Hyperkin has just lifted the lid on its next games system, the Retron Jr., which plays Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance games on your TV.
The cube-like system connects to your television via HDMI and outputs in 720p. It comes bundled with a SNES-style wireless ‘Scout’ controller, which can be connected to the console via a 6ft USB-C cable. The unit also showcases a 3.5mm headphone socket and a link port, which presumably allows two Retron Jr. systems to be connected together for games which support multiple players.
The Retron Jr. was actually teased way back in 2017, when some believed it was a prank rather than a serious gaming system. There’s no solid release date as yet, and Hyperkin has told us that the unit will be based on emulation rather than FPGA technology.
With Analogue releasing a Game Boy-style handheld this year, 2020 is shaping up to be pretty interesting for retro fans. Who knows; perhaps Nintendo will also release a Game Boy Classic?
Comments 57
For the right price (sub £40 for me), this might not be a bad little thing.
So wait, does this let us play our official gameboy games on it, or does it expect us to use roms?
If its the latter, I dont see the point in getting something like this instead of a raspberry pi?
If the price is right, maybe. I prefer Analogue's pricier but non-emulation options
GameCube's Gameboy player already dose this, heck you can even use a gba as a controller with that, and the add ons like the e-reader and game boy printer
@sleepinglion analogue lets you also emulate they just dont say it. Hell THEY even make the software it but also they do not say to prevent cry babys from talking smack about it/them.
Me, reading this article: "A cube-like console to play Game Boy games on TV, huh."
My GameCube: "Am I a joke to you?"
Make one for 3ds and I will buy
Buy NVIDIA Shield TV instead.
Then you can play GameCube, PSP, N64, PS1, Dreamcast, Arcade/MAME +++++ on TV too.
I can already play every gameboy and gameboy advance game on my TV with a cube like console. With my gameboy player connected to my gamecube of course!
I guess I'll be having one of these, hard to resist.
I don't trust them, but I want to, if only because ones in a rare while they don't foul something up and it works with 100% of the games without some annoying draw back or fatal issue like the stand out Supaboy S/SFC.
If it works as clean as that I'd be interested maybe, at least as a carry around. Already have SuperNT w/SuperGB and the GBP with the Gamecube on an external GC2HDMI adapter.
@Doktor-Mandrake it dumps the data from your cart and emulates the system to play it.
You Gotta love Hyperkin!! I have several of their consoles already and this one is now on my radar!
I still look every now and again for a Gameboy player for the cube but the disc prices seem very high. Very interested in the analogue pocket.
My GameCube with GameBoy Player, WaveBird Controller and official Component Cable gives a damn about this thing ❤️
why would I want to play GB games on a TV? I'm waiting for the Analogue handheld
My favorite console has to be the N64, even more than the SNES (which I play much more, even today) - but the Game Boy has a special place in my heart. I cannot wait for more ways to play Game Boy stuff - like the 3DS.
If the price is ok and it works well (let's see a review or two, three... before buying it) it'a a must have for me.
But wait... wasn't there a FPGA based thingy around the corner? I forgot the name...
Edit: Ups - there is a link to it in the article.
@ClassSonicSatAm true but pretty damn expensive now
I'll stick with the Game Boy Player
I have a Retron 5, which already plays all Gameboy stuff.
For what its worth, its been a pretty good experience. I haven't had any games fail to work, so far. The only hindrance I've noticed, is that the colours on some games are a bit off.
I've recently acquired a GameCube with the Gameboy Player, and obviously this works a lot more accurately with Gameboy games, since it's using the actual guts of a GameBoy.
I'm EAGERLY anticipating Analogue's Pocket this year. It'll be my first Analogue purchase. I never bought the previous ones because with NES/SNES/GENESIS, I actually like using Save State's. With Gameboy, save states aren't really an issue since games were designed with shorter play sessions in mind.
If you're a purist, I would say save your money for the Analogue pocket. It's an actual portable running via FPGA with a fancy screen and it will also play more than just GB/GBC/GBA. Lynx, Game Gear, Neo Geo Pocket Color, and others not yet announced. It will also have a dock to HDMI out to a TV.
i already have a Gameboy and the Gameboy player for the GameCube so why would i need another device for playing Gameboy games?
instead of Hyperkin releasing this "Retron Jr.", maybe they should think of investing in the GameCube for those of use who still have one.
besides, it would be nice to have an updated version of the Gameboy Player. the software U.I. for it needs an update or two.
either way, i still want Netflix and Hulu on my GameCube. if all the other network enabled devices support Hulu and Netflix, than so should the GameCube. and maybe Hyperkin can help.
@KoekiieWoekiie I don't use my Analogue's to emulate, though I understand it's an option. Carts for me!
This thing is basically the Retron 5 minus the console emulations. Considering how laggy the control was on that one I don't think it'll be any better with this one. All Hyperkin basically did was take the stolen Game Boy emulations from that and put it in a new shell to make this. It'll probably sell for almost that same price too, the Retron 5 was $100 when it launch and jump to $150 when supplies are limited. If this Game Boy emulation doesn't go for around $20 I don't think it will sell well. I'll just wait for Analogue Pocket Nt instead which will offer true FPGA support for all Game Boy, GBC, and GBA (and Game Gear, NeoGeo Pocket Color, Lynx, and Wonder Swan games via adapters which I doubt they will make considering the 32X one hasn't been made for the Sg yet).
