I built the ULTIMATE Gameboy...

The Nintendo Gameboy, a product so iconic that it literally defined the mobile gaming category. When he was a child. I loved my Gameboy. It was the only thing standing between me and pure, utter boredom on long road trips with my parents. Unfortunately, playing one today is a bit of a rough experience. It has a barely readable screen in many conditions. It works with disposable batteries. He is a strong boy. And overall, he doesn't come close to being as glorious as I remember him being. That is why today I would like to modernize Gameboy by 2024. The first step of this project will be to identify a donor.

The original Game Boys are quickly becoming something of a collector's item, so I'll leave it as is. And for this project I'm going to use Gameboy Advance SP. These consoles were released in 2003 and sought to solve many of the problems I described with the original Gameboy. They had internal rechargeable batteries, backlit displays, and a much smaller form factor. Unfortunately, they were only updated to 2003 standards, which isn't very impressive today. The real reason I wanted to start with the Game Boy Advance SP is because it's a great platform for modding and has full compatibility with Game Boy and Game Boy Color games, something Nintendo removed from all future versions of the Gameboy.

And the way the SP does it is really cool. The CPU at its core is essentially an improved and beefed-up version of the original Gameboy processor. That means you can run all the original games without any of the traditional emulation compromises. That said, despite being almost 15 years newer than the original Gameboy, both the SP's screen and speaker are really starting to show their age. Plus, since it's over two decades old at this point, basic maintenance is long overdue. So during this project, we will address all of those issues and many more. So now that we've broken this all down, the next thing I want to do is get very familiar with all of these parts and build a completely new case for the system.

Truth be told, I was never a big fan of the SP's clamshell design, nor the horizontal design of the other Gameboy developments. So for this build, I want to convert this back to the candy bar form factor of the original Gameboy. I realized very quickly that the most difficult part of this project was going to be its scale. Many of these measurements had to be accurate to within a fraction of a millimeter, and even the smallest errors could have serious consequences. Creating this model gave me a whole new appreciation for the skills and knowledge the original designers must have had.

I started by measuring all the individual components like the motherboard and its ports. The original case also served as a great reference for double-checking work. That said, I was changing the form factor so I could only copy a limited amount. Many things had to be completely redesigned. Probably the most difficult thing was creating enough space behind the screen. So you can continue plugging in that gigantic patented charging port. But don't worry, we'll figure it out. Yes. Well, it took me many, many hours of modeling and more prototyping than I care to count, but I think I finally got the first version of this design finalized and ready to print.

So let's do that and see if everything fits. One of the things I regret not buying sooner are these textured build plates for my 3D printers. They completely eliminate the need to apply glue stick before printing and as you will see in a second. They also give it a much nicer surface texture. After a couple of hours of printing, I finally had my new case. And I think, as you can see from my response here, I was very excited about that. Oh boy. It's ready, it's ready, it's ready. Oh yeah, look at that. After working on a digital version of this case for so long, finally seeing it all come together was super satisfying.

One goal I set for myself for this phase of the project is to not require any new parts. So all these little screws and springs you see me using come straight from the original Gameboy SP. That way, it's a nice, easy modification that anyone can do at home without needing to purchase additional parts. So here we go. For me, we finally have a candy bar style Game Boy Advance, this is a very nostalgic form factor. Something about it feels good in the hand. But obviously this is not the final form of this project. In fact, I'm going to do this in two stages, easy mode and hard mode, so to speak.

If you want to follow along at home, you can download my STL files. There will be a link in the video description. Print your own candy bar-style case and then transplant the hardware from a Gameboy SP to it without any soldering skills. You'll have a great way to enjoy all your favorite retro Gameboy games. In which I think it has a much better form factor. But what if price wasn't an issue? What if you wanted to create the

ultimate

Gameboy but didn't mind buying some new parts? Because inside this box I have a huge number of upgrades and they range from simple cosmetic modifications to parts that will fundamentally change the way this system works.

And what's really cool is that once we install them, we can redesign this case and make it even better. Just like a video game, playing hard mode will require some additional skills, and for many of these mods, you'll need to know how to handle a soldering iron. That said, it's actually not that bad and I have some tools and tips to share that will make it a lot easier. The first is to get a simple workpiece holder. It will keep whatever you're working on securely anchored in place, so both hands are free to work. I'll include a link to this, along with all the other tools and materials I've used in the video description.

