Retro gaming hardware manufacturer, Hyperkin, has issued a public apology addressing concerns about its "lack of transparency" and failure to effectively communicate with customers.

The company has faced criticism in recent years for premature product announcements.  Last year saw the announcement of a handheld Sega Genesis/Mega Drive device that has since gone silent.  In January of this year, a PS5-styled controller compatible with Xbox and PC was revealed, but with no release date provided.

Also in January, Hyperkin launched a new Hyper Strummer guitar controller for the Wii, but faced accusations from customers of simply repurposing unsold Wii guitar stock. The company refuted these claims and has plans for a similar controller for PC and PS3.

Now, in an attempt to rebuild trust, Hyperkin has released a statement of apology.

“The Hyperkin team has taken time to reflect on our values as a company,” the statement, posted to social media, reads.

“We have overpromised and underdelivered. Due to a lack of transparency, we failed to communicate properly, which let down countless fans in our community.”

“Our previously announced guitar product is a prime example of our miscommunication. We have no excuses and take full accountability for these mistakes. Trust is earned, not given, and we realize that we have much to do to regain yours with the modern guitar controllers still in development.”

Hyperkin pledged to "break this habit" and acknowledged that its past management team was “eager to announce projects that were still in early stages of development”, something it says won’t happen with the new team it's building.

Moving forward, the company is focusing on three key areas:  increased transparency in communication, maintaining “constant contact” to keep customers informed, and “uncompromising quality” as it strives to deliver “hardware products that exceed expectations.”

“For every success, we will make an announcement. For every shortcoming, we will make a statement,” the statement concludes.  “Thank you to our fans, supporters, and the many communities that have tolerated our missteps. We don't want to let you down again.”