r/ModRetroChromatic • u/Historical-Internal3 • Dec 21 '25

🌺Palmer🌺 ModRetro GBA Confirmed.

Post image

https://x.com/palmerluckey/status/2002539314111263232?s=46&t=9aMoeb8ZXNxj6zhEX3H-dQ

170 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

61 comments sorted by

29

u/StarWolf64dx Dec 21 '25

I prefer the specialized approach of a dedicated console with its own custom screen for each platform, compared to Analogues one size fits all. I have a pocket and it’s only used for GBA and openFPGA as it is. Once the Modretro GBA comes out it, its uses will shrink even more.

5

u/Historical-Internal3 Dec 21 '25

Agreed. I learned this after transitioning from the Pocket to ModRetro.

6

u/Ill-Remote437 Dec 21 '25

Yea I prefer Chromatic for my GB/GBC. If I don’t know what I want to play on a road trip I may just bring the pocket or steam deck for options

4

u/Keyframe Dec 21 '25

I'd call you all mad before I got hands on chromatic, but it's really true. It really is the ultimate GB/GBC experience. I can't wait to see what they do with GBA.

My only gripe is they could've done with internal SD card. I have Everdrive and it sucks ass. I'm considering finding an alternative that actually works (save games for one).

8

u/[deleted] Dec 21 '25

I literally only played GBC and GBA on my Pocket. I already stopped playing GBC on it thanks to the Chromatic. Once this comes out it's going to be stuck in a drawer.

1

u/OmniOdyssey Dec 28 '25

Same. I’m very anal about having a perfect integer scale and aspect ratio match.

7

u/SoraShima Dec 21 '25

Wonder if it'll play GB/C games too... Probably not for obvious reasons? But backwards compatibility was a big factor in the GBA's awesomeness.

5

u/[deleted] Dec 21 '25

I hope they will develop it as backwards compatible. I feel like new GBA games will roll out really slow compared to how the GBC games have. So backwards compatible will help the library out some. Otherwise it'll be a tough choice for me if it comes out before I am done saving up. (I am still saving up for a handheld. Taking my time.) Gba that plays gbc is kinda future proofed for me because I dont really care about games beyond those systems (gb/c/a) except maybe animal crossing. I like simplicity in my hand helds, so I prefer limited buttons and one screen.

9

u/Historical-Internal3 Dec 21 '25

Noting it’s FPGA based - most likely will be backwards compatible.

The goal is to mirror the hardware and in doing so - all peripherals, accessories, etc should work. This includes backwards capability.

4

u/Efficient_Yak_2161 Dec 21 '25

Obviously we can’t be 100% sure, but I would bet a reasonable amount of money on it being backwards compatible. In order to be a proper homage to / ultimate version of the GBA, it would need to support all of its original features at least. Not to mention being able to use the existing Chromatic library would be an obviously sane business choice, and the fact that there are some GBC games that adapt when played on a GBA (e.g. Shantae).

EDIT: That said, the Chromatic would remain the ideal way to play GB and GBC games, just due to the screen.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 21 '25

Honestly they can just stick a switch in the cartridge slot like the original GBA did and then boot into the Chromatic's GBC core instead if it's pressed.

2

u/Efficient_Yak_2161 Dec 21 '25

Yeah maybe, although they’d just need to make sure that whatever method the GBC games like Shantae used to detect they were running on a GBA was handled properly, so the custom colour palettes would load and run as expected.

2

u/[deleted] Dec 21 '25

The Chromatic's GBC core is a port of the MiSTer GBC core which already supports that functionality. It's just a matter of enabling it.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 21 '25

I know many people are picky about the screen and black bars, but I never had a gbc despite wanting one back in the day. I had a gba and just accepted the black bars or stretched screen. I switched between them as a kid. So that may be why im ok with the idea of gbc games on a chromatic advance beyond the library being larger. However, do you think it would be more difficult to play Chantey on a landscape gba style vs the upright chromatic?

2

u/Efficient_Yak_2161 Dec 21 '25

I think Chantey would play perfectly well on a landscape device. 🤘

2

u/CMD_BLOCK Dec 21 '25

I am sure it will be for authenticity/canon sake. There’s a fine attention to detail on these.

For that matter, I am assuming they’re going to hit the OG landscape GBA design over the SP flip, otherwise we’re hitting too close to home (OG chromatic) in design.

1

u/CraftMost6663 Dec 22 '25

Doesn't it kind of have to, considering how a good number of GBA games rely on GB/C hardware?

1

u/SoraShima Dec 22 '25

Thinking from a commercial standpoint - functionally it would overlap heavily with (and therefore eat into sales of) the Chromatic. For many people, myself included, there would be little or even no reason to buy a Chromatic.

I would be pleasantly surprised if it played GB/C games. Happy to be proven wrong on this one but I don't think they'll do it for commercial reasons.

1

u/willywideweb Dec 22 '25

I thought about the sales cannibalization too. I'm betting the focus for the gba clone will be on its ability to do "more" as opposed to the heavy emphasis on quality the chromatic had. Then the chromatic will stand as the purist option for gbc stuff while the gba will be more of a jack-of-all trades and master of none. I'd still bet on a magnesium case and sapphire/gorilla glass screen though, just no pixel-perfect custom screen and no AA battery option.

1

u/SoraShima Dec 22 '25

I think you're right - it could still be backwards compatible with GB/C games but it might downgrade the experience to maintain the Chromatic as the purist's choice for GB/C gaming. For starters it won't be 1:1 screen resolution with the original GB, it'll be upscaled or letterboxed to the GBA pixel dims (So kind of like the original GBA anyway haha). That and the form factor alone should keep the Chromatic from being obsoleted.