The first thing I did was start removing all the components that were going to be replaced. The side buttons on the SP are very soft and feel soft, so those were my first victims. To remove them, I am using a solder wick which is simply stranded copper wire. Solder loves copper, so as long as you heat it up and add a little flux, the wick should absorb it all. And that solder was the only thing holding those side buttons in place. So after they took it down, they just walked out. Both the loading port and the link port were as follows.

By removing and replacing them, I'll be able to make my new Gameboy slimmer and more comfortable to use, which we'll talk more about in a second. But first, I wanted to take care of some long overdue maintenance. This capacitor here is a very common failure point. It has a tendency to leak and dry out over time, rendering the Gameboy useless. And I also remove this power switch which will eventually wear out as well. Another important soldering tip is that it is always a good idea to remove any remaining flux with a little isopropyl alcohol. Not only is it sticky and gross, but some fluxes can corrode contacts and traces over time.

And while you're at it, you can also remove the serial number from your Gameboy so it can't be traced back to you if it's ever used for future crimes. Now let's talk about the new parts. To improve the feel of the side button, I hold them a lot and click the switches on a regular Game Boy Advance. I thought this installation was going to be super simple, but it turns out they are a little longer than the switches on the SP, so I had to file them before they fit properly. Then it was time for the first truly modern update.

I replaced the original proprietary charging port with this USB-C adapter. The nice thing about the original charger is that it works on a five-volt architecture, just like the USB standard, so this adapter literally just remaps the original pins to the pins inside a USB-C port. Not only will this allow me to charge the Gameboy with the same charger that I use for all my other devices, but it will also allow me to pipe audio from the same port. That means I can use USB-C headphones instead of the proprietary ones that Nintendo doesn't even make anymore, and all of that would have been great, but unfortunately, there was a little accident during installation, so I made a little one.

It was a little tricky when I was installing the USB-C port and ended up ripping off one of the pads. I thought I ruined this motherboard, but it turns out it's actually not that hard to fix. So what I did was I ran a wire from that pad to this contact here on the other side of the motherboard, and that's the same wire that would have been on the PCB. That fixed it and luckily we can move on from there. As for the gateway, I chose not to reinstall it. Honestly, I know I won't be trading Pokémon anytime soon, and its absence will allow me to reduce the thickness of the Gameboy.

A new capacitor was installed in place of the old one and I paid close attention to its orientation because it won't work if you install it backwards. One curious thing I noticed about my replacement ignition switch is its unpleasant clicking feel. The original was a smooth linear switch, and I'm not sure if that's because it was worn out, but either way, this new one should provide many years of trouble-free operation. Next, it was time to fix a problem I hadn't even created yet. This flexible PCB is a power cleaner and smoothes the power delivery to your Gameboy, which in turn eliminates any damage and feedback you may have from your speakers.

Now, I'm sure many of you are thinking, hey, my Gameboy doesn't make a hissing noise and they usually don't. But once you start adding more power-hungry mods, like this RGB backlight kit, it can often be a problem. This flexible PCB adds small capabilities under each of your buttons. Each one is individually addressable, makes the system more usable at night and makes the entire system look great. Finally, it's time for what I think will be the most impactful mod of all. A new IPS screen. It has a higher resolution, more brightness, better viewing angles, and most importantly for me, it's a little thinner than the original screen.

The only drawback is that it doesn't fit inside my new case. So I had to try everything and disassemble the state and man, what a result. This new screen is amazing and we will go into more detail later. But before I do that, let me show you some of my upcoming projects. Thanks to the sponsor of today's video: Aura Frames, they make the best digital frames I have ever seen. We're talking high resolution, low reflectivity and they look great from all angles, which definitely can't be said about the Gameboy screen, but it's even more important when talking about a digital photo frame, because you want this. to look good, even when you look at it from across the room.

I have this one here, loaded with behind-the-scenes sneak peeks at my upcoming projects. And what's more, you can even upload videos as part of your order because, let's face it, not all of your favorite memories will be captured in photographic form. It's very easy to set up and its app is even easier to use. You can invite your friends and family to share photos of your aura, or you can gift one and use it as a way to share photos with them to get your own or the Aura Frame. Check the link in the video description. and use code ZacBuilds to save $35 on their best-selling Carver Mat Frame, plus you'll get free shipping.

