Handheld Review: Chromatic, the GBC Replacement?

Another handheld has entered the battlefield. This time, it’s from a newer company called ModRetro. They aim to create a modern day Game Boy Color with all the fix ins. Obviously, on paper, this thing is leaps and bounds better than an original OEM Game Boy Color. But is it better than other modern Game Boy Colors. Let’s discuss everything we can about this so that you can decide if it’s right for you.

Disclaimer: a free product was provided by the manufacturer for this review

Description:

Relive your childhood with Chromatic, the ultimate retro cartridge gaming console.
Compatible with the Classics
It’s time to dust off your old cartridges! Chromatic is compatible with Game Boy®, Game Boy Color®, and Chromatic cartridges, so you can play all your old and new favorites on the handheld of your dreams.

Play Anytime, Anywhere
Equipped with the world’s only 160×144 pixel sunlight-readable backlit display, Chromatic is ready to play in any environment. Its super scratch-resistant sapphire front crystal makes it perfect for on-the-go gaming.

Magnesium Alloy Shell
Rather than plastic, Chromatic’s shell is crafted from premium, lightweight and durable magnesium alloy. The result? A handheld that’s indestructible and feels so good to hold, you won’t want to put it down.

Features:

Display
160X144 pixel 2.56” IPS backlit LCD
Sapphire display front crystal

Audio
Custom ultra-loud speaker module
3.5mm headphone output

Power
Comes with 3x AA batteries for ultimate flexibility
Also compatible with custom lithium ion pack, rechargeable through console

Data
FPGA-based architecture
Backwards compatible link cable port
Backwards compatible IR link
USB-C lagless video out to PC

Compatibility
Compatible with Game Boy® and Game Boy Color® game cartridges
Compatible with Chromatic game cartridges

Specs
Console: 5.2x3x1.2 inches, 6.2 oz
Magnesium alloy thixomolded shell
PBT buttons
Lanyard charm attachment point

Unboxing:

Pros:

• Beautiful spectrum. I want to start by applauding ModRetro for all of their thoughtful color variations. I’m sure they’ll never catch up to all of the different versions that Nintendo made their Game Boy Colors in around the world. But I would like to think that ModRetro came out of the gate with a lot of options for you to choose from. Some companies with handhelds give you two to three options; maybe they add more later. But the most interesting thing to me about the variations is that they don’t stop at color options. There is also an option on the website where you can enable Japanese on the front instead of English. This is particularly interesting to me for the fact that even Nintendo did that (though they had accurate language on the back sticker)!

 

• Tetris love. The pre-order models state that they come with a built-in game. Now, currently that is a copy  of Chromatic Tetris which is a brand new Tetris! The best part here is that it’s part of the cost of the product! Making this feel like a $175 handheld and a $25 game. I’m not sure if all future models will come with a game, mind you. So if you want the guarantee of getting a game alongside the device, I’d recommend you scroll to the bottom now and buy it before it’s too late. I’m going to reiterate now that this is a brand new Tetris build with a few amenities of modern Tetris games. I’ll likely do a full review on this game along with gameplay recorded from the Chromatic. But for now, I’ll mention that it does have the feature where you can actually see where your piece is going to drop. It also has the ability to let you create a profile and save your high scores. I do prefer this to the Tetris DX port for Game Boy Color.

 

• Structurally solid. Now we can delve into the build quality. Just know that when we’re discussing build quality now, we can’t really discuss longevity. Remember that if you buy a product that claims it’s durable, it’s still best to treat it with care. Always keep it from fluids, staircases, and kids. I already have mine in a hardshell zipper storage case that I found at Staples meant for pencils and pens. Anyway, the obvious tough stuff has been mentioned already in the features up above (magnesium alloy shell and scratch proof sapphire lens). I want to discuss the other elements on and around the device.
  So let’s start on the far right side of the device. On the Chromatic there is only one wheel and that is the volume wheel. I know the GBC also only had one wheel on it’s but since other elements of this device evoke the original DMG Game Boy, I wanted you to know, it’s not true for the wheels. Continuing on, there is a menu button a little lower on the body. I wish the button was just a half inch lower so it could protrude just a few millimeters more. Now let’s move to the left side of the device. The only thing that you’ll see on this side is the link port. On the bottom is the bog standard headphone jack next to a LED indicator light. There is also a speaker grill for the loud, bottom firing speaker. And finally, you’ll also see the USB-C port. On the very top of the device is a on/off switch, indicative of the one that you’ll see on the DMG. This is a very satisfying switch and it’s on the top to avoid the accidental turning of it on and off. Next to it is a quite large IR sensor (that talks to official GBC).
  Now, on the backside is the battery door. This is an interesting component to me for the fact of how it locks in place and how it opens. There is a single latch at the bottom of it, it locks closed  when you push the door down. Even better, to open it, you simply push the latch up into the door and the whole thing just comes up. Finally, I couldn’t forget about the custom built screen. It honestly displays a beautiful and accurate image. I’m not mad at it at all. I’m not even sure how you could give it negative marks unless you only prefer high resolution screens with OLED. If that’s the case, go buy an Analogue Pocket.
  I did some final tests on things to see how well the Chromatic handled them. Such as, I tested the ease of use versus the strength of the ports. Meaning, how easy is it to connect a cord to the USB-C, the link port, and the headphone jack, versus how difficult is it to remove them. Surprisingly, the most difficult one to insert and remove were headphones. It’s a very snug fit, but honestly, this may be the only one that I think I am okay with. Once it has been inserted, I noticed no crackling or additional sounds. The USB-C was just as smooth to insert a cord as you would expect and it held the cord well, versus some USB connectors where there is wiggle. The cord also came out just as you’d expect with no resistance. For the link port, I have to be honest and say that I’ve never used one before. So I had to get out my Nintendo devices and do a comparison that way. It turns out that this works perfectly fin, but I’m sure over time, the port may become a little easier to use. I noticed that my OEM Nintendo Game Boy Color it was a little easier to insert and remove the cord due to time.

