Game Bub open-source FPGA retro handheld for Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance games unveiled
Let's be honest, there are dozens of retro handheld consoles out there that look like the classic Nintendo Game Boy and come in various sizes and designs. In addition to the Analogue Pocket, the Trimui Brick and several other devices from Anbernic come to mind. Now, the so-called Game Bub has been added to this growing segment. It’s unclear whether the word "Bub" was intentionally chosen as a direct translation of "Boy" in Swiss German, Austrian German, and some southern German dialects.
Game Bub supports Game Boy (Color), Game Boy Advance cartridges and ROMs
On his blog, Eli describes his project in great detail. He started in September 2023 and made quick progress until he decided to turn his idea into a handheld and implement support for GBA games. The prototype features a 3.5-inch display with 480 x 320 pixels, which is ideal for the widescreen games of the Game Boy Advance but results in black bars on the left and right when playing Game Boy (Color) games. The built-in battery is supposed to last up to 15 hours.
In addition to the cartridge slot on the back for original games, there's also a microSD card slot that can be used to emulate ROMs. The Game Bub is further equipped with speakers, rumble motors, an accelerometer, gyroscope, real-time clock, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and HDMI port via a docking station. Even original Nintendo Link Cables work and can be used to connect the Game Bub to an original Game Boy Color or Advanced, which is shown in the video embedded below. A light sensor (for playing Boktai) is also on the creators’ to-do list.
Game Bub could become available for purchase if there’s enough interest
The Game Bub is not yet available as a complete device, as the prototype is still under development. That said, the entire source code is already available on GitHub. The FPGA handheld relies on readily available standard components. Eli has also created a Google Forms survey in which he’s asking if there’s interest in a horizontal GBA variant, and how comfortable people are with soldering. The latter question suggests he wants to find out whether a complete and ready-to-go handheld console would gather some interest.
Readers who are intrigued by the Game Bub should make sure to read Eli Lipsitz's blog post, which offers more detailed information about all the technical specs of this retro console for three different Nintendo handhelds.
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