Alright, now let's get back to this Gameboy version where we'll take things to the next level. Alright. That's the first round of mods installed. I still have a couple more that I'll show you later. But before we do that, now that we have the new screen and USB-C port installed, we can redesign our case and make it even better. One of the key things I want to focus on is making it even more compact and a little more ergonomic. One of the main reasons I was so excited about the new USB-C port and thinner screen is that both allow me to place the motherboard lower inside the case.

This not only made the Gameboy 10-15% thinner, but it also allowed me to reduce the inserts on the front, around the buttons, and on top of that, the new screen also has smaller bezels, so I was able to move the screen down closer to the controls and reduce the overall height of the system. The whole package now looks a little sleeker and I think it will feel a lot better in the hand, but I guess we won't really know until we print it. For this round of printing, I made the case in two different materials. The first is your standard black PLA.

There's nothing too exciting here, but it's a nice, strong, rigid plastic. That said, it's not my favorite for electronics enclosures because it gets quite soft at a relatively low temperature. And for this project, he also ruined partfrom the work I did before, oh man, I know there's only a few millimeters difference in terms of height, and the thickness isn't even that. But this one feels much better in the hand than the previous one. But the black PLA doesn't really work for me because, well, not only does it look a little plain, but you can't even see the button backlights with this case.

So I decided to try something that seems like it shouldn't be possible. I also printed the case in clear polycarbonate. Now I have 3D printed transparent parts before using my resin 3D printer, but I have never seen a transparent part printed with an FDM printer. This material should be really strong and heat resistant, but I'm curious to see what it will actually look like once it's finished printing. As we waited it out, I decided to make some lemonade out of lemons after repeatedly testing the fit of the Gameboy speaker on a bunch of different prototypes, I accidentally broke its flexible contacts.

But while searching for a replacement, I discovered that there are upgraded speakers you can buy. So I ordered one of those and a beefed up amp to power it. Installing the amplifier was a bit tricky as it connects to some contacts that are under the LED backlight I installed earlier. And to make matters worse, once installed, it will block one of the contacts that powers the rear lights. So I soldered this little wire to the contact and wound it up. Not only will this amp make the speaker sound louder, but when paired with the new speaker, it should sound much fuller and much less like a small Gameboy speaker.

Once I soldered the amp in place, I folded back the LED backlights and connected that wire from earlier. We'll do a side-by-side comparison of both speakers a little later in the video, but at the time, my clear case had just finished printing and I was very eager to see the results. Ready. Yeah, look at this cool, how about Bing? And you know what? I actually liked the look of the clear polycarbonate. It's definitely not very clear, but if you squint, it almost looks like that clear plastic they use for some of the old Gameboy colors. And Gameboy moves forward.

To accompany the new case, I also installed a new set of silicone pads and some black buttons, which I think look much sharper than the original gray ones, and also introduced a functional upgrade. This is a 900 mAh battery, about 50% larger and two decades newer than the original cell. Even with increased power consumption from our new backlight and display, this should provide much longer playback times. So here we go. Our machine is assembled and this is ready to go. But if I'm completely honest with you, this is not what I intended to create. I wanted to make something that was clear, and this is more of a frosty white.

Now, in my previous videos, I showed you how you can achieve a clean look using post-processing, but it's very labor-intensive and honestly not very fun to do, so I prefer to outsource it. There are some companies that will take your 3D printing files, print them for you, handle all the post-processing, and then mail the finished parts to you. I've never actually done this before, so I'm curious to see A) how long it will take, B) how good the parts are, and more importantly, C) how much it will cost. So I loaded up my browser and went to JLC3DP and pcbway.com.

The experience at both sites was basically identical. I uploaded my 3D models and then selected the materials and finishes I wanted. They both use different resins, but the sample images provided for both looked more or less the same. Now JLC 3D ended up being significantly cheaper, but the cheapest option is not always the best. After you submit your order, the models are reviewed by a human being to determine viability, and both services responded to me and told me that my models were high risk and may not be printable. I was feeling lucky, though, so I said print them anyway and then let me know if something went catastrophically wrong.

And after that I didn't hear anything else. So for the next few weeks I stayed glued to the window staring at the mailbox. And finally they arrived. So we have PCBWay in white, JLC3DP in blue and I guess we'll unpack them and see who did it better. Now, in the interest of full disclosure, Pcbway has sponsored a video of mine in the past, but I currently have no working relationship with them. And similarly, JLC 3D approached me about sponsoring a video, although nothing ever came of it. Unpacking these pieces was a pleasant surprise. As I said before, both services warned me that some of the walls on my pieces were too thin and could be damaged during post-processing, but I'm happy to report that everything looked great, so if you plan on ordering any of their own pieces, just know that Both companies are quite conservative when it comes to evaluating printability.

