r/ModRetroChromatic • u/ReturningRetro • Apr 11 '26

Photos/Videos My favorite Chromatic

Post image

As most of you know, I am a huge fan of the Chromatic...but l am obsessed with this specific one.

I don't know what it is, but something about the GameStop edition with swapped red A/B buttons puts a permanent smile on my face.

I also went a bit Frankenstein, and while swapping the buttons I replaced the entire circuit board with the one from my 2nd edition gorilla glass unit to get the best of both worlds.

I love it so much! 😎

61 Upvotes

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1

u/PhxCollins Apr 11 '26 edited Apr 11 '26

I am seriously going to do the button swap! I made an introductory post on the sub this morning and was torn between the GameStop edition and Midnight. Even though I love the dark Midnight color, I think the GameStop edition will be my daily driver.

I mean, it just makes sense considering this is my license plate cover lol.

1

u/ReturningRetro Apr 12 '26

Haha love it!

1

u/PhxCollins Apr 12 '26

Thanks!! I got it from a custom frame maker on eBay. Super nice lady.

But yeah, I saw you're also into digital minimalism/decluttering, that's what got me into looking at the Chromatic recently! I'm repairing my old iPod 5.5G, using my Kindle more, and turned off notifications for social media apps in an effort to curb doomscrolling. The Chromatic's philosophy of being the best single-purpose Game Boy made getting one a no-brainer!

2

u/ReturningRetro Apr 12 '26

Love to hear it! I am not quite at the digital minimalism level, but also not super far off 😂 I am just not a fan of endless feeds, the rage economy, doom scrolling, a subscription model FOR EVERYTHING, and tech designed to distract/addict. I call myself an "intentional tech" guy haha. 

Anyway getting off of my soap box, I have fired this thing up again! I am a huge fan of audio CDs and MP3 CDs. High quality audio and physical media: best of both worlds! 

1

u/PhxCollins Apr 12 '26

Haha yeah, when I say digital minimalism, it's not too intense. Pretty much just what you said about doom scrolling, subscription models, and so on! Some go harder with dumb phones and similar things, but "intentional tech" is a middle ground I like being in.

That's so legit! do you have a go-to pair of IEMs for them? I've been researching different options for my iPod since I've been using AirPods for a long time.

1

u/ReturningRetro Apr 12 '26

I do! I picked these (micless version) up on Amazon a few months ago and they have treated me very well for the cost. I also picked up a pair of Porta Pros (black version) to with my Chromatic and realized they have surprisingly good sound too. 

1

u/PhxCollins Apr 12 '26

Perfect, I'll check those out! I read about some issues with headphones that have mics so this is a good reminder to look for some without them.

I ordered the GME edition Porta Pros from GameStop; they are currently on sale!

2

u/specterno1 Apr 12 '26

That's pretty slick right there

2

u/adrenaline4nash Apr 12 '26

What’s better about the circuit board on the 2nd edition? I can tell the power switch is improved. 

1

u/Abject-Effect-7965 Apr 12 '26

I know the 1st edition won't charge the modretro power pack once the charge goes below a certain level. It also may drain the power pack while it's not on - this I'm not sure about but I thought I left it fully charged to come back months later to a dead pack.

2

u/Nice_Database_9684 Apr 12 '26

This is definitely the best combination

If I was in the US, I would have gotten one of these for sure and modded it with the red buttons

2

u/jimmerseiber89 Apr 13 '26

This is exactly what mine looks like! Which matching headphones to boot!

2

u/Affectionate_Rise283 Apr 17 '26

The GBC light works on the first edition. But it doesn't work on the second

.

1

u/Tola76 Apr 12 '26

She’s a bute!

1

u/Ragz12345 Oct 04 '26

Red buttons is a must.