Build a Game boy - with a Raspberry Pi Zero!
Build a Game Boy with the Raspberry Pi Zero: hardware overview, color display from a car reverse camera, and the improved Pi Zero 2 W from 2021.
TL;DR
The Raspberry Pi Zero can be used to build a fully functional Game Boy replica with a color display, rechargeable battery, and all original buttons plus two additional ones matching the Super Nintendo layout. The display is a repurposed car reverse camera screen, and the project requires soldering and sourcing multiple parts. Since October 2021, the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W (approx. $15) offers significantly more processing power for such builds. Archived step-by-step guides from the original project creator are available via the Internet Archive.
Table of Contents (2 sections)
The Raspberry Pi Zero makes it possible to build a fully functional Game Boy replica that outperforms the original 1990s hardware in both processing power and display quality. The Raspberry Pi has long been a popular mini-computer platform - as a media center, home controller, or mobile lab server. With the compact Pi Zero, classics like Donkey Kong and Super Mario run in full color without restrictions.
Nice handicraft project: Game Boy Zero!
With a project like this, the journey is the goal - though the result is quite impressive. Parts can be ordered individually; complete kits are also available. Soldering is required, but the overall budget does not have to be excessive.
The display is the most obvious upgrade: a repurposed car reverse camera screen delivers full color instead of the original monochrome output. Two additional buttons match the Super Nintendo controller layout - the original Game Boy had only two face buttons.
Beyond the display, the build requires a battery, a Raspberry Pi Zero, buttons, adhesive tape, a 3.5 mm audio jack, and other small parts. The Pi Zero is considerably more compact than the standard Raspberry Pi.
When the Pi Zero launched in 2015, it retailed for $5 - giving the project its reputation as an affordable DIY build. Other components cost noticeably more. Since October 2021, the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W (approximately $15) offers significantly more processing power, making it a better fit for retro gaming projects of this kind.
A parts overview is available here: Game Boy Zero parts overview video
The Raspberry Pi Zero Game Boy replica
The Game Boy carries many childhood memories for retro gaming fans - Tetris, Donkey Kong, and other classics of the era. The project demands time but is worth the effort. The official Raspberry Pi website covered the self-built handheld in detail. Step-by-step build instructions from the project creator are available as archived guides: Part 1 and Part 2.
The same Raspberry Pi Zero is used in security circles as a mobile lab server for penetration testing gadgets and hardware security research.
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