And now the only real question left is who did it better? Okay, so my immediate impression is that they are both remarkably similar. And honestly, I think if you're going to order parts, you can't go wrong ordering either one. However, there are a couple of differences that I notice right off the bat. This is the PCBway part, and one thing I like is that it feels much stiffer and more solid than the JLC3DP part. This one is kind of soft and rubbery. I don't know how to describe it other than that, it's a little softer.

That said, the post-processing on this part is significantly better. I can see a lot more 3D printing artifacts on this, and I also think there are sanding marks and a bit of residue from the finishing process. Overall, I think just for the added rigidity, I'll go with the Pcbway part for my final assembly. But again, I don't think you can go wrong with either one. Getting professionally 3D printed parts like this is an absolute game changer. Sure, it's not the cheapest thing in the world, but when you compare it to the materials and the amount of time it would take to post-process my own 3D prints, it starts to look like a real bargain.

Also, open up my designs for all of you at home who don't have 3D printers, but still want to have fun. Oh man, that looks so good. Now before we move on to the final test, I have one last feature I want to add. All modern game consoles have

built

-in storage so you can download games from the Internet and then not have to change discs or cartridges to play other games. That same storage also allows you to save directly to the system. It's really convenient and something I've come to expect from pretty much every system at this point.

Obviously, the Gameboy predates that type of technology by several decades, but what if I told you there was a way to add all that functionality and more with a small piece of hardware? This is the easy omega flash, and with it we can load all Gameboy, Game Boy Color and Gameboy advanced games on a single cartridge. In this slot, we can put a 128 gigabyte SD card, and in it you can load as many ROMs as you want. Honestly, the games are so small they might as well have unlimited storage. Once you start your device, this fun screen appears where you can choose from all your favorite games.

Now, it's obviously still illegal to download games that you don't actually own, but this is a great way to play with all your legal backups. But wait, there is more! You can also run cheats and community-modified versions of games. There's support for save states, saving to SD card, basically instant load times, and for the extremely limited number of games that actually support it. There is vibration functionality. Oh, and it will even emulate NES games too. It's a little pricey, but it's a big improvement and makes this system much more modern. And I guess that's a good point to show all the cool things this improved screen can do instead of just one level of brightness like the previous screen had.

This new one has eight different levels that you can go through by pressing this button. This thing gets very bright, which makes it infinitely more usable. And it also gets pretty dark, which is great for playing at night without burning your eyes. If you hold down the brightness button, you can open this menu here, which allows you to cycle through various screen modes, including this one that does a great job of emulating the original Game Boy color palette. But you know you can really see it. And if you want, there are a couple of fake scanline modes too.

This batch setting here is probably beyond the scope of this video, but it basically toggles how the display handles transparency. The original Game Boy never officially supported transparency and the developers had to do it in a really hacky way. That doesn't work well on modern screens, so setting it there fixes it. The new speaker is also much louder and clearer. Here's a quick sample comparison. Honestly, it's very loud. I wish the volume slider was larger so I could have more granular control over it. I can't just turn it up to maximum volume and then call it a day.

Then if we turn our attention to the case, well, not only do they look amazing, but they also feel amazing in the hand. Both manufacturers did a fantastic job of post-processing and I really don't feel any defects or issues with them. Being able to see all the internal workings of the device is great, and these cases are very clear compared to the old ones Nintendo used to make, where they had a bit more of a frosted look. I think the ergonomics are great too. I could play this for hours without any problems. So that's all the good stuff.

And now let's talk about the bad during the post-mortem analysis. And honestly, I don't have much to say here. I put a lot of effort into making this the definitive Game Boy version. That being said, one feature I ended up removing was the addition of a wireless charging coil. I couldn't find one that would fit on the back of the device without making the entire system much thicker, but if I could have found a small enough coil it would certainly be possible. Oh, and I also saw that someone recently released an OLED screen mode for the Game Boy Color, which I think would have been cool to add to this, but as of yet, no one has released one for the Game Boy Advance.

Alright everyone, that's all for me. Please see the 3D printing files in the video description. I'll just group both versions together and see them in the next video. Peace.