When it comes to portable gaming, few consoles stir up nostalgia quite like the Nintendo Game Boy. Launched in the spring of 1989, this unassuming grey brick flipped the industry on its head by letting players dive into their favourite cartridge-based adventures anytime, anywhere. No downloads. No paywalls. Just pure, unfiltered fun.
Now, after 17 years in development and a hugely successful debut late last year, ModRetro is reviving the glory days of grab-and-go gaming with a second run of the Chromatic: a modern-day tribute to that legendary handheld. The Chromatic was developed under the direction of Oculus founder Palmer Luckey. It is built for gamers who want a straightforward experience with no logins, no load times, and no endless updates.
Housed in a durable magnesium alloy shell, the Chromatic blends timeless design with modern engineering. From its angular silhouette to a sunlight-readable backlit display, this pocket-sized system captures the spirit of the late ’80s. It also offers modern perks like a custom ultra-loud speaker, tactile buttons, USB-C connectivity, and even link cable support for old-school multiplayer sessions.
Under the hood, the Chromatic runs on FPGA-based architecture, faithfully recreating the original Game Boy hardware for pixel-accurate performance. It seamlessly plays both Game Boy and Game Boy Colour cartridges, and also supports ModRetro’s own expanding lineup of titles like Gravitorque DX and Self Simulated-all displayed exactly as their developers intended.
Available now through the official ModRetro website in a variety of colours, the Chromatic runs on three included AA batteries, comes bundled with Tetris, and offers two unique display options: scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass for $199.99 USD or a jewel-like Sapphire display upgrade for $299.99 USD.
So, are you ready to dust off those old cartridges and game like it’s 1989?
