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This cartridge-playing Game Boy clone is smaller and cheaper than Analogue’s Pocket
FunnyPlaying has announced the FPGB Mini, a compact handheld that plays original Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges, as well as ROMs. Its smaller size and lower price make it an appealing alternative to Analogue’s Pocket, although it lacks support for Game Boy Advance and Sega Game Gear games.
The FPGB Mini uses FPGA technology for accurate hardware emulation and features a 2.98-inch 800×720 display, an 1,800mAh rechargeable battery and a microSD slot for saves, screenshots and ROMs. It launched at a discounted $69.99, compared with the Analogue Pocket’s $239.99, but the first batch of 20 units sold out quickly; cartridges with rumble motors or other hardware add-ons are incompatible.
In short
- Tiny, cheaper Game Boy and Game Boy Color handheld
- FPGA technology aims for accurate original-hardware gameplay
- First 20 discounted units sold out quickly
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The FPGB Mini offers a much cheaper, more compact way to play original Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges, with FPGA technology intended to reproduce the original hardware accurately. For players mainly interested in those systems, its screen, rechargeable battery and microSD features may make it a practical alternative to the substantially pricier Analogue Pocket.
The case against
The lower price and smaller size come with meaningful limits: the FPGB Mini does not support Game Boy Advance or Game Gear games, and cartridges with rumble motors or other hardware add-ons will not work. Buyers may reasonably prefer the Analogue Pocket’s broader system support, or wait for more information about availability given that the first batch of just 20 units sold out quickly.
Explained simply
The original Game Boy and Game Boy Color were handheld games consoles made by Nintendo, and their games were sold on small cartridges. Many people still play those games on newer devices, including consoles designed to accept the original cartridges.
FunnyPlaying makes accessories and hardware for retro gaming, while Analogue sells the Pocket, a modern handheld that can play games from several older systems. The FPGB Mini is aimed at players who want a smaller, less expensive way to use Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges, though it does not support every older handheld format.
The devices use FPGA technology, which recreates how the original electronics work to run games. The FPGB Mini’s compatibility limits also matter for players with cartridges that rely on extra hardware, such as rumble features.
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