View source for Game Boy

{{other uses}}
{{Short description|Handheld game console made by Nintendo}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox information appliance
| title = Game Boy
| logo = Nintendo Game Boy Logo.svg
| image = Game-Boy-FL.png
| caption = The original gray Game Boy
| aka = DMG-01<br />{{Video game release|KR|Mini Comboy}}
| developer = [[Nintendo Research & Development 1|Nintendo R&D1]]
| manufacturer = [[Nintendo]]
| family =  [[Game Boy family|Game Boy]]<ref name="HG asks">{{cite interview|last=Ishihara|last2=Morimoto|interviewer=Satoru Iwata|title=Pokémon HeartGold Version & Pokémon SoulSilver Version|url=https://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/ds/pokemon/0/0/|type=Interview: Transcript|work=Iwata Asks|publisher=Nintendo|access-date=September 25, 2022}}</ref>
| type = [[Handheld game console]]
| generation = [[Fourth generation of video game consoles|Fourth]]
| release date = {{Video game release
  | JP | April 21, 1989<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=April 2011 |title=retrodiary: 1&nbsp;April – 28&nbsp;April |magazine=[[Retro Gamer]] |publisher=[[Imagine Publishing]] |location=[[Bournemouth]] |page=17 |issue=88 |issn=1742-3155 |oclc=489477015}}</ref>
  | NA | July 31, 1989<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=White |first=Dave |date=July 1989 |title=Gameboy Club |magazine=[[Nintendo Power]] |page=84 |issue=7}}</ref>
  | EU | September 28, 1990
  }}
| price = {{Unbulleted indent list
  | {{JPY|12,500|1989|round=0}}
  | {{USD|89.99|1989|round=0}}
  | {{GBP|99|1990|round=0}}<ref>{{Cite magazine |title=Console Crazy! |url=https://segaretro.org/index.php?title=File:ACE_UK_37.pdf&page=142 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240401160903/https://segaretro.org/index.php?title=File:ACE_UK_37.pdf&page=142 |archive-date=April 1, 2024 |access-date=April 1, 2024 |magazine=[[ACE (magazine)|ACE]] |page=142 |publication-date=September 1990 |issue=37}}</ref>
  }}
| discontinued = {{Video game release|WW|March 31, 2003}}
| units sold = 118.69&nbsp;million (including all variants and [[Game Boy Color]])<ref name="Nintendo 2016">{{Cite web |date=April 26, 2016 |title=Consolidated Sales Transition by Region |url=https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/library/historical_data/pdf/consolidated_sales_e1603.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160427084600/https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/library/historical_data/pdf/consolidated_sales_e1603.pdf |archive-date=April 27, 2016 |access-date=October 23, 2016 |publisher=Nintendo}}</ref>
| media = [[Game Boy Game Pak]]
| soc = {{Unbulleted list
  | '''Original''': Nintendo DMG-CPU ([[Sharp Corporation|Sharp]]&nbsp;LR35902)
  | '''Pocket/Light''': Nintendo CPU&nbsp;MGB
  }}
| cpu = Sharp&nbsp;SM83
| CPUspeed = 4.2&nbsp;MHz
| memory = 8&nbsp;KB&nbsp;[[Random-access memory|RAM]], 8&nbsp;KB&nbsp;[[Video RAM (dual-ported DRAM)|Video&nbsp;RAM]]
| display = {{Unbulleted list
  | '''Original''': [[STN display|STN]] LCD
  | '''Pocket/Light''': [[FSTN]] LCD
  }}
| topgame = [[Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow|''Pokémon Red'', ''Blue'', and ''Yellow'']] (46&nbsp;million)
| predecessor = {{ubli | [[Game & Watch]] | [[Computer Mah-jong Yakuman]] }}
| successor = [[Game Boy Color]]<ref name=asks>{{cite interview|last=Umezu|last2=Sugino|interviewer=Satoru Iwata|title=Nintendo 3DS (Volume 3 – Nintendo 3DS Hardware Concept)|url=http://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/#/3ds/how-nintendo-3ds-made/1/0|type=Interview: Transcript|work=Iwata Asks|publisher=Nintendo|access-date=March 20, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150725233103/http://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/#/3ds/how-nintendo-3ds-made/1/0|archive-date=July 25, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>
}}

The {{Nihongo foot|'''Game Boy'''|ゲームボーイ|Gēmu Bōi|lead=yes|group=lower-alpha}} is a [[handheld game console]] developed by [[Nintendo]], launched in the Japanese home market on April 21, 1989, followed by North America later that year and other territories from 1990 onwards. Following the success of the [[Game & Watch]] single-game handhelds, Nintendo developed the Game Boy to be more like a portable [[Video game console|console]], with interchangeable cartridges. The concept proved highly successful, and the [[Game Boy family|Game Boy line]] became a [[cultural icon]] of the 1990s and early 2000s.

The Game Boy was designed by the [[Nintendo Research & Development 1]] team, led by [[Gunpei Yokoi]] and [[Satoru Okada]]. The device features a [[dot-matrix display]], a [[D-pad]], four game buttons, a single speaker, and uses [[Game Boy Game Pak|Game Pak]] cartridges. Its two-toned gray design included black, blue, and magenta accents, with softly rounded corners and a distinctive curved bottom-right edge. At launch in Japan it was sold as a standalone console, but in North America and Europe it came [[Pack-in game|bundled]] with the wildly popular ''[[Tetris (Game Boy video game)|Tetris]]'' which fueled sales.

Despite mixed reviews criticizing its monochrome display compared to full-color competitors like the [[Sega Game Gear]], [[Atari Lynx]], and [[NEC TurboExpress]], the Game Boy's affordability, battery life, and extensive game library propelled it to market dominance. An estimated 118.69&nbsp;million units of the Game Boy and its successor, the [[Game Boy Color]] (released in 1998), have been sold worldwide, making them the fourth-[[List of best-selling game consoles|best-selling system]] ever. The Game Boy received several redesigns during its lifespan, including the smaller Game Boy Pocket (1996) and the [[Backlight|backlit]] Game Boy Light (1998).

== Development ==

=== Background ===
The Game Boy was designed by [[Nintendo Research & Development 1]] (R&D1), the team behind the ''[[Mario Bros.]]'' and ''[[Donkey Kong (1981 video game)|Donkey Kong]]'' arcade games and the successful [[Game & Watch]] series of handhelds, which had helped stabilize Nintendo financially.<ref name="McFerran 20162">{{Cite book |last=McFerran |first=Damien |url=https://archive.org/details/Videogames_Hardware_Handbook_Vol_1_2nd_RE_2016_UK |title=Videogames Hardware Handbook |publisher=[[Imagine Publishing]] |year=2016 |isbn=978-1-78546-239-9 |edition=2nd |volume=1 |location=Bournemouth |pages=157–163}}</ref><ref name="Retro Gamer 163">{{Cite web |year=2016 |title=Satoru Okada talks Game & Watch, Game Boy and Nintendo DS development |url=http://www.japanesenintendo.com/post/155107688449 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170101232208/http://www.japanesenintendo.com/post/155107688449 |archive-date=January 1, 2017 |access-date=January 1, 2017 |website=Issue 163 |publisher=[[Retro Gamer]] Magazine}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Yokoi |first=Gunpei |date=November 1996 |title=ゲームボーイを開発した伝説の技術者・横井軍平「私はなぜ任天堂を辞めたか」 |trans-title=Gunpei Yokoi, the legendary engineer who developed the Game Boy: "Why I left Nintendo" |url=https://bunshun.jp/articles/-/6659 |access-date=March 20, 2025 |magazine=Bungeishunju |language=ja}}</ref> By 1983, while Game & Watch remained popular internationally, sales in Japan had begun to decline, pressuring R&D1 to innovate. At the same time, they faced competition from [[Nintendo Research & Development 2]] (R&D2), an in-house rival created by Nintendo president [[Hiroshi Yamauchi]]. That same year, R&D2 had launched the [[Nintendo Entertainment System|Family Computer]], intensifying the pressure on R&D1. Looking to improve ''Game & Watch'', R&D1 researched new screens from supplier [[Sharp Corporation|Sharp]], including [[dot-matrix display]]s that could support multiple games—unlike Game & Watch, which used pre-printed [[segmented LCD]]s, limiting each device to [[Dedicated console|a single game]].<ref name="Gorges 2024">{{Cite book |last=Gorges |first=Florent |title=The History of Nintendo Vol.4: 1989–1999 The Incredible History of the Game Boy |publisher=Omaké books |year=2024 |isbn=9798338221631}}</ref>

