The engineer modernizes the 1998 Game Boy’s camera with a DIY adapter

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An engineer has come up with a way to bring the Game Boy Camera into the 21st century with a DIY wireless adapter that allows him to easily transfer all the images taken with the old handheld game console camera to his smartphone.

Released in 1998, the Game Boy Camera was an optional accessory for the Nintendo Game Boy game console. It was discontinued in 2002.

In that short time, it not only managed to gain a cult following, but it still appeals to users today. Fans appreciate the nostalgia of this device, which is capable of producing grayscale photos with 2-bit resolution and four color palette options.

One such user and fan is Matt Gray, a broadcast engineer and YouTube content creator. As noted by Hack a Day, Gray has owned the Game Boy Camera for years, but was always frustrated by the limitations of the device when it came to exporting images. The only way Nintendo allowed the camera to export photos was through the Game Boy printer. Not only that, the device can hold up to 30 images at a time.

Ten years ago, Gray made his first attempt to create an interface for the Game Boy Camera that would expand its functionality, but he wasn’t happy with the result. He recently went back to the project and redesigned it, and the latest attempt resulted in a wireless operator for the camera that allows for easy WiFi transfer to his cell phone.

The portable solution is based on a 3D printed case with a GBxCat RW Game Boy cartridge reader inside and a USB port connected to a Raspberry Pi Zero, a small single-board computer, and a portable battery. A series of scripts reads the camera and allows Gray to download the images via a web browser to his smartphone.

This solution allows him to easily transfer moving images and now he no longer needs to rely on the Game Boy printer or other devices that emulate one.

Gray also shared the code and setup information for anyone else who wants to replicate this device, with a full breakdown of each component listed in the video description above.

For those curious as to why the Game Boy Camera community and its users still enjoy an outdated tool with such limitations at a time when cameras are rapidly advancing, you can read excerpts from the interviews on Input.

More Gray’s videos and projects can be found on his YouTube channel and website.

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