Palmer Luckey, the founder of Oculus VR and a known Game Boy enthusiast, has unveiled the ModRetro Chromatic, a high-end handheld console designed to play original Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges.
Set to ship this holiday season for $199, the Chromatic boasts impressive features like a magnesium alloy case, sapphire crystal cover glass, and a pixel-perfect IPS screen with exceptional brightness for outdoor play. It utilizes an FPGA chip for accurate emulation of original games and comes bundled with a new, fully licensed Tetris game.
The console also includes a Link Cable port, headphone jack, and USB-C for lagless video output. It can run for 24 hours on three AA batteries and offers an optional lithium-ion battery pack.
Luckey emphasizes the Chromatic’s authenticity compared to other retro handhelds like the Analogue Pocket, claiming it accurately reproduces the original Game Boy’s color temperatures, clock rate, and pixel structure.
In addition to the handheld, ModRetro will also sell original Chromatic cartridges with new games, including re-releases, remasters, and never-before-seen titles.
While Luckey aims to fulfill pre-orders, he acknowledges the limited production run of the Chromatic, stating, “I don’t see this as a way to make money, I see it as the way to make the world’s best tribute to the Game Boy.”
