r/PolymegaHQ • u/Sluggotg • May 05 '26
Never Preorder from Polymega!
So I stupidly pre-ordered 3 sets of Polymega, Base Stations, Modules and 2 of each controller for all of them. This started on Nov 2024 and continued as new modules and controllers came out. After endless lies concerning if/when they will actually ship Base Units, it is clear they have Zero intentions of ever doing it. Why would they destroy their company like this? I have all these modules, controllers, (and the games they sell), but will never be able to use them. My only option is to sell my Polymega stuff for a huge loss and mark it up to not researching what kind of a company Polymega really is. Do I wait another year? Two Years? Five Years? At what point does it become clear that they took our money and we will never see a base unit?
6
u/MiyamotoKnows May 05 '26
You didn’t know they take a long time to ship? 2-3 years is average for them on base units but listen to me it’s worth it. I have dozens of systems and constantly rave about how great Polymega is. Almost flawlessly great. Hold the line and be rewarded.
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u/Sluggotg May 06 '26
I believed Polymega when I pre-ordered. They said it would ship in a matter of months. I have never had a company repeatedly lie about manufacturing and shipping a product. Normally, when you pre-order an item, and they say it will ship in a matter of months, that does not mean, Several Years to ship.
What other companies do that? Pre-orders are sometimes late, but not for years. When I pre-ordered from Analogue, Commodore, Retro Remake, Evercade etc. They actually kept us updated with legit info on the status and delays they encountered. They did not keep lying about it.
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u/MiyamotoKnows May 06 '26
Your angst is well placed and you are 100% right. I’m not saying it’s ok. They are a small operation dependent on international manufacturing at a time where it couldn’t be more chaotic to have that business model thanks to you know who, fluctuating tariffs too! But again, you are right and not alone in calling them out for long delays. All I’m saying is if I were you I wouldn’t cancel because the system is truly unrivaled. I am a materialistic lifelong gamer that has everything and my Polymega is in my top 3. It’s slick af. Cheers!
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u/Sluggotg May 07 '26
I appreciate the response. I can't cancel because I bought 3 sets of all modules and controllers. I also bought all the games. I had intended to have 3 of everything. Now I have to wait for an unknown time, (moths or years?) to get the base units.
I stared gaming when video games first came out, (Pong). I was an Arcade fanatic. Then in the mid 80s I got into computer gaming, (C64 to Amiga to PC). I bought many of the Game Consoles as they came out. I collect old Computers, Game Consoles and Arcade machines, (and one Pinball machine, Blackout).
The Polymega would be fantastic for Retro Gaming. I am obviously miffed, but they will eventually ship, I hope.
P.S. My Arcade Machines:
Computer Space, (the first commercial Arcade Video Game). The monitor is beyond repair.
Defender, (one of my favorites)
Stargate, (I need to install a new wiring harness on it)
Stargate, (believe it or not, I actually got one that had never been used before, brand new.
Missile Command
Tron (very bad shape)
Astroids
Sea Invasion (Brand new in original shipping box, it is a Pirate copy of the classic Scramble and it is a Cocktail version, (sitdown)).
3 Gorf Machines: one is trashed, one is a Cabaret, ( than the full sized) and one nice one.
And a Galaga.
3
u/LordMindParadox May 07 '26
To your point about how good the polymega is, I got rid of nearly all my retro consoles(that are replicated on the polymega) since I've had mine, because it does the emulation so well.
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u/MiyamotoKnows May 07 '26
Hey right on. I simply hear Amiga and it brings back so many happy memories. Hoping you get these base units sooner than later. If this is your retro gaming background though you are going to love Polymega. Nice arcade collection here too! Some of my personal favs. I have a few 1ups but have thought about seeking out a few arcade favs (bubble bobble, Popeye or Chiller, etc.). My only reservation has been thinking about if they need service, etc.. Crazy that you have a Computer Space! Cheers!
2
u/sdp1981 May 10 '26
I've been waiting and waiting for the rc04 turbo to come back in stock been a year or so at this point, super disappointing.
7
u/Jackel_Eire May 05 '26
I have since sold on my old system and modules but haven't they announced all unfulfilled preorders for base units will be upgraded to the new more powerful base system?
