A gamer with ROG Xbox Ally shared an interesting project where he basically turned his handheld into a retro Game Boy. While the Xbox handheld is capable of more than just playing 8-bit video games, it's a great mod that's gaining the attention of both Nintendo and Xbox fans.
The ROG Xbox Ally is considered one of the Steam Deck's main competitors, with capabilities much closer to a modern gaming PC or Xbox than handhelds used to be in the original Game Boy era. Most gamers play modern titles on powerful handhelds like these, but at least one fan decided to take it back to the 90s with this mod.
ROG Xbox Ally unveils Handheld Compatibility Program
ROG Xbox Ally takes a deep dive into a new feature that suggests the Windows handheld could have taken a page out of Steam Deck's book.
The player turns their ROG Xbox Ally into a Game Boy
On Reddit, a user named alanpep shared his project to turn his ROG Xbox Ally into a Game Boy with impressive results. Gamer detailed how they built it by combining the ROG Xbox Ally with the GB Operator, a third-party hardware that can be connected to a computer to play Game Boy games with original cartridges. Although it required a bit of disassembly to get everything working together with the cartridge reader on the back of the ROG Xbox Ally, the end result looks pretty clean. The OP even got it working with the original Game Boy camera, which he demonstrated in use, displaying a black and white image on the user's screen in all its 128×112 glory.
Plenty of fans shared their curiosity and amusement at the creation, with many thinking it was pretty cool. Some questioned the reasoning behind this, pointing out that it would have been easier to either just emulate the games on the ROG Xbox Ally, or pick up a used Game Boy Advance SP instead. Alanpep explained that while he was aware that it wasn't the easiest way to play Game Boy titles, he went through with it for fun. Additionally, because the GB Operator is designed to work with cartridges, he said he enjoyed the satisfying feel and sound of inserting cartridges into the device instead of just running an emulated file.
Game Boy Saves fade, but the memories remain
Although the original Game Boy was released in most of the world in 1990, it's clear that the 35-year-old device hasn't left the hearts and minds of those who once played it. Unfortunately, being a Game Boy fan can be a little heartbreaking because the cartridges have built-in batteries that need to stay powered in order to preserve save files. Many Game Boy cartridges have run out of battery, but the GB carrier can help with that, whether it's connected to ROG Xbox Ally or not. The peripheral allows users to back up the savings on their cartridges, ensuring they aren't lost if the battery finally fails.
Other players dug into the cartridges themselves and replaced the faulty parts to give them a second life. Replacing the battery in the cartridge is possible with a little technical know-how and soldering, which can bring back gaming storage options for many years to come.
Of course, not everyone has a collection of old Game Boy cartridges, which can make getting back to the classics really easy. Nintendo is gradually adding Game Boy classics to its library of games available on Nintendo Switch Online, giving players access to a library that requires no external hardware or cartridges to play. Although the graphics and gameplay are pretty dated at this point, retro Game Boy titles still have a lot to offer and are worth checking out if you have a Nintendo subscription.
