A YouTuber Rebuilt the Game Boy Color With Modern Hardware
Zac Builds has modified a Game Boy Color while retaining its original Nintendo mainboard. The rebuilt handheld adds an OLED display, a rechargeable lithium-ion battery with USB-C and wireless charging, improved audio, RGB button lighting, and a flash cartridge for loading games from microSD. The display is believed to come from a BlackBerry Q10 and is paired with a touch-based settings menu.
Zac Builds, a Canadian YouTuber, previously gave a fifth-generation iPod USB-C, Bluetooth, and a see-through casing. His Game Boy Color project keeps Nintendo’s original mainboard while replacing the screen, power, audio, and lighting around it. The OLED panel is thought to be a BlackBerry Q10 part, and on-screen touch controls adjust brightness, optional scan lines, and the illuminated logo color.
The rebuilt handheld uses an EZ Flash Jr cartridge to load games from microSD. A lithium-ion cell supports USB-C and wireless charging, with an estimated runtime beyond eight hours. A Helder regulator and a larger solid-state capacitor reduce speaker hiss, while a dedicated amplifier and RGB button lights complete the changes.
Projects like this could encourage retro-gaming fans and tinkerers to repair and personalize aging devices rather than discard them, potentially extending product lifespans and reducing e-waste. Small modding businesses and parts suppliers may see more interest, while less technical users might benefit if similar kits become easier to install. The effect is likely niche, since the work remains specialized and dependent on salvaged components and individual skill.