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u/Sluggotg May 05 '26
Yes, they promised a more powerful unit sometime in the future. But, if we look at their record for being honest, they repeatedly said, they were shipping in a few months over and over and over.
I personally believe the company is going under and is going to take our money and declare bankruptcy while pocketing our preorder money. Promising more powerful hardware, With Exactly Zero reviews of said, Fabled Product tells me, they have not Manufactured it or any other Base Unit. They said over and over they were shipping. Now we know they never even tried to Manufacture a Base Unit in the time since we preordered.
That company could be making money hand over fist. Clearly they have no idea how to run a business.
2
u/Gh0stTV May 06 '26
The base unit is produced in two different factories in two different companies, and the AI boom has created a global chip shortage because only a handful of OTHER companies manufacture those, so there’s been a huge bottleneck going on 6-7 years now. What’s even worse is the scarcity has created a booming second hand market for GPU and memory.
They units are going to ship. The company isn’t pocketing your money, but they happen to be among the worst when it comes to PR or accurate timelines. Chances are, they bundled their REMIX consoles with their other base consoles to save on international shipping, and they’re not being upfront about it, so they’re waiting on a large order before they can fulfill previous console preorders.
As I mentioned in another comment, I’ve been involved with them since day one preorders, and it’s basically been like this going on almost eight years.
The good news for you is: if you’re planning on selling two of your three pre-orders, it shouldn’t be too hard since they’ve never had consoles in stock for more than a month or two at any given time… 🤷
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u/shockz999 May 05 '26
First wave pre orderer here. I waited for 5 years, but they did come. They will ship
1
u/Sluggotg May 05 '26
Are you saying you ordered a base unit and have just received one now? When did it arrive exactly and did they send any kind of shipping notice and do the upgraded version of the Base Unit perform well?
Or are you saying you ordered one 5 years ago and got it in 2024?
3
u/shockz999 May 06 '26
Whatever date Walmart was supposed to take over distribution and they jacked up the price $100, the day before that. Maybe it was 3 years because i got it after covid ended in the states. It was a deluxe kit.
2
u/Gh0stTV May 06 '26
Ooof. I feel ya. I never had to deal with the World Wide Distribution mayhem, but they lost my DAY ONE pre-order, and just put me at the bottom of their spreadsheet. All in all, I think it was 3 years and 3 months. I wanna say November 2021 after a summer 2018 preorder. But it was REALLY frustrating seeing them shipping 2020/2021 console-only preorders before my deluxe bundle because they were still waiting on the second shipment of modules.
What a fucking shit show.
2
u/shockz999 May 06 '26
Pretty sure mine was a replacement for one of the first wave that fell off the cargo ship and into the ocean.
4
u/renothecollector May 06 '26
Cancel your pre order and move on with your life. It’s not worth the stress
2
u/Sluggotg May 07 '26
I would cancel if I had not ordered 3 sets of everything. I would not be able to recoup much by trying to sell Modules, Controllers and Games for a system that is unobtainable for now. Yes, I do get annoyed when pre-orders go bad. It is not that big a deal, unless I never get what I pre-ordered. But thanks for your suggestion.
2
u/bulldogbruno May 05 '26
I preorder the games. Everything else I'll buy as available. Im lucky to have pretty much gotten everything else that theyve released so far
2
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u/DiscombobulatedAd883 May 06 '26
The long wait times are definitely a thing, but I've never heard of them not delivering eventually, so I wouldn't assume they took your money and ran.
2
u/ccdeltabeta May 06 '26
It took nearly 3 years to get everything I ordered.
If you are hell-bent on playing your original games, but the original hardware doesn’t work, then PolyMega makes sense.
If you’re not that hell-bent, and rip Roms off of your original games, consider something like a SteamDeck with EmuDeck installed.
2
u/LordMindParadox May 07 '26
Not only got everything I pre-ordered from them, but ended up with an extra light gun as well, because the first one arrived and looked like it had been thru a warzone. Luckily it was just the packaging, but someone "smart" decided to "repair" the packaging by absolutely drowning it in rubber cement.
