James Sargent's Reboi Puts a Raspberry Pi Zero and RP2040 Into a Game Boy Color Shell
Designed as a no-solder kit for original or reproduction cases, this complete electronics overhaul is a major upgrade.
Engineer and maker James Sargent is looking to make it easier to build your own Raspberry Pi-powered handheld console — by providing a kit designed to slot right into a Nintendo Game Boy Color shell, original or reproduction.
"The Game Boy Color was a magical device for me," Sargent explains by way of background to the project. "I wanted to make a new device that lives in the shell of a Game Boy, so this format of old and forgotten technology can live a new life, as a computer! As I developed the Reboi, I decided I wanted the Reboi to be something anyone could attempt — [so] the kit snaps and screws together, no soldering required."
The Reboi itself is a combination of custom circuit boards and 3D-printable fixings wihch are designed to sit in the housing of a Game Boy Color — replacing all of the original hardware. As well as a motherboard, which connects to the Game Boy's original buttons, the kit includes a replacement higher-resolution full-color display, new rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, and a cartridge shroud to cover the original slot.
There's a Raspberry Pi RP2040 microcontroller on the motherboard, but it's not there to play games: instead, it interfaces with a Raspberry Pi Zero single-board computer which piggy-backs onto the motherboard. "It's an awkward device to use all on its own," Sargent claims, "so my kit is packed with electronics to provide power, a display, and some onboard controls."
"Can the Reboi play retro games? Yes," Sargent adds. "With the RetroPie operating system installed, the Reboi can be a retro gaming time capsule, emulating many systems from the halcyon days of the handheld era. Anything you can do on the Raspberry Pi Zero, you can do on the Reboi."
Sargent has launched a crowdfunding campaign for the Reboi on Kickstarter to fund the final development and documentation, selling kits starting at £74 (around $93) for early-bird backers; hardware is expected to ship in August next year.
