Modretro Chromatic: Two-minute review
The Modretro Chromatic is a 2024 take on the Game Boy Color and is an excellent portable handheld device that elevates the experience of using Nintendo’s 1998 iconic video game console.
The Chromatic is founded upon nostalgia, it’s a modern device that requires three AA batteries to run, doesn’t have Bluetooth for audio, and perfectly recreates the 160x144 pixels of its spiritual predecessor, improving it with gorgeous backlighting and a very durable sapphire crystal front. The console can run physical Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges, but there's no emulation, and it even has a volume wheel. With so many inconveniences, it’s still incredibly fascinating to use and takes you right back to the heyday of trading Pokemon with friends in your backyard through a link cable.
Make no mistake about it, the Chromatic is a product built for those of us who are nostalgic about the 90s, but it’s so well-made that its limitations are almost justifiable. With a supposedly indestructible magnesium alloy shell, a display that’s been built from the ground up to replicate and enhance your favorite childhood games, and excellent mono speakers, Modretro has captured the imaginations of those seeking the coziness of their youth. But in 2024, there are plenty of other devices that offer similar experiences, and the Chromatic’s confidence in what it is and who it’s for means that it’s an incredibly niche product.
I’ve been using the Modretro Chromatic for a month, and as someone who loves retro gaming from the 90s and early 2000s, I’ve got the expertise to assess the Chromatic’s biggest achievements and its shortcomings. This might be one of the most difficult products I’ve ever had to review, purely because its whole reason for existence is nostalgia. And nostalgia, as enjoyable as it can be, isn’t always worth your hard-earned cash.
I love the Modretro Chromatic, it’s a readily available Game Boy Color made in 2024 that’s stocked on shelves in GameStop. If you’d told me last year that I could buy a handheld in stores that plays my Pokemon Gold and Link’s Awakening cartridges from my youth I’d have been overcome with emotions. Ultimately, when it comes to spending $199 / £159 / $AU 316 a product needs to be more than just a time machine back to the past, and rising retro game console prices combined with a stagnant game library (even if Modretro is producing new cartridges based on new IP and old Game Boy titles) means the Chromatic is excellent for those who know exactly what they want from a device like this, but not necessarily for a mainstream audience.
Modretro Chromatic: Price and availability
- List price: $199 / £159 / $AU 316
- Comes in six colors based on original Game Boy Color options
- Widely available in most regions and sold in GameStop stores in the US
The Modretro Chromatic is available now directly from modretro.com, and is also on shelves this holiday season in GameStop stores around the US. Priced at $199 / £159 / AU$316, the Chromatic comes bundled with a newly produced Tetris cartridge as part of Modretro's Chromatic First Edition release. The company hasn't disclosed whether the handheld will be sold without Tetris at a later date, but at the time of writing the only way to purchase a Chromatic is with a copy of the world's best-selling video game.
My review unit came in the Leaf color option, which is a similar green to my first-ever Game Boy Color and it's beautiful. The Chromatic also comes in Inferno, Bubblegum, Volt, Wave, and Midnight. All color options can be purchased with either English or Japanese markings for A, B, Start, and Select buttons.
One of the Chromatic's biggest strengths is how readily available it is. Competitors like the Analogue Pocket are often sold out online, and original Game Boy Colors can't be purchased in-store. Modretro, on the other hand, ships right away online and has teamed up with GameStop to offer the Chromatic to customers shopping in-store in one of nearly 3,000 retail locations.
Modretro Chromatic: Specs
Modretro Chromatic: Design and features
- Magnesium alloy shell feels incredible in hand
- Display built from the ground up with durable sapphire crystal cover
- PBT buttons are excellent
Modretro has not cut any corners when it comes to producing the Chromatic. Make no mistake about it, this is a very premium product at an equally premium price point. The design is an ode to the original Game Boy Color with a volume wheel, AA batteries, a tactile sliding switch for power, and even a satisfying "thunk" when you pop in a game cartridge.