=== Start of development ===
On June 10, 1987, division director [[Gunpei Yokoi]] informed R&D1 that Yamauchi wanted a successor to Game & Watch priced under {{Yen|10000|link=yes|year=1987}}.<ref name="Gorges 2024" /> From the very first meeting, the team knew they wanted to use a dot-matrix display and codenamed the project ''Dot Matrix Game'' (DMG), a name later reflected in the Game Boy’s official model number: DMG-01.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lane |first=Gavin |date=May 6, 2020 |title=Nintendo Console Codenames and Product Codes |url=https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2020/05/feature_nintendo_console_codenames_and_product_codes |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200917061039/https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2020/05/feature_nintendo_console_codenames_and_product_codes |archive-date=September 17, 2020 |access-date=May 25, 2024 |work=[[Nintendo Life]]}}</ref>

Within R&D1, Yokoi championed {{Nihongo foot|"[[lateral thinking]] with withered technology",|枯れた技術の水平思考|Kareta Gijutsu no Suihei Shikō|lead=yes|group=lower-alpha}} a design philosophy which eschewed cutting-edge technology in favor of finding innovative uses of [[Mature technology|mature technologies]], which tended to be more affordable and reliable.<ref name="McFerran 20162" /> This led to early clashes between Yokoi and his assistant director [[Satoru Okada]]. Yokoi envisioned a simple toy, akin to an advanced Game & Watch, while Okada pushed for a more powerful system with interchangeable cartridges—essentially a portable NES.<ref name="Retro Gamer 163" /> Some within R&D1 believed Yokoi resisted the idea simply to avoid links to the NES, developed by their rivals at R&D2. Eventually, in a heated meeting, Yokoi relented, approving Okada’s vision and gave him full responsibility for the project.<ref name="Gorges 2024" /><ref name="Retro Gamer 163" />

=== Choosing the hardware ===
Initially, R&D1 considered using a [[Ricoh]] CPU, similar to the NES, for potential compatibility.<ref name="Kurokawa 20222">{{Cite web |last=Kurokawa |first=Fumio |date=2022 |title=Satoru Okada – 2022 Retrospective Interview |url=https://shmuplations.com/okada2022/ |access-date=April 8, 2024 |publisher=[[4gamer.net]]}}</ref> However, R&D2—then building the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]] (SNES)—blocked this, claiming it would strain Ricoh’s resources. R&D1 suspected this was simply an attempt to hinder their project. Ultimately, they opted for a Sharp CPU. A key side effect of this choice was the CPU’s built-in communication feature.<ref name="Retro Gamer 163" /> In the early 1980s, Okada had worked on an earlier Nintendo project called ''[[Computer Mah-jong Yakuman]]'' that featured [[Multiplayer video game|multiplayer gaming]] over a cable connection between two devices. He saw an opportunity to implement a similar feature.<ref name="Aetas 20222">{{Cite news |last=Kurokawa |first=Fumio |date=July 15, 2022 |title=ゲームボーイの生みの親・岡田 智氏が任天堂での開発者時代を語った「黒川塾 八十八（88）」聴講レポート |trans-title=Attendance report on "Kurokawa Juku 88" where Game Boy creator Satoshi Okada talks about his time as a developer at Nintendo |url=https://www.4gamer.net/games/999/G999905/20220720007/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230331032353/https://www.4gamer.net/games/999/G999905/20220720007/ |archive-date=March 31, 2023 |access-date=March 1, 2024 |work=[[4Gamer.net]] |language=ja}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Voskuil |first=Erik |url=http://blog.beforemario.com/2011/03/nintendo-computer-mah-jong-yakuman-1983.html |title=Before Mario: the fantastic toys from the video game giant's early days |date=March 19, 2011 |publisher=Omaké books |isbn=978-2-919603-10-7 |publication-date=November 20, 2014 |chapter=Mah-jong Yakuman |access-date=May 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240509192145/http://blog.beforemario.com/2011/03/nintendo-computer-mah-jong-yakuman-1983.html |archive-date=May 9, 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref> Despite skepticism from his team that the feature would be too difficult to use, he personally developed the [[Game Link Cable]] technology,<ref name="Kurokawa 20222" /> which later enabled [[Pokémon (video game series)|''Pokémon'']]'s "battle" and "trade" game mechanics.<ref name="Aetas 20222" /> The Game Boy also retained a key innovation from ''Game & Watch'': the [[D-pad]]. Yokoi had designed it as a compact alternative to [[joystick]]s, making it ideal for handheld devices. Its use on the [[NES controller]] also helped ease the transition for players.

Early in development, R&D1 evaluated dot-matrix displays from Sharp but found them unsuitable due to severe ghosting. Seeking alternatives, they approached [[Citizen Watch|Citizen]], [[Epson]], [[Hosiden]], [[Panasonic|Matsushita]], and [[Seiko]]. Most declined, but Citizen, already producing LCDs for portable TVs, was eager to collaborate. The team was impressed by Citizen’s chip-on-glass technology, which integrated the screen controller into the display, reducing cost and production time. They offered Nintendo a monochrome screen for {{Yen|1300}} or a color version for {{Yen|3900}}. However, following Yokoi’s philosophy, the team rejected color due to higher power consumption and cost, opting for a simple grayscale screen without a backlight.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ryan |first=Jeff |title=Super Mario: How Nintendo Conquered America |date=2011 |publisher=Portfolio Penguin |isbn=978-1-59184-405-1 |location=New York |pages=102–105 |language=en}}</ref> This decision proved wise, as competing color handhelds would suffer from poor battery life, giving the Game Boy a significant advantage.<ref name="McFerran 20162" />

However, Sharp was still an important partner, so Nintendo asked if they could match Citizen on technology and price. Sharp responded with vague answers on their screen technologies and quoted a price of {{Yen|2500}} to {{Yen|3000}} per screen. In response, Citizen lowered its price to ¥1,000. With Yamauchi’s approval, R&D1 finalized a deal with Citizen on September 1, 1987. However, as Citizen’s representatives left Nintendo’s offices, they saw Sharp’s team arriving for a meeting with Yamauchi. Without explanation, Yamauchi canceled the Citizen deal and awarded the contract to Sharp. To soften the blow, R&D1 fabricated a story, telling Citizen they were interested in buying color screens the next year, even drafting fake project documents. Citizen later supplied color screens for Sega’s [[Game Gear]], which had a design closely resembled Nintendo's fake project. Citizen never admitted sharing the design.<ref name="Gorges 2024" />

