It’s a great time to be a retro game enthusiast, specifically those who love the original Game Boy. A few years have passed since the release of the Analogue Pocket, a modern handheld console that plays old Game Boy games in high-definition, and now there’s a new console on the scene that claims to play games even better—or, at least, more authentically.
The ModRetro Chromatic is a modern take on the original Game Boy from the mind’s eye of Palmer Luckey, the famed founder of Oculus who just happens to be a Game Boy superfan and modder. According to Luckey, the Chromatic is “my ultimate tribute to the most important handheld console of all time.”
Like the Pocket, the Chromatic promises to play Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges — but not Game Boy Advance cartridges, which the Pocket — and do them right by modern audiences. The console has a magnesium-aluminum alloy shell, clicky buttons and D-Pad, and a screen that is both bright and anti-glare enough so you can play in sunlight or at night.
The real thing that makes the Chromatic is its display technology. According to the press release, the Chromatic features the “only pixel-accurate Game Boy cartridge-compatible display.” The resolution, color, temperature and pixel count are all in line with that of the original games. Basically, games promise to look more nostalgic.
There are a few other things about the Chromatic that make it stand out. It comes with a Link Cable port for those who want to experience multiplayer the old-school way. It takes traditional AA batteries; Luckey did tell The Verge that they’ll sell a rechargeable battery pack. And it’ll ship with a Tetris cartridge—just like the original Game Boy—so you’ll be able to play right after opening.
The ModRetro Chromatic will cost $199, which is slightly more affordable than the $220 Pocket. You can preorder one now in one of six classic finishes. It’s expected to ship this holiday season.
