A gamer with a ROG Xbox Ally has shared an interesting project where they turned their handheld into a retro Game Boy. While the Xbox handheld is certainly capable of more than playing 8-bit video games, it's a cool modification that's getting the attention of Nintendo and Xbox fans alike.
The ROG Xbox Ally is considered one of the Steam deck's main competitors, with capabilities much closer to a modern gaming PC or Xbox console than handhelds used to have in the original Game Boy era. Most gamers play modern titles on powerful handhelds like these, but at least one fan has decided to take it back to the 1990s with this mod.
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Gamer turns his ROG Xbox Ally into a Game Boy
On Reddit, a user named alanpep shared his project to convert his ROG Xbox Ally into a Game Boy, with impressive results. The player described how they built it by combining the ROG Xbox Ally with a GB operator, a third-party hardware that can be connected to computers to play Game Boy titles with the original cartridges. While it took a bit of disassembly to get everything working together with the cartridge reader on the back of the ROG Xbox Ally, the end result looks pretty clean. The OP even got it going with an original Game Boy camera, which he showed off in use, which displays a black and white image on the user's screen in all its 128×112 resolution.
Many fans have shared their curiosity and enjoyment at the creation, and many think it's pretty cool. Some questioned the reasoning behind it, pointing out that it would be easier to either just emulate games on the ROG Xbox Ally or to pick up a used Game Boy Advance SP instead. Alanpep explained that while he was aware that this wasn't the easiest way to play Game Boy titles, he went through with it for fun. Also, because the GB operator is designed to work with cassettes, he said he enjoyed the satisfying feel and sound of inserting cassettes into the drive instead of just booting up an emulated file.
Game Boy saves disappear, but the memories remain
Although the original Game Boy was released in most of the world in 1990, it is clear that the 35-year-old device has not left the hearts and minds of those who played it back in the day. Unfortunately, being a Game Boy fan can be a little heartbreaking, as the cartridges have built-in batteries that need to stay powered to preserve even your saves. Many Game Boy cartridges have seen their batteries die, but the GB operator can be helpful in this regard, whether connected to a ROG Xbox Ally or not. The peripheral allows users to back up the savings on their cartridges, ensuring they are not lost if the battery eventually fails.
Other players have dug into the cartridges themselves and replaced the faulty components to give them a second life. Replacing the battery in the cartridge is possible with a little technical know-how and soldering, which can give the games back their storage capabilities for years to come.
Of course, not everyone has a collection of old Game Boy cartridges, which can actually make revisiting the classics easier. Nintendo has been gradually adding Game Boy classics to its library of available games on Nintendo Switch Online, giving players access to a library that requires no external hardware or cartridges to play. Although the graphics and gameplay are pretty dated at this point, retro Game Boy titles still have a lot to offer and are worth checking out if you have a subscription to Nintendo's service.