=== Near cancellation ===
The R&D1 team soon discovered that Sharp was unprepared to make the screens they needed, leading to months of delays. Early prototypes with low-quality [[Twisted nematic field effect|twisted nematic]] (TN) screens sparked internal skepticism, with some employees mockingly referring to the project as ''DameGame'' (with ''dame'' (だめ) meaning "hopeless" in Japanese).<ref>{{Cite news |last=Audureau |first=William |date=March 18, 2015 |title=NX, Ultra 64, Revolution… Petite histoire de Nintendo à travers ses noms de code |url=http://www.lemonde.fr/pixels/article/2015/03/18/nx-ultra-64-revolution-petite-histoire-de-nintendo-a-travers-ses-noms-de-code_4595183_4408996.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160817105050/http://www.lemonde.fr/pixels/article/2015/03/18/nx-ultra-64-revolution-petite-histoire-de-nintendo-a-travers-ses-noms-de-code_4595183_4408996.html |archive-date=August 17, 2016 |access-date=June 19, 2016 |work=Le Monde.fr |language=fr |issn=1950-6244}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=駄目 |url=https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E9%A7%84%E7%9B%AE |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210515182011/https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E9%A7%84%E7%9B%AE |archive-date=May 15, 2021 |access-date=February 13, 2021 |website=Wiktionary}}</ref> In the summer of 1988, R&D1 presented a prototype to Yamauchi, who immediately canceled the project, citing the poor visibility of the display. Team members argued that minor screen adjustments or a slightly higher budget could resolve the issue, but Yamauchi refused, leading them to suspect other teams had already convinced him the device would be a commercial failure. Furthermore, with the NES still thriving and the SNES on the horizon, a Game & Watch successor was no longer seen as essential.<ref name="Gorges 2024" />

Most of R&D1, including Okada, was reassigned. However, Yokoi remained committed to the project. Defying Yamauchi’s decision, he continued refining the display. During discussions with a Sharp director involved in Game & Watch, the team learned of a [[STN display|super-twisted nematic]] (STN) display secretly in development. While it had a green tint and slightly lower contrast, it dramatically improved the viewing angle. Yokoi devised a plan. In a meeting with a Sharp board member, he pressed them about new technologies, leading them to reveal the STN display. R&D1 secured a prototype and installed it in a Game Boy.<ref name="Gorges 2024" />

Three months after canceling the project, Yamauchi was shown the STN prototype. Though still unimpressed by the screen, he approved the console for sale, perhaps influenced by delays in SNES development, which was now two years away from launch.<ref name="Gorges 2024" />

Using the STN display significantly increased production costs. To mitigate expenses, the team reduced the screen's size, though it was too late in development to shrink the console’s overall dimensions.<ref name="Aetas 20222" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Kurokawa |first=Fumio |date=March 29, 2022 |title=元任天堂・岡田 智氏の独立独歩 後編 ひたすらに意志を貫いたゲームボーイ＆ゲームボーイアドバンス開発 「ビデオゲームの語り部たち」：第28部 |trans-title=Former Nintendo employee Satoshi Okada's independent career, Part 2: The development of the Game Boy and Game Boy Advance with single-minded determination |url=https://www.4gamer.net/games/999/G999905/20220316093/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230521131129/https://www.4gamer.net/games/999/G999905/20220316093/ |archive-date=May 21, 2023 |access-date=March 2, 2024 |work=[[4Gamer.net]] |language=ja}}</ref> The target price of ¥10,000 was ultimately not met due to the cost of the display, and the Game Boy would retail for {{JPY|12,500|1989|round=0}}.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Edwards |first=Benj |date=April 21, 2019 |title=Happy 30th B-Day, Game Boy: Here are six reasons why you're #1 |url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2019/04/game-boy-20th-anniversary/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240504014255/https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2019/04/game-boy-20th-anniversary/ |archive-date=May 4, 2024 |access-date=May 26, 2024 |work=[[Ars Technica]]}}</ref>  To enhance the perceived value of the product, Yamauchi decided to include headphones and four AA batteries in the box, which cost Nintendo very little but made the Game Boy appear like a better deal.<ref name="Gorges 2024" />

=== Launch and success ===
[[File:Game Boy originale.jpg|thumb|Original gray Game Boy]]
On January 17, 1989, Nintendo officially announced the Game Boy. It launched in Japan on April 21, selling out its initial production run of 300,000 units within the first two weeks.<ref name="Fahs 20092">{{Cite news |last=Fahs |first=Travis |date=July 27, 2009 |title=IGN Presents the History of Game Boy |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2009/07/27/ign-presents-the-history-of-game-boy |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230219134710/https://www.ign.com/articles/2009/07/27/ign-presents-the-history-of-game-boy |archive-date=February 19, 2023 |access-date=October 2, 2013 |work=[[IGN]] |page=2}}</ref> By August, sales had reached 720,000 consoles and 1.9 million games across just four [[launch titles]].<ref name="Gorges 2024" /> The Game Boy debuted in North America on July 31, 1989,<ref name="Fahs 20092" /> at a retail price of {{USD|89.99|1989|round=0}},<ref>{{Cite news |last=Moriarty |first=Colin |date=October 15, 2013 |title=The Real Cost of Gaming: Inflation, Time, and Purchasing Power |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2013/10/15/the-real-cost-of-gaming-inflation-time-and-purchasing-power |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200915010832/https://www.ign.com/articles/2013/10/15/the-real-cost-of-gaming-inflation-time-and-purchasing-power |archive-date=September 15, 2020 |access-date=August 28, 2020 |work=[[IGN]]}}</ref> and backed by a {{US$|20 million}} marketing campaign (equivalent to ${{Inflation|index=USD|value=20|start_year=1989|r=0}} million in {{Inflation/year|index=USD}}) aimed at making it the must-have, hard-to-find [[Christmas shopping|holiday toy]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Shiver Jr. |first=Jube |date=November 29, 1989 |title=Toys: It's serious business as Nintendo's Game Boy goes head to head with Atari's Lynx |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-11-20-fi-193-story.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211214142448/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-11-20-fi-193-story.html |archive-date=December 14, 2021 |access-date=December 14, 2021 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref><ref name="Moss 2019">{{Cite web |last=Moss |first=Richard |date=April 19, 2019 |title=How Nintendo introduced the Game Boy, Tetris, and Pokémon to the West |url=https://www.polygon.com/2019/4/19/18295061/game-boy-history-timeline-tetris-pokemon-nintendo |access-date=March 20, 2025 |website=Polygon |language=en-US}}</ref> On its release day, 40,000 units were sold, and within just a few weeks, sales reached one million.<ref name="Fahs 20092" /><ref name="Kent 2001">{{Cite book |last=Kent |first=Steve L. |title=The Ultimate History of Video Games |date=2001 |publisher=Prima Publishing |isbn=978-0-7615-3643-7 |edition=1 |location=Roseville, Calif. |pages=416 |quote=According to an article in ''Time'' magazine, the one million Game Boys sent to the United States in 1989 met only half the demand for the product. That allotment sold out in a matter of weeks and its black and white (except for Konami/Factor 5 games and ''[[SeaQuest DSV (video game)|SeaQuest DSV]]''), was shown in color like the Game Gear version.}}</ref>

Learning from one of the NES launch's shortcomings, Okada pushed to offer [[Third party developer|third-party developers]] a development manual and [[Software development kit|development kit]], built by [[Intelligent Systems]], to encourage software creation for the Game Boy.<ref name="Retro Gamer 163" /><ref name="Aetas 20222" /> Meanwhile, R&D1 developed ''[[Super Mario Land]]'' as the console's flagship title,<ref name="Fahs 20092" /> but another game captured the attention of Okada and Yokoi—''[[Tetris]]''. While a team within R&D1 was [[Tetris (NES video game)|porting the Soviet-made puzzle game to the NES]], they recognized its potential for a handheld platform.<ref name="Gorges 2024" /> Although the [[Tetris (Game Boy video game)|Game Boy version of ''Tetris'']] would not be ready for the console's Japanese debut, it was completed in time for its North American launch in July 1989. [[Henk Rogers]], who had acquired the rights to ''Tetris'', convinced Nintendo of America president [[Minoru Arakawa]] to make it the [[pack-in game]] with the Game Boy instead of ''Super Mario Land'', arguing that while Mario primarily appealed to young boys, ''Tetris'' would appeal to everyone.<ref name="Moss 2019" /> As a result, ''Tetris'' was bundled with the Game Boy in every region except Japan.<ref name="McFerran 20162" />

== Hardware ==
[[File:Nintendo_Game_Boy_DMG-01_-_board_with_card_slot-9880.jpg|thumb|The original Game Boy motherboard ([[commons:File:Nintendo Game Boy DMG-01 - board with card slot-9880.jpg|annotated version]])]]