@Darthroseman The real bummer about that is that the dock won't come bundle with the handheld so basically the thing will cost almost as much as the other Analogue system if you're buying both the handheld and the dock. Not only that the dock is going to be manufactured separately from the handheld so it would be a while til they actually get to selling it. That also applies to all them adapters Analogue plan to release separately as well which I doubt they would get to them all considering they haven't even started on the 32X adapter for the Sg yet.
I was dumb and sold my Game Boy Player. This seems like a more affordable way to get back to playing on the big screen.
The Super Mario World I grew up with was the one in Super Mario Advance 2. If I recall correctly, the one GBA cartridge I still have after the ill-informed “purge”. As blasphemous as this sounds, going back to the SNES version without Mario and Luigi’s constant chatter actually felt kind of empty.
In addition, this may have one advantage over the GB player but I’m not sure. Do Hyperkin’s consoles play the Game Boy Video cartridges on the big screen? I know it’s incredibly stupid to consider that a plus in the age of Blu-Ray and streaming stocks, but there’s something so campy about it that actually makes me consider a purchase.
Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't see the point in these consoles that play old cartridges. I would assume those who care enough to still have those cartridges would already have the means to play them, and I would think they'd even prefer the original hardware experience.
The only exception I see is the N64, because it's either painful or expensive to play an N64 in a modern TV.
rather have one that plays ds & 3ds games tbh.
i hate that they stopped letting consoles play handheld games via adapter with the wii, wii u & switch.
So another Android box with emulators they didn't properly license?
You'd hope with the long delay between announcement to... 2nd announcement that they actually made their own this time.
Never got the appeal of combining real game cartridges with rom-ripping emulation. It’s like putting racing tires on grandpa’s Buick
@Camo-joe You can get a Game Boy Player and a hacked memory card in place of the boot-up disc for around $45.
I guess there is no longer a market for clone consoles with A.V. out. That would be my preference here, to play GB family games on a CRT. I guess the GB Player is still the only real way to accomplish that.
These HDMI-only emulation boxes just don’t scratch the same itch. I usually roll my eyes at the “just get a pi” reactions to these things, but honestly, what’s the difference here?
Guess I'll just stick with my Gameboy Player and the 3DS virtual console. It does look ok though.
Hang on a second, they have the Retron 5 which is emulates the GB line and a lot more?
Surprised that these things include a link slot, considering how cumbersome it got on the Game Boy Player. Hopefully the price is much more affordable than either the Gamecube or any Retron console to justify having to do that.
I'll just use my SNES Classic instead. >_>
If it's pretty cheap might consider it would be nice to replay some of my GBA games, but on my TV instead.
I'd gladly spend around 80 dollars or so for this. I'd like to get something to play my Gameboy games on the big screen, but I don't want to shell out for the old GameCube Gameboy player disc.
Handheld for emulation with a big Switch sized screen. Connects to tv optional. Make that for me Hyperkin.
Yeah think I'll stick to the Gameboy player and the upcoming analouge. But a DS/3DS player would be amazing. As long as it wasn't as expensive as that HDMI mod for the 3DS
I wonder what emulators Hyperkin is going to rip off to make this? VisualBoyAdvance? NO$GBA? RetroArch? Hyperkin can never do anything by themselves....
@AlexOlney Sure. I want one.
@Chris77 Google Gameboy interface my friend.
No thanks, I will wait for analogue pocket.
I was going to leave a comment about how I'd much prefer them making 1 for Nintendo DS and Nintendo 3DS but then I remembered it's kinda pointless with how easy it is to dump your games to your PC and play them on an emulator.
I suppose it's a decent option, but it's an inferior one to just grabbing a used GameCube and GameBoy Player. You can also play GameCube games that way, too!
Meh, Analogue or nothing for me, anxiously awaiting the pocket preorder. All of the Analogue systems have been a dream to play my carts in hd.
@Grayskull
Hdmi to composite adapters are cheap. I used one with the C64 mini to recreate my childhood gaming experience and was pleased.
Honestly, if I ever want to play a GB game, I'll just play it on my 3DS or Wii U. And the only GB games I buy any more are the old school ones which I can play on the Super GameBoy with backgrounds you don't get even on the GB Player.
@retro_player_22 While I agree, I also think the way a 32X works is very difficult to work around, with needing to plug the output of the Genesis into the 32X then output from the 32X. I don't know it they ever firmly stated it would be a thing but they would be looking into it. For those less serious about 1-to-1 replication, emulation is fine, I'm just saying there's an alternative and purists are far from fans of hyperkin's emulation work.
@timson72 Thank you very much sir! A new little project for the new year I think there.
Every game? Every single one. Bet not.
If there is a way to connect a real SNES controller I am down. But the controllers that come packed with Retron consoles are always so bad. So so bad.
GBA support will most certainly be VBA or mGBA, both of which are the most mature open src emulators, but even so there's still a number of issues in many games, I can think of at least two mainstream games with obvious graphical issues, and incorrect behavior.
@Chris77 A hell of a lot better than the standard player disc.
Why couldn't they make something that can play DS and 3DS games? I already have a Gamecube with a Gameboy Player hooked up to my TV...
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