At CES 2017 retro console manufacturer Retro-Bit announced the latest addition to its lineup: the Super Retro Boy. Doing its best to recreate the form factor of the original Nintendo Game Boy (within legally permissible grounds, of course) the new handheld will let you play any of your old cartridges on the go, while boasting a few convenient modern features.
It could be an ideal gadget for anyone with a stash of Game Boy cartridges gathering dust, so there’s understandably plenty of excitement already. Read on to find out about the Super Retro Boy UK release date, pricing, features and more.
Super Retro Boy UK release date rumours: When is the Super Retro Boy coming out?
Retro-Bit first announced the Super Retro Boy at CES 2017, but the company hasn’t set an official release date for the UK. The handheld is set to arrive in the US some time in August 2017.
Enterprising UK fans will likely be able to import it from the US at that point, though we also expect it to arrive in the UK eventually, because you can currently buy the company’s Super Retro Trio home console and Retro Duo handheld from Amazon UK.
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Super Retro Boy UK pricing: How much will the Super Retro Boy cost?
The Super Retro Boy is set to cost $79.99 when it launches in the US this August. No official UK price has been revealed, but given the usual pricing for games consoles and gadgets, we’d expect it to cost £80-100 when it arrives.
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Super Retro Boy features and design
The most important feature of the Super Retro Boy is its ability to play original Game Boy cartridges, along with any cartridges for the Game Boy Colour and Game Boy Advance, meaning all of your old games will be compatible with the console. Since it’s very easy to get hold of old Game Boy games on eBay, it also makes a great excuse to revisit any classic titles you missed – or even try out the consoles for the first time if you never owned one in the past.
Because the console is designed only to play old cartridges, for which Nintendo’s patents have expired, it’s totally legal. It’s worth noting that this isn’t designed to be used as an emulator though – you’ll need to use cartridges to play any games.
Beyond combining the Game Boy, Game Boy Colour, and Game Boy Advance into one console, the Super Retro Boy has a few other advantages. For one, there’s the scratch and shatter-resistant TFT HD display to make sure your games all look crisp and clear. Then there’s the 2,500 mAh rechargeable battery, which Retro-Bit says offers a full ten hours of gameplay from a single charge.
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In terms of design, the Super Retro Boy very clearly echoes the chunky design of the original Game Boy, rather than either of the later consoles. There’s one obvious change though: the addition of two extra face buttons, designed to take the place of the GBA’s shoulder buttons. The placement may prove a bit awkward for a few games, but to us it feels like a pretty small compromise given all the other benefits of the new console.
Finally, the console is available in two colours: a white model that very closely echoes the original grey Game Boy, and a black model with red buttons if you want something that strays a little further from the classic design.
Super Retro Boy games
Retro-Bit told The Verge that the Super Retro Boy will be bundled with a 10-in-1 game cartridge, though we don’t yet know which games will be included. Other than that, owners will be able to play any original game cartridges from the Game Boy, Game Boy Colour, and Game Boy Advance. And remember that since none of those consoles were region-locked, you can play games bought from anywhere in the world.
Author: Dominic Preston, Deputy Editor
Tech Advisor's Deputy Editor, Dom covers everything that runs on electricity, from phones and laptops to wearables, audio, gaming, smart home, and streaming - plus he's a regular fixture on the Tech Advisor YouTube channel.