The Game Boy uses a custom [[system on a chip]] (SoC), to house most of the components, named the ''DMG-CPU'' by Nintendo and the ''LR35902'' by its manufacturer, the [[Sharp Corporation]].<ref name="Javanainen 2025" />{{Rp|page=11}}

Within the DMG-CPU, the main processor is a ''Sharp SM83'',<ref name="Javanainen 2025">{{Cite web |last=Javanainen |first=Joonas |date=February 22, 2025 |title=Game Boy: Complete Technical Reference |url=https://gekkio.fi/files/gb-docs/gbctr.pdf |access-date=March 5, 2025 |website=gekkio.fi |edition=160}}</ref>{{Rp|page=15}} a hybrid of the [[Intel 8080]] and [[Zilog Z80]] processors. It combines the seven [[8-bit computing|8-bit]] registers of the 8080 (omitting the alternate [[Processor register|registers]] of the Z80) with the programming syntax and additional [[bit manipulation]] instructions of the Z80. The SM83 also includes new instructions optimized for operations specific to the Game Boy's hardware arrangement.<ref name="McFerran 20162" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=January 2, 2013 |title=The Nintendo Game Boy, Part 1: The Intel 8080 and the Zilog Z80 |url=https://realboyemulator.wordpress.com/2013/01/01/the-nintendo-game-boy-1/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220510190547/https://realboyemulator.wordpress.com/2013/01/01/the-nintendo-game-boy-1/ |archive-date=May 10, 2022 |access-date=August 29, 2017 |publisher=RealBoy Emulator Blog}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=CPU Comparison with Z80 |url=https://gbdev.io/pandocs/CPU_Comparison_with_Z80 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240429215020/https://gbdev.io/pandocs/CPU_Comparison_with_Z80 |archive-date=April 29, 2024 |access-date=April 29, 2024 |website=Pan Docs |language=en}}</ref> It operates at a [[clock rate]] of 4.194304&nbsp;MHz.<ref name="Javanainen 2025" />{{Rp|page=12}}

The DMG-CPU also incorporates the Picture Processing Unit, essentially a basic [[GPU]], that renders visuals using an 8 KB bank of [[Video RAM (dual-ported DRAM)|Video RAM]] located on the [[motherboard]].<ref name="Game Boy Programming Manual">{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/GameBoyProgManVer1.1 |title=Game Boy Programming Manual |date=December 3, 1999 |publisher=[[Nintendo]] |access-date=November 21, 2024 |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref>{{rp|11}} The display is a 2.5-inch (diagonal) reflective [[Super-twisted nematic display|super-twisted nematic]] (STN) monochrome [[liquid-crystal display]] (LCD), measuring {{Convert|47|mm|sp=us}} wide by {{Convert|43|mm|sp=us}} high with a resolution of 160 [[pixel]]s wide by 144 pixels high in a 10:9 [[Aspect ratio (image)|aspect ratio]].<ref name="User Manual Page 122">{{Cite web |year=1989 |title=GameBoy User Manual |url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/30348074@N00/5439992398/in/set-72157626034398554/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629131839/http://www.flickr.com/photos/30348074@N00/5439992398/in/set-72157626034398554/ |archive-date=June 29, 2011 |access-date=February 12, 2011 |publisher=Nintendo of America |page=12}}</ref> The screen displays four shades of grey/green.<ref name="Game Boy Programming Manual" />{{rp|16}}

Additionally, the SoC includes a 256 byte "bootstrap" ROM<ref>{{Cite web |date=May 7, 2006 |title=Cherryroms :: View topic - "Manually" extracting a ROM |url=http://forums.cherryroms.com/viewtopic.php?t=3848&start=75 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060507053755/http://forums.cherryroms.com/viewtopic.php?t=3848&start=75 |archive-date=May 7, 2006 |access-date=January 27, 2025 }}</ref> which is used to start up the device, 127 bytes of High RAM that can be accessed faster (similar to a [[CPU cache]]), and the ''[[Audio Processing Unit]]'', a [[programmable sound generator]] with four channels: a [[pulse wave]] generation channel with frequency and volume variation, a second pulse wave generation channel with only volume variation, a wave channel that can reproduce any [[waveform]] recorded in RAM, and a [[white noise]] channel with volume variation.<ref name="Game Boy Programming Manual" />{{rp|79}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Game Boy Advance Service Manual |url=https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IpKe2BRdcZLUURvhrvxnleMZf3MEI6tc/view?usp=embed_facebook |access-date=May 27, 2024 |publisher=[[Nintendo]] |page=3 |language=en |edition=2nd}}</ref><!--The Game Boy Advance manual explains the operation of Game Boy-compatible audio.--> The motherboard also contains a 8 KB "work [[Random access memory|RAM]]" chip providing storage for general operations.<ref name="Game Boy Programming Manual" />{{rp|16}}

The Game Boy's physical controls include a [[D-pad]] (directional pad), four [[action button]]s (labeled 'A', 'B', 'SELECT', 'START'), a sliding power switch with a cartridge lock to prevent accidental removal, along with [[Loudness|volume]] and [[Contrast (vision)|contrast]] dials on either side of the device.<ref>{{Cite web |year=1989 |title=Game Boy Owner's Manual |url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/30348074@N00/5439387075/in/album-72157626034398554/ |access-date=May 26, 2024 |publisher=Nintendo of America |page=3}}</ref>

The original Game Boy was powered internally by four [[AA batteries]].<ref>{{Cite web |year=1989 |title=Game Boy Owner's Manual |url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/30348074@N00/5439992276/in/album-72157626034398554/ |access-date=May 26, 2024 |publisher=Nintendo of America |page=6 |quote=Remove the cover on the back of the GAME BOY and insert the four AA batteries (supplied) as shown in the illustration.}}</ref> For extended use, an optional AC adapter or rechargeable battery pack can be connected via a [[coaxial power connector]] on the left side.<ref>{{Cite web |year=2006 |title=Nintendo Game Boy (DMG-001) |url=http://www.vidgame.net/NINTENDO/GB.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080211181421/http://www.vidgame.net/NINTENDO/GB.html |archive-date=February 11, 2008 |access-date=August 22, 2006 |website=Vidgame.net}}</ref> The right side also has a [[Game Link Cable]]{{efn|The Game Link Cable port was also called the Video Link cable and extension connector in early Owner's Manuals.<ref>{{Cite web |year=1989 |title=Game Boy Owner's Manual |url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/30348074@N00/5439992312/in/album-72157626034398554/ |access-date=May 26, 2024 |publisher=Nintendo of America |page=8}}</ref>}} port for connecting to up to four Game Boy devices for multiplayer games or data transfer.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Masuyama |first=Meguro |title=''Game On'' |title-link=Game On (exhibition) |publisher=Universe Publishing |year=2002 |isbn=0-7893-0778-2 |editor-last=Lucien King |location=[[New York City|New York, NY]] |page=39 |chapter=Pokémon as Japanese Culture? |quote=''Pokémon'' allowed more than metaphorical communication; it made use of a system that created actual communication — a network game.}}</ref> For sound output, the Game Boy includes a single monaural speaker and a [[Phone connector (audio)|3.5&nbsp;mm headphone jack]] that offered [[Stereophonic sound|stereo sound]].<ref>{{Cite web |year=1989 |title=Game Boy Owner's Manual |url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/30348074@N00/5439387125/in/album-72157626034398554/ |access-date=May 26, 2024 |publisher=Nintendo of America |page=5 |quote=(10) Headphone jack (PHONES) — Connect the stereo headphones that come with the GAME BOY to enjoy the impressive sounds of games without disturbing others around you. (11) Speaker — A small built-in external speaker. It will turn on automatically if the headphones are not plugged into the headphones jack.}}</ref>

=== Revisions ===
[[File:Game_Boy_Play_It_Loud!_Transparent_American_Edition.png|thumb|200x200px|Clear "Play It Loud!" edition]]
The Game Boy remained a strong seller throughout the 1990s, driven by popular releases like [[Pokémon (video game series)|''Pokémon'']], which kept demand high. However, its continued success presented a challenge for Nintendo: while the hardware was aging, the company was reluctant to replace it due to its strong sales. 