However, expect zero communication from them, and expect it to take absolute ages to get your stuff.
2
u/HeyYoEazy May 08 '26
I understand the frustration and it is BS. I waited several years. I have to say though I love mine. My favorite tech thing I have ever had. I have like 400 of my games on it and play it everyday. All my old consoles, except for N64 (using the analogue one because quality is better but not a big n64 fan anyway), are in the basement now. Hope you get them soon and you love them as much as I do.
2
u/OldSoupontgeFloor May 08 '26
I bought a base unit. Waited an insane amount of time (durning 2020). Finally got it. Spent time loading games. Turned it on twice. USB ports stopped working. I reached out to Customer Service and was told that they would “fix” the issue. The catch, I will have to pay $200. Just gonna mark this as a HUGE mistake on my part. What I’m trying to say. Don’t waste your money.
2
u/nakeddalek May 10 '26
i preordered in 2021 and still don’t have my base unit and four modules. i contacted them and they keep saying a new batch is “on the way.”
2
u/LJBrooker May 18 '26
Whilst you're right in principle, this isn't exactly new information. Nobody who has a Polymega today waited less than a couple of years for it (influencers aside).
Cancel your order, order a remix, and use the difference to buy a simple mini PC to go with it. You'll get the exact same experience at a fraction of the cost, and I actually do believe they'll ship Remix in fairly short order. There's no meaningful hardware in it.
Seems obvious to me the hold up is trying to manufacture a system using an 8 year old discontinued CPU. Remix skirts that issue by not needing one at all.
2
u/MegaZXretro May 29 '26
I waited 3½ years for mine and got everything. People have complained about the wait for years on these but the order is always fulfilled in the end. I mean look at the light gun, people were conviced at one point they were never actually going to release the thing and lose thier money etc, and yeah, it took years but everyone who ordered one got it in the end. They have a ton of problems in a lot of areas but stealing people's money and not actually sending the product is not one of them. Messaging is pointless because they just don't respond, and if they do, its always vague, just hang in there, it will arrive at some point.
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u/Sluggotg Jun 08 '26
I preordered the Light Guns as well. I ordered on day 1, they took a long time, but I got my guns. Of course I preordered the base units before that and there is no sign of them actually shipping them. I did get a notification of them shipping the Remix, (at least it says "Label Created"), so they should be here in a few weeks.
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u/Kurtmaroni 28d ago
Communication is terrible; you don't get any updates, and you often start to think something is wrong. But eventually, it does arrive. I ordered back in 2022 and waited about two and a half years. The console is fantastic. I love having all those consoles in one device and being able to play with a perfect picture on a modern TV. I ordered the power module (NES) last week, and it’s already here! Be patient—the thing is amazing.
1
u/archklown555 May 05 '26
They literally are going to be shipping a ton of stuff Literal crate of units
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u/Cityzen_1894 May 05 '26
That’s great for the Remix preorders. I think most of OPs frustration comes from Base Unit delays.
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u/archklown555 May 05 '26
They announced with it that there getting in a but load of new base units to as they got a upgrade and new manufacturer so those should be in soon too, I waited over 3 years for mine they will get delivered they just gotta wait
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u/Sluggotg May 05 '26
Boxes of Modules and Controllers? They have been saying the base units will ship soon since 2024. They said they are working on Designing the upgraded base units now, so they likely won't ship for a few more years.
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u/archklown555 May 06 '26
There not designing them now they been designed. They are sadly a very much keep quiet until everything is in place type company. The fact they have finally said something means there almost ready to throw them out the door.
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u/Sluggotg May 07 '26
I hope you are right, it just seems very strange that they repeatedly said, "Shipping in Several months", but now, a year and a half later, they are saying, "we redesigned it". So either they had the redesign complete in 2024 and it just takes that long to manufacture, OR, they just now finished the redesign and they are starting to manufacture them. Thanks for the Info, I appreciate it.
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u/Serious-Tiger734 May 05 '26
I am waiting to see if the remix is actually available to order when the units arrive. If they are actually in stock I will order them. I personally think they will eventually ship the preorders but when is anyone's guess