Photo: Evan-Amos · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Nintendo Game Boy
Nintendo · Released Apr 1989 · Original (DMG-01)
The 1989 original that created the handheld market — monochrome, indestructible, and home to some of gaming's most iconic titles.
Pros
- +The device that defined handheld gaming
- +Legendary battery life on four AA cells
- +Enormous, beloved game library
- +Famously durable
Cons
- −Unlit 'pea-soup' monochrome screen
- −Bulky and heavy by modern standards
- −No backlight at all
What can it play?
Emulation performance by platform, based on real-world testing.
Full specifications
Hardware
- Chipset (SoC)
- Sharp LR35902 (custom)
- CPU
- 8-bit Sharp LR35902 @ 4.19 MHz
- GPU
- Integrated PPU (160x144)
- RAM
- 8 KB work + 8 KB video
- Storage
- Cartridge Game Pak ROM
- Weight
- 220 g
- Dimensions
- 90 x 148 x 32 mm
- Cooling
- Passive
Display
- Size
- 2.6″
- Resolution
- 160x144
- Panel
- Reflective STN LCD (4-shade monochrome)
- Refresh rate
- 60 Hz
- Touchscreen
- No
Battery & Connectivity
- Battery
- 2000 mAh
- Real-world life
- ~20 hours
- Wi-Fi
- None
- Bluetooth
- None
- Ports
- Link Cable, 3.5mm headphone, DC in
- Expandable storage
- No
Controls
- Analog sticks
- 0
- D-pad
- Yes
- Face buttons
- Yes
- Analog triggers
- No
- Gyroscope
- No
- Hall effect sticks
- No
Software & custom firmware
Ships with: None (cartridge-booted)
Also plays natively: Game Boy cartridges
No third-party custom firmware tracked for this device.
Our verdict
The Game Boy was not the most powerful handheld of its day, but its low price, incredible battery life, and killer software (Tetris, Pokémon) made it a cultural phenomenon that sold over 100 million units. Its reflective monochrome screen is dim by any standard, yet the device remains a beloved icon and the foundation on which every handheld since has been built.