After Indiegogo announced back in June that it would be working with debt collectors to recoup funds disbursed for those who backed Retro Computers’ Sinclair ZX Vega+ project, it seems that some backers have finally started to receive their consoles.
Indiegogo initially gave Retro Computers an “end-of-May” 2018 deadline before initiating debt collection procedures in an attempt to hold the company responsible for giving backers what was promised — the Vega+ handheld console.
Retro Computers wrote on May 22 that it “estimated to ship the first batch of Vega+ units by the 15th June 2018” and while that deadline has passed, Eurogamer reports that backers who have received the Vega+ are less than enthused by the product.
On July 6, Retro Computers posted that it was in the process of reaching out to backers who had opted for the “Blankety Blank” version of the Vega+, which would ship without any of the previously advertised games loaded onto it.
The company went on to confirm that an initial batch of 400 units were shipped to “Blankety Blank” backers on July 26. While Retro Computers technically delivered on this promise, backers who have received their Vega+ consoles aren’t entirely satisfied.
One backer, Craig Wootton, posted a video to YouTube showcasing the console. “Sadly, I’ve been left quite disappointed […] with the way they’ve supplied it to me,” he says.
He goes on to highlight the lack of protective packaging, and the fact that the few supplied games don’t work with the console’s buttons straight out of the box
While the “Blankety Blank” units have shipped, it’s still unclear when the version of the Vega+ with the promised 1,000 pre-installed games will be made available to backers.