 

• Thoughtful. Now let’s dive into some of the fun and thoughtful extras that ModRetro added in. things that aren’t a necessity in 2024 if you’re trying to make a device with nostalgia. First off, my favorite part of this whole metal machine is the dual charm slots. In my video I mentioned that my New Nintendo 3DS XL has charms dangling off of it, and it’s true. There’s like 5 or so, but there’s only one charm slot. IMAGINE HOW MANY I CAN PUT ON THIS DEVICE.
  On the inside of the battery housing you’ll find a nice touch. There are engraved + and – symbols engraved just inside the battery door. And in that same vein, the other nice touch is that all the positive ends and and negative sides are the same. I’ve always hated how you have to alternate battery directions. Finally, on the inside of the battery door are two rubber strips, this keep the batteries in place so that they don’t move about. You don’t risk the batteries slightly coming out and away from the contacts with this padding.
  I also enjoy the lack of stickers or print that can rub off of the back. I detest print and stickers being on the outside of a device, it’s just asking to be rubbed away or get dingy and peel away. Finally, I want to commend the ModRetro team for including an actual headphone jack and using a USB-C. Other companies have and continue to use older connections for video out and barrel jack for power.

 

• Built-in menu. Now let’s discuss the part that doesn’t seem to be marketed in any of the documentation. This device has a built in menu that let’s you change and adjust elements within it. It was quickly shown off in the unboxing video, but I want to give you a quick tour of it. It may be updated with more stuff later, so we’ll just be discussing what it currently has. First off, they intelligently made it a shallow button to make the menu pop up on screen. You can’t ever accidentally press the button, so don’t stress. After you press it, you will be greeted with the menu. The downside of this menu is that it doesn’t pause the game itself. So make sure that it’s paused already and for your own sanity, turn the volume off.
  You will see that you’re on the home screen of the menu by default. If you look along the top of the menu there are four tabs in total. On this home screen, you’ll see ‘Brightness’ and ‘Silent Mode’ options. Brightness is self explanatory, but Silent Mode is just a mute function. This way if you’re playing in a place that demands total quiet, you can mute it versus accidentally pressing up on the volume wheel. The next tab to the right is the display options. Here you have ‘Frame Blend’ and ‘Use Color Corr.’, I assume that stands for correction. These two options may be for older games. However, nowhere does it explain what these options mean. Frame Blend, for instance, snarkily says, “Frame blending is something smart”. And Color Correction doesn’t explain anything at all.
  The third tab has no options at all, it’s just called controls and shows a picture of the Chromatic and points at what each button is called. I’m not sure why this is here, it seems entirely superfluous. Finally, the fourth tab is all about the system. It shows the firmware information with a cute little Chromatic system smiley face on it. Below that is an option called “Player #” and lets you scroll from 1-8. I’m not entirely certain the use case for this option either, but if you would get use out of it, then I’m glad it’s there. One last note, floating below all four tabs is the battery life readout. I’m impressed with this since it gives a readout of battery health weather you’re using a rechargeable or alkaline battery.

 

• Video Out. This isn’t video output in the traditional, modern way of thinking about it. You may think that you can effectively connect it to a TV and keep playing. But I will say that, while you can’t do that, you can still get really good video out to your PC. This allows you to stream live footage to your favorite streaming service. Or you can capture footage, like for the sake of making YouTube or TikTok content. The best part of this in my opinion is that you can do all of this just over a USB-C cord with no extra capture device needed. In the content I captured below, I simply used OBS to find the device, clicked “Flip Vertically” since the image was inverted, centered it in on the window preview, and then pressed record. It’s just that simple and don’t require you to buy some piece of software that they claim is required. You just plug it in and use a piece of free software to record or stream. Seriously, I was setup in 5 or less minutes.