At a press conference in San Francisco on March 14, 1994, Peter Main, Nintendo's vice president of marketing, answered queries about when Nintendo was coming out with a color handheld system by stating that sales of the Game Boy were strong enough that it had decided to hold off on developing a successor handheld for the near future.<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=August 1994 |title=Cart Queries |magazine=[[GamePro]] |publisher=[[International Data Group|IDG]] |page=14 |issue=71}}</ref> Instead, Nintendo would introduce several updates over the following years to extend the system's relevance.<ref name="McFerran 20162" />

==== Play It Loud! ====
The first update to the Game Boy's hardware design came on March 20, 1995, nearly six years after the console was first released, when Nintendo introduced various colored cases as part of the "Play It Loud!" campaign,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Color it loud with hot new Game Boys; Game Boy reflects players own style with five exciting new colors |url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Color+it+loud+with+hot+new+Game+Boys%3B+Game+Boy+reflects+players+own...-a016001521 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131102052451/http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Color+it+loud+with+hot+new+Game+Boys%3B+Game+Boy+reflects+players+own...-a016001521 |archive-date=November 2, 2013 |access-date=November 3, 2009}}</ref> known in Japan as {{nihongo foot|Game Boy Bros.|ゲームボーイブラザーズ|Gēmu Bōi Burazāzu|lead=yes|group=lower-alpha}} <ref>{{Cite web |last=Oxford |first=David |date=February 14, 2019 |title=Boy, Oh Game Boy: Play It Loud! |url=https://www.oldschoolgamermagazine.com/boy-oh-game-boy-play-it-loud/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231028231030/https://www.oldschoolgamermagazine.com/boy-oh-game-boy-play-it-loud/ |archive-date=October 28, 2023 |access-date=October 28, 2023 |website=Old School Gamer Magazine}}</ref> This revision was purely cosmetic, with consoles now available in red, yellow, green, blue, black, white, and clear plastic cases, with screens featuring a darker gray bezel than on the original model.

==== Game Boy Pocket ====
{{Multiple image
| image1            = Game Boy Pocket Logo.svg
| image2            = Game-Boy-Pocket-Black.jpg
| width             = 120
| direction         = vertical
}}
A major revision to the Game Boy came in 1996 with the introduction of the Game Boy Pocket, a slimmed-down unit that required just two smaller [[AAA batteries]], albeit at the expense of providing just 10 hours of gameplay.<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=July 1996 |title=The Incredible Shrinking Game Boy Pocket |magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]] |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |page=16 |issue=84}}</ref> The other major change was that the screen was changed to a much-improved [[FSTN|film compensated super-twisted nematic]] (FSTN) LCD with a larger viewable area. The screen's visibility and pixel response-time had been improved, mostly eliminating [[Motion blur|ghosting]].<ref name="Pocket Cool" /> Additionally, the film compensation layer produced a true black-and-white display, rather than the green hues of the original Game Boy.<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=August 1996 |title=Game Boy Relaunched |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]] |publisher=[[Imagine Media]] |page=26 |issue=20}}</ref> The Pocket also has a smaller [[Game Link Cable]] port, which requires an adapter to link with the original Game Boy. This smaller port design would be used on all subsequent Game Boy models.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Link Cable Adapter |url=https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Support/Game-Boy-Pocket-Color/Accessories/Link-cable-adapter/Link-cable-adapter-619614.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240511035518/https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Support/Game-Boy-Pocket-Color/Accessories/Link-cable-adapter/Link-cable-adapter-619614.html |archive-date=May 11, 2024 |access-date=May 11, 2024 |website=Nintendo of Europe |language=en-GB}}</ref> Internally, the Game Boy Pocket had a new SoC, the CPU&nbsp;MGB, which moved the Video RAM from the motherboard to the SoC.<ref name="Copetti 20192">{{Cite web |last=Copetti |first=Rodrigo |date=February 21, 2019 |title=Game Boy / Color Architecture – A Practical Analysis |url=https://www.copetti.org/writings/consoles/game-boy/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240413195021/https://www.copetti.org/writings/consoles/game-boy/ |archive-date=April 13, 2024 |access-date=April 29, 2024 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Javanainen |first=Joonas |date=July 18, 2023 |title=MGB-xCPU schematic |url=https://github.com/Gekkio/gb-schematics/blob/main/MGB-xCPU/schematic/MGB-xCPU.pdf |access-date=May 22, 2024 |website=[[GitHub]]}}</ref>

The Game Boy Pocket launched in Japan on July 20, 1996, and in North America on September 2, 1996, for {{USD|69.99|1996|round=0}}.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1998 Sears Christmas Book, Page 161 – Christmas Catalogs & Holiday Wishbooks |url=https://christmas.musetechnical.com/ShowCatalogPage/1998-Sears-Christmas-Book/161 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200731214935/https://christmas.musetechnical.com/ShowCatalogPage/1998-Sears-Christmas-Book/161 |archive-date=July 31, 2020 |access-date=December 1, 2019 |website=christmas.musetechnical.com}}</ref> The Game Boy Pocket helped to revitalize hardware sales and its release was ultimately well-timed as it coincided with the massively successful launch of ''Pokémon'', which further fueled Game Boy sales.<ref name="McFerran 20162" /> Reviewers praised the device's compact size and improved display,<ref name="Pocket Cool">{{Cite magazine |date=December 1996 |title=Pocket Cool |magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]] |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |page=204 |issue=89}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Cameron |first=Mike |date=September 19, 1996 |title=A game that's small enough to score where it counts |url=https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=AWNB&docref=news/10B30EFFA5830318 |url-access=subscription |access-date=May 22, 2024 |work=[[Hamilton Spectator]] |page=11 |via=[[NewsBank]]}}</ref> though some critics dismissed it as a minor upgrade with the ''Los Angeles Times'' remarking that Nintendo was, "repacking the same old black-and-white stuff and selling it as new".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Curtiss |first=Aaron |date=May 30, 1996 |title=The Expo Challenge: Dodging the Pretenders |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-05-30-ca-10272-story.html |access-date=May 22, 2024 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref> The device also faced criticism for its relatively short 10-hour battery life and the absence of a power LED, which had been used in previous models to indicate battery strength.<ref name="Electronic Gaming Monthly 1997">{{Cite magazine |date=May 1997 |title=Tidbits... |magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]] |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |page=19 |issue=94}}</ref><ref name="Electronic Gaming Monthly 19982">{{Cite magazine |date=April 1998 |title=Game Boy Lights Up |magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]] |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |page=26 |issue=105}}</ref>

In early 1997, a revision was released featuring the return of the power LED, a broader range of case colors (red, green, yellow, black, gold metal, clear, and blue, in addition to the launch silver), and a price drop to {{USD|54.95|1997|round=0}}.<ref name="Electronic Gaming Monthly 1997" /> By mid-1998, just before the launch of the Game Boy Color, the price had dropped further to {{USD|49.95|1998|round=0}}.<ref>{{Cite news |date=July 29, 1998 |title=Nintendo unchallenged as big Boy in town |url=https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=AWNB&docref=news/0EB77359B6744FE3 |url-access=subscription |access-date=May 22, 2024 |work=[[USA Today]] |page=4D |via=[[NewsBank]]}}</ref>

