Nintendo Game Boy PocketClassic Handheld
Classic HandheldDiscontinued
Nintendo Game Boy Pocket
Nintendo · Released Jul 1996 · Pocket (MGB-001)
Nintendo's slim redesign of the Game Boy — lighter, more pocketable, with a clearer black-and-white screen and the full GB library.
8.4
out of 10
$69
Launch price $69
Pros
- +Much slimmer and lighter than the original Game Boy
- +Improved true black-and-white screen
- +Runs on two AAA batteries
- +Same full Game Boy library
Cons
- −Still no backlight (early models lacked a power LED)
- −Monochrome only
- −Shorter battery life than the original
What can it play?
Emulation performance by platform, based on real-world testing.
Full speedPlayableLimitedNot supported
Game BoyFull speed
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
- 125 g
- Dimensions
- 77 x 128 x 25 mm
- Cooling
- Passive
Display
- Size
- 2.56″
- Resolution
- 160x144
- Panel
- Reflective STN LCD (true black-and-white)
- Refresh rate
- 60 Hz
- Touchscreen
- No
Battery & Connectivity
- Battery
- 600 mAh
- Real-world life
- ~10 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 cartridges
No third-party custom firmware tracked for this device.
Our verdict
Value8.2
Build8.6
Screen5.5
Performance4.0
The Game Boy Pocket dramatically slimmed down the original brick into a far more pocketable shell, swapped the murky green display for a clearer true black-and-white screen, and ran on two AAA batteries. It remained an unlit monochrome device, but it was the most elegant way to play the Game Boy library until colour arrived, and it is a handsome collectible today.