The Chromatic feels excellent in hand, with its magnesium alloy shell weighty but not uncomfortable, and its PBT buttons and d-pad every bit as nice to interact with. Modretro has also built a 160x144 pixel modern display with subpixel-level accuracy from the ground up. The company wanted to create the ultimate Game Boy Color screen without straying too far away from the original and they've definitely managed to do so. If you were to imagine a Game Boy Color built in 2024, this would be it.
The Chromatic is very tricky to review, on one hand, it does everything it sets out to do in modernizing the Game Boy Color. On the other hand, however, it's so faithful to the original that it fits into a weird space in between the original hardware and the class-leading Analogue Pocket.
I've loved my time playing Pokemon Crystal on the Modretro Chromatic, it has felt like a warm hug every evening in bed as I explore Johto for the thousandth time. But that experience is expensive to recreate, especially considering games like Pokemon Crystal can cost upwards of $100 / £100 on sites like eBay. The Chromatic can't play any titles via emulation, so it relies on a large cartridge library and that could be a deterring factor for many people. While the screen is infinitely better than the original Game Boy Color's one that required direct light to really see it, there's no increase in resolution which feels authentic but limiting.
Modretro sells Modretro-published games for the Chromatic on its website and alongside Tetris there are excellent adaptations of games like Toki Tori as well as new IPs like Tales of Monsterland DX. That said, one of the Chromatic's most limiting elements is the Game Boy and Game Boy Color games library. Taking off my nostalgia glasses for a minute, the lack of Game Boy Advance compatibility really impacts the Chromatic. The Game Boy Advance offers a wide range of some of the best video games of all time, and I found myself yearning for games that can't be played on the Chromatic. While it might not be readily available, the Analogue Pocket can play Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance cartridges, and so much more at a very similar price point.
If you're looking for a Game Boy Color with a better screen and better build quality then the Modretro Chromatic fits the bill. But for those people who want pure nostalgia, an original Game Boy Color and all its inconveniences is probably more up their street. For people who want a modern Game Boy experience as well as access to a larger game library, it's hard to not pick the Analogue Pocket's 1440p display.
Modretro Chromatic: Performance
- Faithful FPGA hardware emulation of Game Boy and Game Boy Color games
- Excellent battery life (albeit inconvenient to refill)
- Comfortable for long play sessions
In terms of performance, the Modretro Chromatic is excellent at recreating Game Boy and Game Boy Color games and had no issues running any of my cartridges. The display is bright and easy to see in all environments, including direct sunlight and the speaker is much, much better than its spiritual predecessor. The sapphire glass on the front of the display means you don't need to worry at all about scratches, and combined with the durable shell makes for a stress-free gaming experience where you're never worried about damaging the handheld.
Games run excellently from classics like the Game Boy Color's Pokemon Gold to original Game Boy games like Link's Awakening which see the FPGA hardware as a Game Boy Color, adding color palettes and filters just like it would on original hardware.
Modretro has decided to use AA batteries to power the Chromatic, an ode to the past when the inconvenience of swapping out batteries was absolutely not a fun time. Well, over 20 years later and using single-use batteries still sucks. Modretro, there are some nostalgic elements that are worth keeping in the past, and AAs are one of them.
Despite the fact that replacing batteries is very inconvenient, the battery life is stellar and in my time using the handheld I only needed to swap out AAs once. Modretro says it's working on a rechargeable battery pack, but you'd expect this will cost extra once it launches.
I want to harken back to the display as aside from availability compared to sourcing second-hand hardware on sites like eBay, that's the real selling point here. The Chromatic's display is genuinely incredible, if you're looking for a faithful Game Boy experience with a little added oomph. The pixel lines from the low resolution are amazingly accurate and capture the joy of being a kid playing a Game Boy perfectly.
