Whenever a new piece of technology arrives on the scene, there's always the temptation to push it in unexpected directions, and that's what YouTuber The Retro Future has done for the shiny new PlayStation 5.
While this smart new console is technically capable of outputting an 8K signal, The Retro Future has gone about as far in the opposite direction as it's possible to go, by connecting the PS5 to the humble GBA, which has a screen resolution of just 240 × 160 pixels.
This piece of technological black magic has been achieved using a special cartridge created by May Flash which boasts old-school AV connections (and costs over £100 on the secondary market, so don't expect to rush out and buy one for spare change – these things are expensive). This, in turn, then connects to another adapter which turns the PS5's HD connection into a vintage analogue signal that the May Flash adapter can interpret.
The end result? Yes, you can play your PS5 on a Game Boy Advance. For added amusement, The Retro Future even tries this on the Game Boy Micro, which has one of the smallest screens of any handheld. And while the PS5 has been selected in this case for its topical nature, you can, of course, use this method to link-up any HD-ready system to a GBA (including Switch, which was shown off some time ago but we somehow missed it).
Next-gen gaming in sub-standard definition. It's the (retro) future.
[source youtube.com]
Comments 30
As a huge fan of LQ graphics this does catch my eye.
I do the opposite: I play GBA games on my 3DS XL. That way, I can actually see the game. The Game Boy consoles all had small screens, and so did the DS actually. The first handheld which had a big enough screen was the PSP. That and the 3DS XL are the best way to play Game Boy titles.
Kind of reminds me of playing my PS2 through the small screen of a portable DVD player when I'd go on holiday.
I would love to pay less money to play ps5 games And the GBA would give you that Rush of memory's form some of the game you play'd
Owww I love gadgets
It's cool but how much 120 pound ouch !
But it is funny looking at how big the ps5 is to the very small screen of the gameboy micro
( just going out I have my game boy micro and my ps5 strapped to my back lol😵😜😂😳)
So while I can't play PS5 via my Vita, some warlocks play it via their Game Boy Advance.
Pretty sure I have the old GBA TV tuner in a drawer somewhere. Played my Sega Saturn through it once as a novelty, many years ago!
Whatever it takes to get you through a national lockdown.
That's cool! The picture reminds me of those GBA video carts with Nickelodeon shows and Dreamworks movies xD
Waiting for someone to pop up and say "Why would you play a 4K console on a 240x160p screen!?"
the quality doesnt look too bad actually omg
@boxyguy I love how it looks like the game has been 'de-made' for the GBA!
His next project: Play PS5 on the Dreamcast VMU
I bought something rubbish and similar when I was younger, a Blaze TV tuner for the game boy advance, but I connected my GameCube to it with the AV cables and played it on the GBA screen! Which I found funny because it was basically the opposite of connecting a GBA to the controller port
as silly as it may sound This is actually similar to the kind of thing i had been looking for, being able to play consoles on a small monitor+controller grip for off TV play. (since i rarely have luck with remote play)
though as someone who isnt exactly what you would call savvy when it comes to this kind of thing im unsure if monitors even come in that size.
@Mgalens definitely doable. I've got a small (7") monitor I used to used for viewing drone footage from an onboard cam. Mine is pretty lo-res and only has composite (Red/White/Yellow) input as it was all I needed for the drone cam, but they are available in HD with HDMI connections.
@nhSnork IKR?!
gotta give it to him, he made an 8 min video out of something you achieve in 20 seconds and still he didn't surpass the 10 min mark for ad revenue, the guy has his standards straight
I wonder if I can port it to my old Compaq Pocket PC?
It's good, and at same time pointless.
But can it run Doom?
But can it run Crysis?
But can it run overused "But can it run ____" memes?
You can achieve the same result on Sega GameGear using contemporary hardware. The GG TV tuner has an AV socket that will work with composite video input.
@DevinRex You were the 3rd in that comment thread and simultaneously continued and killed it. I love you for that
I believe I mentioned just last week how I would like a Switch Micro somewhere on this very site. I wasn't joking either.
Sure, it would be virtually impossible to play text-heavy JRPG games and the like on it, but for more action-oriented games, I would love a Switch Micro that I can just have in my pocket without needing to wear baggy as hell 80s/90s hip-hop pants.
Of course, such a device would probably be virtually impossible to make at the same size as the GBA Micro (at least at a reasonable price range), but I'd settle for something comparable to a GBC/GBA/DS Lite in size.
The lack of buttons is far, far worse than any resolution drop.
Looks better then the ps1.
This is great if you only have one TV and the other people took over it.
If you put the cartridge in a gamecube GB player, could you technically play PS5 games on the gamecube?
"This guy just plugged adapters into adapters, quick, write an article!"
🗣 The world must know!
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