Summary

  • A modded GB Operator allows the ROG Ally to play Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance cartridges through Epilogue Playback.
  • The GB Operator dumps the ROMs, so games run in Epilogue Playback and not directly from the cartridge.
  • alanpep, the Reddit user behind the mod, has 3D printed a shell to protect the GB Operator's board, and plans to add USB-C brackets for a cleaner fit.

This is one of those things that's kind of silly, but also incredibly cool at the same time. With the help of a clever accessory, Reddit user alanpep was able to get Game Boy cartridges to play on Microsoft and Asus' ROG Xbox Ally.

In the Reddit post, alanpep showed how he used a $50 GB Operator, a save transfer and cartridge ROM dumping accessory, to pull together this surprisingly simple setup. To get the GB Operator to fit on the back of the ROG Xbox Ally X, alanpep took the device out of its plastic shell and reconfigured the layout of its components. Next, they downloaded the GB Operator's Epilogue Playback software to the handheld, allowing games to be played directly from the adapter.

Check out the ROG Xbox Ally X Game Boy in action below:

👁 epilogue-featured
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By  Simon Batt

Game Boy games aren't actually playing directly off the cartridge

That doesn't make this any less neat, though

To be fair and to get a little technical, the GB Operator dumps ROMs off cartridges and then runs them in Epilogue Playback through an emulator, so technically, titles aren't actually being played directly from the Game Boy cartridge — but who cares, it's still really cool. I own a GB Operator, and it's a well-designed, surprisingly high-quality accessory that works reliably, though it unfortunately doesn't recognize ModRetro's modern Game Boy cartridges.

Along with Game Boy and Game Boy Color games, the GB Operator also works with Game Boy Advance cartridges. alanpep told Pure Xbox that they've "3D printed a shell" for the GB Operator in order to protect its boards when it's attached to the back of the ROG Xbox Ally. They also plan to "add a USB-C cable with an L bracket, so the cord doesn't protrude out from the top as much."

Credit: alanpep / Reddit

They even hooked a Game Boy camera up to the contraption, which looks hilarious. Obviously, plugging cartridges into the ROG Ally is totally unnecessary when you can just download a Game Boy emulator and ROMs from countless sources on the internet, but there's something to be said about how cool more authentic retro gaming experiences like this can be.

Epilogue, the company behind the GB Operator, recently released a $60 SNES Operator that works with Super Nintendo cartridges.

👁 A close up look at an HDMI cable
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