There were times during my time with the Modretro Chromatic that I genuinely felt transported back to my childhood, and that's something even products like the Analogue Pocket haven't been able to quite achieve. In that sense, the Chromatic's hardware and performance nails exactly what it's trying to achieve, it's just an excellent Game Boy Color Pro, a mid-console refresh if you will.
Should you buy the Modretro Chromatic
Buy it if...
You want a better Game Boy Color
If you're looking for a Game Boy Color and want a better screen than the original then the Modretro Chromatic is for you. The display is gorgeous, it has excellent build quality, and the buttons are a joy to use. If you only want to play Game Boy and Game Boy Color games, this is the handheld for you.
You own a large Game Boy cartridge library
If you've still got all of your old Game Boy cartridges then the Chromatic will give you hours and hours of joy. The console can play any Game Boy or Game Boy Color cartridge, so dust off your favorites and jump back in where you left off all those years ago.
You want a handheld retro console for the holidays
The fact that GameStop is stocking the Modretro Chromatic is not to be scoffed at. The Analogue Pocket is an excellent competitor, but it's always sold out and can't be found in stores. So if you're looking to pick up a console to play Game Boy cartridges the Modretro Chromatic will be your best bet this holiday season.
Don't buy it if...
You don't own Game Boy cartridges
If you're thinking of starting a Game Boy cartridge collection then ignore this point. But if you don't own any games already, the Chromatic will quickly become a far more expensive purchase. Some Game Boy games go for hundreds of dollars and you need to be ready to invest that into an extinct gaming system. Modretro's cartridges somewhat solve this but they won't be publishing Pokemon and Zelda, so...
You want to play Game Boy Advance games
Only purchase the Chromatic if you love Game Boy and Game Boy Color. I found myself wishing I could play games on other systems like the Game Boy Advance which ultimately meant that I chose to play games on other hardware with more variety.
You want better resolution and flexibility
The Chromatic will replicate Game Boy games in a pixel-accurate 160x144 display. If you're looking for a handheld that enhances Game Boy games for a modern audience with increased resolution, you'll need to look elsewhere.
Also consider...
If you’re still not entirely sold on the Modretro Chromatic then check out these excellent similar products for comparison and consideration.
Analogue Pocket
The Analogue Pocket is a direct competitor to the Modretro Chromatic, offering more game libraries and a larger 1440p screen. The Chromatic feels more premium in hand and has sapphire glass to protect the 144p screen, but Analogue's offering gives you more bang for your buck and fewer restrictions. Do you want a reimagining of the Game Boy Color in the form of an Analogue Pocket or a modernization of it in the form of the Modretro Chromatic?
I've owned the Analogue Pocket for over a year and use it every day. My review of this direct competitor to the Modretro Chromatic is currently in progress and will be added here soon.
Nintendo Switch OLED
If you're just looking to casually play Game Boy and Game Boy Color games on the go, the Nintendo Switch offers a range of games on its Nintendo Switch Online service. Add to that the extensive Nintendo Switch library and a gorgeous OLED display, and this might be the best middle ground for those looking for the perfect handheld gaming console.
For more information, check out our full Nintendo Switch OLED review.
Super Pocket
The Super Pocket packs power, fantastic controls, and a strong selection of built-in games from either Capcom or Taito into an attractive pocket-size package. While it may not be as capable as the other recommended options, for such a low price you really can't go wrong with this handheld device.
For more information, check out our full Super Pocket review.
How I tested the Modretro Chromatic
- Tested for a month
- Compared it directly to other retro handhelds
- Tested across game types and cartridge types
I've used the Modretro Chromatic for a month now, and have used it as my primary retro gaming handheld.
I've tested the console with all of my original Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges including Pokemon Gold, Pokemon Crystal, Pokemon Yellow, and Link's Awakening, just to name a few. I also played Modretro-produced games such as Tetris, Toki Tori – Ultimate Edition, and Tales of Monsterland DX.
The Modretro Chromatic has been my main handheld gaming console over the course of the last 30 days and I've made comparisons with my Analogue Pocket.