Neo Geo X portable console is real, out this spring from Blaze

We were taken by surprise when we first came across the Neo Geo portable that had seemingly been leaked to a Japanese gaming blog back in January, but it’s now confirmed that the device is indeed real and set for a launch in Q2 2012. The Neo Geo X is licensed by SNK and manufactured by Blaze, a company that has made similar all-in-one portables for systems like the Sega Genesis and Master System. The specs and preloaded games are in line with what we heard before, though it has a 3.5-inch screen rather than the 4.3 inches previously reported.

There’s no word yet on price — rumors were floating around that it’d cost £500, a figure that sounded both completely unbelievable and scarily possible given the notoriously expensive hardware it’s based on, but those have been firmly debunked by Blaze. The company says it’s planning to bring the Neo Geo experience to people “in a more affordable manner,” so we’d expect the device to be reasonably priced. It will, however, be produced in limited quantities, so for now it might be worth registering your interest at the Neo Geo X site.