Konami announced on March 6th, 2020 that the TurboGrafx-16 Mini’s release has been indefinitely delayed since they’re unable to complete manufacturing due to the plants being shutdown in China from the quarantines to keep the coronavirus from spreading.
The statement was posted on Konami’s official Twitter account, which you can read below.
[Notice]
We have added the notice “Regarding the manufacturing and shipping delays of the PC Engine Core Grafx mini products due to the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)” to the official website. Check here for more details: https://t.co/W5xh8v09Z7#CoreGrafx pic.twitter.com/JE5fWWpI1f
— KONAMI Europe (@konamieu) March 6, 2020
There’s a message in the image of the tweet. If you’re unable to view the message, it reads…
“We thank you for your continual support towards our products and services.
“Regarding the PC Engine Core Grafx mini console and its peripheral accessories, the manufacturing and shipping facilities in China have encountered an unavoidable suspension due to the current Coronovirus (COVID-19) outbreak. As a result, the deliver of all PC Engine Core Grafx mini products, which was originally scheduled for March 19th, 2020, will be delayed until further notice.
“We deeply apologize to our customers for the significant inconvenience, and we humbly ask for your understanding and patience while we keep our close attention on the situation. We are investing all of our efforts to deliver the PC Engine Core Grafx mini as soon as possible, and will provide further details on the deliver timing once confirmed.”
Originally there was going to be three different iterations of the TurboGrafx 16, with the PC Engine Core Grafx Mini, the PC Engine Mini, and the TurboGrafx-16 Mini all scheduled to be made available across the U.S., Europe, and Japan.
As mentioned, the different iterations of the mini were supposed to release on March 20th, 2020.
Konami had already set the release date in motion as far back as July, 2019, so this really threw a wrench into their plans.
We likely won’t see the TurboGrafix-16 Mini arrive until China reopens their manufacturing plants. And that’s not going to happen until they can get the coronavirus under control. And right now, they most certainly do not have it under control.
(Thanks for the news tip MaverickHL)