Cons:

• Bro, better batteries. No proper marketing of the batteries. By this I mean that it comes with custom made batteries, which to the uninitiated looks like they’re not temporary. They look like they should be rechargeable. This is especially true for the fact that the marking says to use the included batteries or battery pack. But it doesn’t expressly state that the batteries inside aren’t rechargeable. You literally have to read the 4 point font on the batteries to see that they should not be recharged. What’s even more annoying is the fact that if you do insert rechargeable batteries, then it doesn’t charge them. The battery pack they’re going to release is clearly going to use the two pads that are on the inside beneath the batteries to make a connection and not charge over the battery terminals. But still, I wish it was possible to not have to also take a battery recharger with me or lots of spare batteries.

 

• Screw it. Three words. Tri wing screws. I detest triwing screws, it may seem fun and whimsical to those who designed this, but I think it discourages everyday people from opening their devices. The average human being does not have one of these screw drivers or drive tips. If they didn’t think it’s anti-right to repair, then prove it and include one of those cheap tri-wing screw drivers. That would show the customer that they are allowed to tinker, improve, repair, or just plain look inside and gain an interest in learning more. This is how we get young people to be the future Palmer Luckeys of the world. So either include standardized screws or include a screw driver!

 

• Pack it up. The pack in game needs at least a sleeve or plastic case when not in the Chromatic. Though I checked and it does indeed fit in an OEM plastic cartridge holder from Nintendo. It’s simply not practical to carry around the cardboard box that the Chromatic came in to store the game. And it’s too much to put it in the box and store it on a shelf just to take it down and open it up to get the game out whenever you want to play it again.

 

• Wait, weight, wait! Takes three batteries and not two. I understand there’s more going on, but I also know it’s adding in more weight, which inevitably will cut play time down. If it has to be three batteries, why not AAA batteries that remove some of the bulk and weight (they’re half the weight of AA)? Furthermore, it would let them make the battery bay be lesser in size too, meaning less metal body, meaning less weight. Good AAA can be 1,300 mAh and standard AA are 1,500 mAh, so why not? Furthermore, rechargeable AAA batteries are just as accessible and easy to charge as AA’s. That also means that the rechargeable pack they intend on releasing could be physically smaller and still be effective. The weight of the device listed in the features is less because they’re not mentioning battery weight. So you have to consider how much more it weighs with batteries! All in all, either of these changes would encourage the end user to take the ModRetro around more often since it would be more pocketable. Which means more people will see it in public and in turn interest more people to buy one.

 

• Upgradable? I’m aware that the device can be updated. This is confirmed by the fact that the firmware on the devices that are being sold now are on a higher firmware than my review unit. However, what I’m seeing is a section on their website promising a firmware updater. I hope that this comes true, because as it stands, we’ve been promised stuff before from companies (EZ-Flash) that we never got. I also was holding off on doing this review until the updater went live so I could report if it’s easy or complicated to update the firmware. However, I couldn’t wait any longer. So if you’re waiting to buy one to know if you can add features/fixes to it, you may want to hold off and see if they release an updater.

 

• Use protection. By that, I simply mean, always leave a cartridge in the game slot. If not, you can and will get dust and other particulates down inside the device. I took the game out to take a look at the cartridge slot and I noticed something unsatisfying. If you point a light inside the slot, there is a hole that is almost a full inch in size. It exposes the back of the board where the link port and battery leads connect to. Now, I realize that they don’t promote this device as being dust proof or water resistant, but this part is wide open. I’m not even sure having a cartridge in the slot would stop water from getting inside of that hole. It’s hard for me to share a picture of what I mean, but I’m certain that the people at ModRetro can peak inside their devices and see what I mean. I can only imagine it’s a simple fix for them on future revisions.

 

• True colors. The stripes painted on the corner and and will scrape off. It’s already happened to me with light use. The brown stripe on mine has started to rub/chip away on mine on the bottom, on the tip closest to the LED light. You can see the base blue color underneath it though. So when everyone’s striping eventually comes off, at least the base color will be there underneath.

Final Thoughts:

In it’s current state, this handheld should be all of $150. If they fix the hole inside, had less battery weight, used Phillips screws, gave the consumer a choice between an included game or a rechargeable battery pack, I could see $199.99 being the final price point. I think the metal chassis, sapphire glass, and custom screen is what they’re hanging their hat on in terms of making the customer think it’s worth $200. However, I just don’t see them being a necessity for the device and more niche than anything. I think the average person who wants more features will indeed upgrade the parts of their system and just play it. If not that, the Analogue Pocket just has so much more to offer. The Chromatic is good device, but is too in-the-middle for it’s price point.

Purchase Links:

ModRetro