==== Game Boy Light ====
{{Multiple image
| image1            = Game Boy Light logo.svg
| image2            = Game-Boy-Light-FL.jpg
| width             = 120
| direction         = vertical
}}
The Game Boy Light, released exclusively in Japan on April 14, 1998, retained all of the Pocket’s improvements, including a more compact design and clearer FSTN LCD screen, while introducing several enhancements of its own. The most notable addition was an [[Electroluminescence|electroluminescent]] backlight, enabling gameplay in low-light conditions for the first time without external accessories. The backlight emitted a blue-green glow, similar to the illumination used in digital wristwatches at the time. To address the criticism of the Pocket’s battery life, the Game Boy Light used two AA batteries with greater capacity, offering approximately 12 hours of gameplay with the backlight on and up to 20 hours with it off. These upgrades resulted in a slightly larger and heavier form factor compared to the Game Boy Pocket, though it remained significantly smaller and lighter than the original Game Boy. The Game Boy Light was available in gold and silver color variants and launched at a retail price of {{JPY|6800|1998}}.<ref name="Electronic Gaming Monthly 19982" /><ref>{{Cite web |script-title=ja:ゲームボーイライト |url=https://www.nintendo.co.jp/n02/dmg/hardware/light/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980530125425/http://www.nintendo.co.jp/n02/dmg/hardware/light/index.html |archive-date=May 30, 1998 |access-date=November 3, 2009 |publisher=[[Nintendo]] |language=ja}}</ref>

{{clear}}

=== Technical specifications ===
{{sticky header}}
{| class="wikitable sticky-header"
!
!Game Boy<ref name="User Manual Page 122" /><ref name="Technical data2">{{Cite web |title=Technical data |url=https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Support/Game-Boy-Pocket-Color/Product-information/Technical-data/Technical-data-619585.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230207100304/https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Support/Game-Boy-Pocket-Color/Product-information/Technical-data/Technical-data-619585.html |archive-date=February 7, 2023 |access-date=February 4, 2018 |website=Nintendo of Europe GmbH |language=en-GB}}</ref>
!Game Boy Pocket<ref name="Technical data2" />
!Game Boy Light
|-
!Height
|{{cvt|148|mm|frac=8}}
|{{cvt|127.6|mm|frac=8}}
|{{cvt|135|mm|frac=8}}
|-
!Width
|{{cvt|90|mm|frac=8}}
|{{cvt|77.6|mm|frac=8}}
|{{cvt|80|mm|frac=8}}
|-
!Depth
|{{cvt|32|mm|frac=8}}
|{{cvt|25.3|mm|frac=8}}
|{{cvt|27|mm|frac=8}}
|-
!Weight
|{{cvt|220|g}}
|{{cvt|125|g}}
|{{cvt|138|g}}
|-
!Display
|2.5-inch reflective [[Super-twisted nematic display|super-twisted nematic]] (STN) [[liquid-crystal display]] (LCD)
|2.5-inch reflective [[FSTN|film compensated STN]] (FSTN) LCD
|2.5-inch FSTN LCD with [[Electroluminescence|electroluminescent]] backlight
|-
!Screen size (playable)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Game Boy Versions |url=https://www.retrorgb.com/gbversions.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240506190310/https://www.retrorgb.com/gbversions.html |archive-date=May 6, 2024 |access-date=May 6, 2024 |website=RetroRGB |language=en-US}}</ref>
|{{cvt|45.5|xx|41.5|mm|frac=8}}
|{{cvt|47.5|xx|42.5|mm|frac=8}}
|{{cvt|47|xx|42|mm|frac=8}}
|-
![[Display resolution|Resolution]]
| colspan="3" |160&nbsp;(w)&nbsp;× 144&nbsp;(h) [[pixel]]s (10:9 [[Aspect ratio (image)|aspect ratio]])
|-
![[Frame rate]]
| colspan="3" |59.727500569606 [[Hertz|Hz]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=TASVideos / Platform Framerates |url=http://tasvideos.org/PlatformFramerates.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200229184750/http://tasvideos.org/PlatformFramerates.html |archive-date=February 29, 2020 |access-date=February 29, 2020 |website=tasvideos.org}}</ref>
|-
!Color support
|2-bit, four shades of green: {{nowrap|{{Color box|#2a453b|0x0|#ffffff}}{{Color box|#365d48|0x1|#ffffff}}{{Color box|#577c44|0x2|#ffffff}}{{Color box|#7f860f|0x3|#ffffff}}}}
| colspan="2" |2-bit, four shades of grey: {{nowrap|{{Color box|#000000|0x0|#ffffff}}{{Color box|#555555|0x1|#ffffff}}{{Color box|#aaaaaa|0x2|#000000}}{{Color box|#ffffff|0x3|#000000}}}}
|-
![[System on a chip]] (SoC)
|Nintendo DMG-CPU ([[Sharp Corporation|Sharp]]&nbsp;LR35902)
| colspan="2" |Nintendo CPU&nbsp;MGB
|-
!CPU
| colspan="3" |Sharp SM83 (custom [[Intel 8080]]/[[Zilog Z80]] hybrid, [[8-bit computing|8-bit]]) @ 4.194304&nbsp;MHz
|-
! rowspan="2" |Memory
|{{Unbulleted list
  |'''On SoC:''' 256&nbsp;B&nbsp;ROM, 127&nbsp;B&nbsp;High&nbsp;RAM, 128&nbsp;B&nbsp;Audio&nbsp;RAM, 1.12KB&nbsp;object&nbsp;attribute&nbsp;RAM
  |'''Internal:''' 8&nbsp;KB&nbsp;[[Random-access memory|RAM]], 8&nbsp;KB&nbsp;[[Video Random Access Memory|Video&nbsp;RAM]]
  }}
| colspan="2" |{{Unbulleted list
  |'''On SoC:''' 256&nbsp;B&nbsp;ROM, 127&nbsp;B&nbsp;High&nbsp;RAM, 8&nbsp;KB&nbsp;Video&nbsp;RAM, 128&nbsp;B&nbsp;Audio&nbsp;RAM, 1.12KB&nbsp;object&nbsp;attribute&nbsp;RAM
  |'''Internal:''' 8&nbsp;KB&nbsp;RAM
  }}
|-
| colspan="3" |'''External:''' (in the game cartridge) up to 1&nbsp;MB ROM, up to 128&nbsp;KB RAM
|-
!Power
|{{Unbulleted list|'''Consumption:''' 70–80 [[mAh]]|'''Internal:''' 4 × [[AA batteries]]|'''External:''' 0.7&nbsp;W at 6&nbsp;V&nbsp;DC from 3.5&nbsp;mm&nbsp;×&nbsp;1.35&nbsp;mm [[coaxial power connector|coaxial connector]]}}
|{{Unbulleted list|'''Consumption:''' 80–90 mAh|'''Internal:''' 2 × [[AAA batteries]]|'''External:''' 0.7&nbsp;W at 3&nbsp;V&nbsp;DC from 2.35&nbsp;mm&nbsp;×&nbsp;0.75&nbsp;mm coaxial connector}}
|{{Unbulleted list||'''Internal:''' 2 × AA batteries|'''External:''' 0.6&nbsp;W at 3&nbsp;V&nbsp;DC from 2.35&nbsp;mm&nbsp;×&nbsp;0.75&nbsp;mm coaxial connector}}
|-
!Battery life
|Up to 30 hours
|Up to 10 hours
|{{Unbulleted list|Up to 20 hours (backlight off)|Up to 12 hours (backlight on)}}
|-
!Sound
| colspan="3" |{{Unbulleted list|'''Channels:''' 2&nbsp;pulse&nbsp;wave, 1&nbsp;wave, 1&nbsp;noise|'''Outputs:''' Built-in mono speaker, stereo [[3.5mm headphone jack]]}}
|-
![[Input/output|I/O]]
| colspan="3" |{{Unbulleted list|[[Game Link Cable]] (8&nbsp;[[kbit/s]] between up to 4 devices)<ref name="Game Boy Programming Manual">{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/GameBoyProgManVer1.1 |title=Game Boy Programming Manual |date=December 3, 1999 |publisher=[[Nintendo]] |access-date=November 21, 2024 |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref>{{rp|28}}|[[Game Boy Game Pak]] slot}}
|-
!Controls
| colspan="3" |{{Unbulleted list|4-way [[D-pad]]|Four [[action button]]s (A, B, Start, Select)|Volume [[potentiometer]]|Contrast potentiometer|Power switch}}
|}

