side note: the future of gaming might be digital, but the past was decidedly physical). Game cartridges cost $89.99 a pop. Here's a breakdown:

A somewhat unique trait of the Neo Geo AES+ is that Plaion opted for custom ASIC hardware instead of relying on FPGA-based recreation or traditional software emulation, aiming for what it describes as a more authentic reproduction of the original system and "wholly authentic experience for both hardware and software."

As for pricing, the original Neo Geo launched in North America in April 1990 for $649.99, which adjusted for inflation is equivalent to around $1,685 today. Game cartridges ran between $200 to $300 (around $520 to $775 today), and sometimes even more.

All of the above are available to preorder now and will release on November 12, 2026.

Tags: Gaming, retro, Neo Geo, neo geo aes+

Paul Lilly

Paul is a seasoned geek who cut this teeth on the Commodore 64. When he's not geeking out to tech, he's out riding his Harley and collecting stray cats.