Nintendo Game Boy MicroClassic Handheld
Classic HandheldDiscontinued
Nintendo Game Boy Micro
Nintendo · Released Sep 2005 · Micro (OXY-001)
A tiny, premium, backlit GBA-only handheld — the most beautiful Game Boy Nintendo ever made, if also the least practical.
8.2
out of 10
$99
Launch price $99
Pros
- +Tiny, gorgeous, jewel-like design
- +Bright backlit screen — a first for the GBA family
- +Interchangeable faceplates
- +Premium metal build
Cons
- −No Game Boy / Game Boy Color backward compatibility
- −Very small 2.0" screen
- −Expensive, with proprietary accessories
What can it play?
Emulation performance by platform, based on real-world testing.
Full speedPlayableLimitedNot supported
Game Boy AdvanceFull speed
Full specifications
Hardware
- Chipset (SoC)
- Nintendo AGB (ARM7TDMI)
- CPU
- 32-bit ARM7TDMI @ 16.78 MHz
- GPU
- Integrated 2D engine
- RAM
- 32 KB internal + 256 KB external
- Storage
- Cartridge Game Boy Advance Game Pak
- Weight
- 80 g
- Dimensions
- 101 x 50 x 17 mm
- Cooling
- Passive
Display
- Size
- 2″
- Resolution
- 240x160
- Panel
- Backlit TFT (bright)
- Refresh rate
- 60 Hz
- Touchscreen
- No
Battery & Connectivity
- Battery
- 470 mAh
- Real-world life
- ~5 hours
- Wi-Fi
- None
- Bluetooth
- None
- Ports
- Link Cable, 3.5mm headphone
- 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 Advance cartridges
No third-party custom firmware tracked for this device.
Our verdict
Value7.5
Build9.0
Screen7.5
Performance6.5
The Game Boy Micro is a jewel: a metal-bodied, faceplate-swappable handheld with the brightest screen in the GBA family, small enough to vanish into a pocket. The trade-offs were real — it dropped Game Boy and Game Boy Color compatibility, the 2-inch screen is tiny, and it was pricey — so it sold modestly. As a design object and collectible, though, it is unmatched.