== Games ==
[[File:Nintendo-Game-Boy-Cartridge.jpg|thumb|upright|The standard gray [[Game Boy Game Pak]] ]]

{{See also|List of Game Boy games|List of best-selling Game Boy video games|List of cancelled Game Boy games}}

More than 1,000 games were released for the Game Boy, excluding cancelled and unlicensed games.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Game Boy (original) Games |url=http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/downloads/dmg_games.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160402190758/http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/downloads/dmg_games.pdf |archive-date=April 2, 2016 |access-date=April 13, 2023 |publisher=Nintendo of America}}</ref> Additionally, more than 300 games developed for the Game Boy Color were [[Backward compatibility|backward compatible]] with the monochrome Game Boy models.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Game Boy Color Games |url=http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/downloads/cgb_games.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040610021821/http://www.nintendo.com:80/consumer/downloads/cgb_games.pdf |archive-date=June 10, 2004 |access-date=April 13, 2023 |publisher=Nintendo of America}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=January 19, 2001 |title=Game List – Released Titles |url=http://www.gameboy.com:80/gamelist.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010119180900/http://www.gameboy.com/gamelist.html |archive-date=January 19, 2001 |access-date=August 20, 2018 |website=GameBoy.com |publisher=Nintendo of America}}</ref>

Games are stored on cartridges called the [[Game Boy Game Pak]], using [[read-only memory]] (ROM) chips. Initially, due to the limitations of the 8-bit architecture of the device, ROM size was limited to 32&nbsp;KB. However, Nintendo overcame this limitation with a [[Memory bank|Memory Bank]] Controller&nbsp;(MBC) inside the cartridge. This chip sits between the processor and the ROM chips. The CPU can only access 32&nbsp;KB at a time, but the MBC can switch between several banks of 32&nbsp;KB ROM. Using this technology, Nintendo created Game Boy games that used up to 1&nbsp;[[megabyte]] of ROM. Game Paks could also provide additional functionality to the Game Boy system. Some cartridges included up to 128&nbsp;KB of RAM to increase performance, which could also be battery-backed to save progress when the handheld was off, [[real-time clock]] chips could keep track of time even when the device was off and [[Rumble Pak]] cartridges added vibration feedback to enhance gameplay.<ref name="Game Boy Programming Manual" />{{rp|299}}<ref name="Copetti 20192" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Byers |first=Brendan |title=Exploring the Gameboy Memory Bank Controller |url=https://b13rg.github.io/Gameboy-MBC-Analysis/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240429225226/https://b13rg.github.io/Gameboy-MBC-Analysis/ |archive-date=April 29, 2024 |access-date=April 29, 2024 |website=Brendan's Website |language=en-us}}</ref>

The top-selling franchise for the Game Boy were [[Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow|''Pokémon Red'', ''Blue'', and ''Yellow'']], the first installments of the [[Pokémon (video game series)|''Pokémon'' video game series]], which sold more than 46 million copies.<ref>{{Cite news |date=March 19, 2017 |title='Pokken Tournament' and Pokemon's $1.5 Billion Brand |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gobankingratebuls/pokken-tournament-and-pok_b_9501260.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200218180223/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/pokken-tournament-and-pok_b_9501260 |archive-date=February 18, 2020 |access-date=April 25, 2017 |work=[[The Huffington Post]] |publisher=[[AOL]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Clement |first=Jessica |date=May 2024 |title=All-time best-selling Pokémon games 2024 |url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/1072224/pokemon-unit-sales-worldwide/ |access-date=May 21, 2024 |website=Statista |language=en}}</ref> The best-selling single game was ''[[Tetris (Game Boy video game)|Tetris]]'', with more than 35 million copies shipped, it was a [[pack-in game]] included with the purchase of many original Game Boy devices.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Saltzman |first=Marc |date=June 12, 2009 |title='Tetris' by the numbers |url=http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gamehunters/post/2009/06/68024593/1 |access-date=May 21, 2024 |website=USA Today}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Takahashi |first=Dean |date=June 1, 2009 |title=After 25 years, Tetris has sold 125 million copies |url=https://venturebeat.com/entrepreneur/after-25-years-tetris-has-sold-125-million-copies/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230621144138/https://venturebeat.com/entrepreneur/after-25-years-tetris-has-sold-125-million-copies/ |archive-date=June 21, 2023 |access-date=June 21, 2023 |website=[[VentureBeat]]}}</ref>

Beyond the platform's official titles, {{As of|2025|lc=y}}, an active online community continues to create new games for the Game Boy and Game Boy Color through tools like GB Studio, a free and user-friendly game-building engine that simplifies the process compared to manual coding.<ref>{{Cite news |last=McGlynn |first=Anthony |date=May 2, 2021 |title=Why are game-makers creating new Game Boy games in 2021? |url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2021/05/meet-the-developers-making-og-game-boy-games-in-2021/ |access-date=March 24, 2025 |work=[[Ars Technica]] |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Launch titles ===
When the Game Boy launched in Japan in April 1989, it featured four [[launch titles]]: ''[[Alleyway (video game)|Alleyway]]'' (a [[Breakout clone|''Breakout'' clone]]), ''[[Baseball (1983 video game)|Baseball]]'' (a [[Video game port|port]] of the NES game), ''[[Super Mario Land]]'' (an adaptation of the [[Mario (franchise)|''Mario'' franchise]] for the handheld format) and ''[[Yakuman (video game)|Yakuman]]'' (a [[Japanese mahjong]] game).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Swanson |first=Drew |date=January 5, 2023 |title=Remembering the Game Boy's Launch Titles |url=https://gamerant.com/game-boy-launch-title-retrospective-tetris-super-mario-land/ |access-date=May 21, 2024 |website=Game Rant |language=en}}</ref> When the console debuted in North America, two additional launch titles were added: ''Tetris'' and ''[[Tennis (1984 video game)|Tennis]]'' (another NES port), while ''Yakuman'' never saw a wide international release.<!-- Yakuman was released in China in 1995 per https://www.game-boy-database.com/game-105-4486-CHN.html --><ref>{{Cite web |last=Duncan |first=Andrew |date=April 21, 2019 |title=Game Boy Launch Titles |url=https://www.gamegrin.com/articles/game-boy-launch-titles/ |access-date=May 21, 2024 |website=GameGrin |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Yakuman for Game Boy (1989) – MobyGames |url=http://www.mobygames.com/game/gameboy/yakuman |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160630040755/http://www.mobygames.com/game/gameboy/yakuman |archive-date=June 30, 2016 |access-date=December 30, 2016}}</ref>

== Reception ==
[[File:Gameboylight_accessory-addon.jpg|thumb|upright|One common criticism of the original Game Boy was its lack of a [[backlight]], prompting third-party accessories to make play possible in low-light conditions.]]

