Retro gaming is huge right now, whether it's emulating the games of yesteryear to introduce them to a new audience or enjoying the classic consoles of our collective childhoods. The best PC gaming handhelds let you emulate older titles while still playing the latest Triple-A blockbusters, and the App Store now has emulators, but there's also another way to play. Using FPGAs, some companies have decided that the best way to play retro games is using the original cartridges but on modernized reproductions of the original consoles.

The ModRetro Chromatic is one such console. Its magnesium alloy skin contains a thoroughly modern set of hardware designed for one purpose—playing Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges. The company has absolutely nailed the early 90s vibe on the first try, with funky, fresh colorways and just enough differences not to be a clone of the original console. I've got most of the PC gaming handhelds, but I couldn't keep myself away from playing Tetris on this beautifully nostalgic device, and because it uses original cartridges, you don't have to resort to hacking it to play your favorite games.

About this review: ModRetro provided a Chromatic for review. The company had no input in this article and did not see its contents before publishing.

Price, specs, and availability

The ModRetro Chromatic handheld console was announced on June 3, 2024. It costs $199 and comes in Orange, Green, Pink, Black, Yellow, and Teal. It's currently in a preorder stage, where you can order it from ModRetro's website or GameStop, where it says it will be released on December 1. ModRetro's website does say that due to logistical issues, it might be delivered at any time between then and Christmas. As a thank you to the first batch of buyers, a ModRetro branded cartridge of a reworked Tetris is included with the console. There is also a custom lithium-ion battery pack that's in the works, with no ETA on its arrival.

What I liked about the ModRetro Chromatic

It's a grown-up version of the Game Boy I fondly remember from my childhood

The ModRetro Chromatic is everything an homage to a classic console should be. The build quality is impeccable, and the thixomolded magnesium alloy case gives it a really solid feel in the hands. I had to look up the process of making the shells because I'd never heard the name before. It's essentially a hybrid of metal casting and plastic injection molding that can produce incredibly accurate parts with no waste. That process gives the shell an "indestructible" lifespan, according to the company, but I'm not brave enough to test it by driving over this beautiful relic.

The handheld console is slightly smaller than the original Game Boy Color and the Analogue Pocket, its closest competitor. It's a welcome balm for the aching forearms that PC gaming handhelds give me after a while, and I appreciate the single-mindedness of the console. It plays ModRetro's own Game Boy style games, but also the original cartridges and GBC ones, on an IPS screen that was custom-made for the Chromatic. There is no upscaling, no odd emulation artifacts, just an accurate 160 x 144 pixel screen that is a 1:1 alternative to the original consoles. As someone who complains when emulators don't match the original methods, I applaud this approach.

With its FPGA approach, ModRetro is essentially emulating the Game Boy's inner workings. The game cartridges think it's a Game Boy or GBC, and will play as such. That's a smart move in my opinion, so that retro gaming fans can play official cartridges or new third-party games, without the risk of repercussions from downloading or extracting ROM files from their hardware.

And it plays exactly like I remember when playing Tetris, the console game that hooked me above all others. I was never good at the distance judging and remembering enemy patterns to get truly good at any of the Mario games, but this particular puzzler I loved. The D-pad is firm enough while having enough play to quickly change positions, and the buttons feel authentic. You can even change to monochrome or various color pallets if you prefer that instead of the full color mode, and the slide-out menu has options for brightness and a few other things.

Multiple power options are a big plus

The ModRetro Chromatic ships with three self-branded AA batteries, which provide around six hours of play, or slightly more if you turn the screen brightness down. But it can use rechargeable AAs, or be powered via USB-C for longer sessions without wearing down batteries. It will even prioritize the USB-C power if AA batteries are inserted, so you don't have to remove them to use wired power. The company has an upcoming custom-fitted lithium battery pack that will fit inside the battery compartment and recharge via the USB-C port, but there isn't a firm date for when that will be available.

What I didn't like about the ModRetro Chromatic

Limited firmware features (for now) and accessories TBD

As a premium pocketable personal console to play Game Boy and GBC cartridges, there isn't that much I didn't like about the ModRetro Chromatic. It feels great, it has backward compatibility with the Game Boy link cable and IR port (for the games that support them officially), and it won't get you in murky waters with the law as it uses official games.

That last point is also one that I could see putting some users off from purchasing the device, as the Analogue Pocket has a micro-SD card slot to enable emulation of ROM files. I can see the arguments for either approach, but I like the tactile nature of cartridges and am less inclined toward ROM emulation when it's not a point of game preservation and the official games are widely available.

Updates are possible but what they might bring is unclear

The ModRetro Chromatic's firmware is user upgradeable, and it's likely we'll see new features added over time. One that would be awesome is a pause or freeze function, which is a mainstay of modern emulation. It might also be cool to have a screenshot function, depending on how much internal storage might be available for storing the image files. And the console is designed to be physically modded, with the CAD files available to download, and is open source licensed for the modding community to go wild with.

One thing I noticed is that Time Extension opened their unit up to check the PCB, and it has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chips, which are currently not available to use. Will those be turned on in a future firmware update, or perhaps they're just part of the PCB that ModRetro sourced.

Should you buy the ModRetro Chromatic?

I did wonder, going into this review, how much my experience would be colored by nostalgia and how much I loved the early handheld consoles. I'm glad to say those fears were unfounded, because while I still love, love, love Tetris, the experience on the ModRetro Chromatic blew me away. It was designed to play Game Boy and GBC cartridges as they were intended to from the start, without having to resort to overlays, pixel shifting or downscaling which always makes 8-bit games look fuzzy.

While other devices with wider emulation chops might let you play more games from more consoles, sometimes less is more. This is a pure, distilled experience untarnished by the years between when these games first came out, and it's all the better for it. The build quality is impeccable, the USB-C video output is a welcome modernization, and I don't want to put it down.

You should buy the ModRetro Chromatic if:

• You want the most faithful Game Boy and GBC experience
• You love Tetris (seriously, it's worth it just for that)
• You want to play original Game Boy and GBC cartridges with pixel-perfect results
• You want to capture the gameplay of Game Boy and GBC games without emulation

You should NOT buy the ModRetro Chromatic if:

• You want to emulate other consoles
• You want to use ROM files for your games
• You were a SEGA Game Gear kid