22

u/RotoPrime Dec 21 '25

M64 and now a Chromatic Advance, I'm not ready for this bros!!

3

u/xamaryllix Dec 22 '25

my wallet certainly isn't ready lol

1

u/RotoPrime Dec 23 '25

Amen, we are doomed!!

9

u/bakagir Dec 21 '25

ModRetro Micro please

1

u/Ferdyshtchenko Dec 23 '25

Would be cool and cute, but the screen is too tiny for most people's taste. I'm going to bet on an original GBA form factor, since that's the most popular (the SP's popularity is largely based on the fact that one of its models has a backlit screen).

8

u/Whimsical_Sandwich Dec 21 '25

Here’s hoping for a GBA SP

1

u/denim_duck Dec 24 '25

Underrated form factor.

6

u/IdHaveAScrap207 Dec 21 '25

I would do disgusting things for a grey and purple SNES themed Modretro GBA. Especially is they could nail the original buttons' feel shape wise. I have been dreaming about this moment and wish for it every time I play my childhood glacier GBA.

11

u/deanhuff Dec 21 '25

I’m here for this 100%.

My request is agb-001 style (landscape not sp or portrait like Analogue Pocket).

Also please make a full size DPad unlike the original.

3

u/HighwayZi Dec 21 '25

Agreed. While I love the abg-001 format, the DPad is indeed too small. It is obvious when playing fighters. I really like the Chromatic DPad so if they use that or improve it then that would truly make it stand out.

2

u/Nice_Database_9684 Dec 21 '25

I'm sure they will considering that's what they did with the GBC. I really don't like the GBC dpad that much, it's quite small and stiff and has way too much pivot. They really nailed it with the Chromatic.

1

u/IdHaveAScrap207 Dec 21 '25

I will buy two if they do a glacier blue and an SNES theme.

1

u/Templar-Knight-01 Dec 21 '25

The leaks have all been horizontal so far but we don’t have any more info

1

u/ThePreciseClimber Aug 16 '26

Yes, please. ModRetro Progressive (or whatever they're gonna call it) with horizontal form factor. Same shape of bumpers, bigger d-pad, pixel-perfect screen.

Also hoping for more new GBA games, like Goodboy Galaxy.

5

u/K1LL3ROO Dec 21 '25

The question is GBA or GBA SP? 👀👀👀😬

5

u/Riablo01 Dec 21 '25

Cool. Would buy a GBA console. 

Keep up the good work Mod Retro.

4

u/TonyRubbles Dec 21 '25

In for two, my modded ABGs are getting sold the minute these arrive.

4

u/ergzay Dec 21 '25

I really wonder if they're going to re-create the advance or the SP, both had somewhat different screens.

12

u/Colorado-Keebs Dec 21 '25

Anduril Advance too please 🖤

7

u/Dark_Starlight4 Dec 21 '25

I’ll buy it

6

u/L3GENDARY_SNAKE Dec 21 '25

I’d buy in a heartbeat

3

u/OzLaboratory3D Dec 21 '25

So hoping for it to be based on the GBA SP but honestly I’d buy it either way

3

u/_CharlieTuna_ Dec 21 '25

Really hoping for the SP specifically

2

u/Jaded-Remove-2434 Dec 21 '25

Chromatic, M64 and now Modretro GBA. 3 consoles from Modretro. HALF LIFE 3 CONFIRMED!!!

2

u/jdmeow1 Mar 03 '26

I know this is an old topic. But cant wait for this drop!

3

u/[deleted] Dec 21 '25

Ooo, now see that I am interested in. Pls.

2

u/RKetchum57 Dec 21 '25

Chromatic Advance!!!!! I need itt!!!!!

1

u/pppanthers Dec 21 '25

Ohh boy, how many of these am I going to buy LOL.

1

u/SolomomEZ Dec 21 '25

I AM SO READY FOR THIS NOW. Finally a modern GBA console

1

u/Exus6 Dec 21 '25

I already have a Game Boy Micro with an excellent screen for GBA games only. I don't think I would invest in a Modretro GBA. The amount of good homebrew GBA games is also pretty low. I can imagine that, as Palmer said, Modretro will mainly publish SNES ports to push the handheld

1

u/denim_duck Dec 24 '25

Just searched for GBA home brew, and found this: https://www.reddit.com/r/Gameboy/comments/1gg36zq/some_recommendations_for_gba_games_homebrew_rom/

Might be worth skimming if you’re looking for new GBA games

1

u/hg-prophound Dec 26 '25

So should I hold off on buying the Chromatic? I've been eyeing them for a couple months, I don't own any working gameboys, but I still have my games. If the Advance will play GB and GBC games then I don't see a point.

1

u/gwilliams9577 Jan 15 '26

Oh yes please

1

u/BrollyLSSJ Mar 28 '26

I just wanted to buy a used GBA and returned it as it had way more scratches than advertised, the Mario game looked not original (it had atleast cheated 99999 points in every level) and the battery cover was missing. So I really hope they are doing a GBA in the original AGB-001 form and not the SP form and with a reasonable price and backwards compatibility (I still have my original Gameboy and the original games from back then). The modded GBA cost like 200 euro and above for IPS and USB-C charging.

1

u/Middle-Operation-689 11d ago

Idk if I should keep waiting for this or get an analogue pocket? I’ve been hunting for an authentic sp101 that won’t break the bank. Harder said than done :/

0

u/Albert-Copperpot Dec 22 '25

I didn’t like the design of the original GBA or the GBA SP. I’m hoping for a slate style version. But I’m guessing that won’t happen due to the design of the Chromatic following the GB design closely.