=== Critical reception ===
Though it was less technically advanced than the [[Sega Game Gear]], [[Atari Lynx]], [[NEC TurboExpress]] and other competitors, notably by not supporting color, the Game Boy's lower price along with longer battery life made it a success.<ref>{{Cite web |title=AtariAge – Lynx History |url=http://www.atariage.com/Lynx/history.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161201065331/http://www.atariage.com/Lynx/history.html |archive-date=December 1, 2016 |access-date=November 22, 2016 |publisher=[[Atari Age#AtariAge (website)|AtariAge]] |quote=Eventually the Lynx was squeezed out of the picture and the handheld market was dominated by the Nintendo GameBoy with the Sega Game Gear a distant second.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Maher |first=Jimmy |date=December 22, 2016 |title=A Time of Endings, Part 2: Epyx |url=http://www.filfre.net/2016/12/a-time-of-endings-part-2-epyx/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161223132701/http://www.filfre.net/2016/12/a-time-of-endings-part-2-epyx/ |archive-date=December 23, 2016 |access-date=December 23, 2016 |website=The Digital Antiquarian}}</ref>

The console received mixed reviews from critics. In a 1997 year-end review, a team of four ''[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]'' editors gave the Game Boy scores of 7.5, 7.0, 8.0, and 2.0. The reviewer who contributed the 2.0 panned the system due to its monochrome display and [[motion blur]], while his three co-reviewers praised its long battery life and strong games library, as well as the sleek, conveniently-sized design of the new Game Boy Pocket model.<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=March 1998 |title=EGM's Special Report: Which System Is Best? |magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]] 1998 Video Game Buyer's Guide |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |page=58}}</ref>

=== Sales ===
The Game Boy launched in Japan on April 21, 1989, with an initial shipment of 300,000 units, which sold out within two weeks.<ref name="Fahs 20092" /> In the United States, 40,000 units were sold on its release day, July 31, 1989, and sales reached one million within weeks.<ref name="Fahs 20092" /><ref name="Kent 2001" /> By 1995, Nintendo of America reported that 46% of Game Boy players were female, a higher proportion than for the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] (29%) and [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]] (14%).<ref>{{Cite news |date=January 15, 1995 |title=Makers Of Games Focus On Girls |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=AUNWAAAAIBAJ&pg=1966,3565771 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170325000543/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=AUNWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=kuoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1966,3565771 |archive-date=March 25, 2017 |access-date=March 18, 2012 |work=[[The Gainesville Sun]] |page=15}}</ref>

Before the introduction of the Game Boy Color in late 1998, over 64.42&nbsp;million units of the various monochrome Game Boy models had been sold worldwide. Nintendo subsequently reported only combined sales figures for the Game Boy and Game Boy Color. By the time of the system's discontinuation in 2003, the monochrome Game Boy models and the Game Boy Color had sold a combined total of 118.69&nbsp;million units globally: 32.47&nbsp;million in Japan, 44.06&nbsp;million in the Americas, and 42.16&nbsp;million in other regions.<ref>{{Cite web |title=A Brief History of Game Console Warfare: Game Boy |url=http://images.businessweek.com/ss/06/10/game_consoles/source/7.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070509094404/http://images.businessweek.com/ss/06/10/game_consoles/source/7.htm |archive-date=May 9, 2007 |access-date=July 30, 2008 |website=[[Bloomberg Businessweek|BusinessWeek]] |publisher=[[McGraw-Hill]]}}</ref>

At the time of its discontinuation, the Game Boy line was the [[List of best-selling game consoles|best-selling game console of all time]]. It was later surpassed by the [[Nintendo DS]], [[PlayStation 2]], and [[Nintendo Switch]], making it the fourth-best-selling console as of {{As of|2025|lc=y}}.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 2024 |title=Lifetime sales of video game consoles worldwide as of February 2024 |url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/1101872/unit-sales-video-game-consoles/ |website=Statista}}</ref>

=== Cultural legacy ===
Beyond its commercial success, the Game Boy has had a lasting cultural impact. It helped popularize handheld gaming through an affordable, durable design that brought video games into daily life. The system is frequently cited in retrospectives as a gateway to gaming for a generation of players.<ref name="MacDonald 2024">{{Cite news |last=MacDonald |first=Keza |date=April 21, 2024 |title=The Game Boy at 35: a portal to other magical worlds |url=https://www.theguardian.com/games/2024/apr/21/the-game-boy-at-35-a-portal-to-other-magical-worlds |access-date=April 13, 2025 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

''[[Smithsonian (magazine)|Smithsonian Magazine]]'' describes the Game Boy as a permanent fixture of American cultural history, citing its economic significance and enduring appeal.<ref name="Kindy 2019">{{Cite web |last=Kindy |first=David |date=July 29, 2019 |title=Thirty Years Ago, Game Boy Changed the Way America Played Video Games |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/thirty-years-ago-game-boy-changed-way-america-played-video-games-180972743/ |access-date=April 13, 2025 |website=[[Smithsonian (magazine)|Smithsonian]] |language=en}}</ref> Reflections in ''[[The Guardian]]'' characterize it as "a portal to other magical worlds",<ref name="MacDonald 2024" /> with players recalling formative gaming experiences.<ref>{{Cite news |last=MacDonald |first=Keza |date=April 24, 2024 |title=Pushing Buttons: readers' memories of the game-changing Game Boy at 35 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/games/2024/apr/24/pushing-buttons-game-boy-35-years-old-readers-memories-nintendo |access-date=April 13, 2025 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

An original 1989 Game Boy is on display at the [[Smithsonian Institution|Smithsonian]]'s [[National Museum of American History]] as part of the "American Enterprise" exhibition, alongside early mobile devices.<ref name="Kindy 2019" /> It is also featured in the [[Nintendo Museum]] in Kyoto, Japan.<ref>{{Cite news |last=MacDonald |first=Keza |date=September 25, 2024 |title=Pushing Buttons: At Nintendo's new museum in Japan, I found a nostalgia-laced trip down memory lane – not a history lesson |url=https://www.theguardian.com/games/2024/sep/25/pushing-buttons-nintendo-museum-kyoto |access-date=April 13, 2025 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> In 2009, the Game Boy was inducted into the U.S. [[National Toy Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{Cite news |title=''Ball, Game Boy, Big Wheel enter toy hall of fame'' |url=http://www.rbj.net/article.asp?aID=181826 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717232724/http://www.rbj.net/article.asp?aID=181826 |archive-date=July 17, 2011 |access-date=November 5, 2009 |work=Rochester Business Journal}}</ref>

The Game Boy became a staple within the [[chiptune]] scene as hardware for composing music through [[music tracker]]s such as Little Sound DJ and Nanoloop.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/las-chiptune-scene-is-more-than-just-nerds-with-game-boys|title=LA's Chiptune Scene Is More Than Just Nerds with Game Boys|first=Aaron|last=Carnes|website=Vice|date=December 12, 2016|access-date=May 17, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wbur.org/news/2025/03/05/chiptune-boston-bitdown-video-game-music|title=Boston Bitdown fest celebrates music from vintage video games|website=[[WBUR-FM|WBUR]]|access-date=May 17, 2025|date=March 5, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/well-this-is-cool-the-chip-tune-game-boy-virtuoso|title=Well This Is Cool: The Inner Workings Of A Gameboy Chip-Tune Virtuoso|website=Vice|date=May 30, 2011|access-date=May 17, 2025|first=Janus|last=Rose}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/apps/a23888/how-to-make-chiptunes-smartphone|title=Quit Wasting Time on Phone Games and Write Chiptunes Instead|quote=Of all the different music apps you can find on iOS and Android, one called Nanoloop caught my eye. The descendent of a chiptune program created for real Game Boys, Nanoloop's iOS and Android versions require no special hardware, and have all kinds of additional features.|website=popularmechanics.com|date=November 15, 2016|access-date=May 17, 2025}}</ref>

== Notes ==
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== References ==
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== External links ==
{{Commons category}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110128120244/http://www.gameboy.com/ Official website] archived at the [[Wayback Machine]]

{{Game Boy line}}
{{Nintendo hardware|Game Boy}}
{{Fourth generation game consoles}}
{{Handheld game consoles}}
{{Portal bar|Video games|Electronics|1980s|1990s}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Game Boy| ]]
[[Category:Products introduced in 1989]]
[[Category:Game Boy consoles]]
[[Category:1980s toys]]
[[Category:1990s toys]]
[[Category:2000s toys]]
[[Category:Monochrome video game consoles]]
[[Category:Regionless game consoles]]
[[Category:Fourth-generation video game consoles]]
[[Category:Handheld game consoles]]
[[Category:Z80-based video game consoles]]
[[Category:Products and services discontinued in 2003]]
[[Category:Experimental musical instruments]]
[[Category:Discontinued handheld game consoles]]