ModRetro Chromatic [Transparent Plastic] Review: $149 FPGA Game Boy Perfection

ModRetro's new Chromatic handheld is here, and no, it's unfortunately not a Game Boy Advance version. It is, however, a transparent plastic version that's attempting to corner the affordable FPGA Game Boy market, and more importantly, to outprice its biggest competitor, the Analogue Pocket.

The original Chromatic was made of top-of-the-range materials such as a magnesium alloy shell that can literally be run over with a car, and a sapphire crystal display that has not shown a single scratch in the year and a half I've had it. There's no denying that the original was made with the word premium in mind, and the price tag matched that, ranging from $200 to $300. But that's all now changed, and it's all thanks to these new transparent versions that use a plastic shell, allowing ModRetro to cut the price down further to $150.

This has come as no surprise; ModRetro teased an image on their website months ago; Logan Paul even leaked a green edition over a week ago; and then ModRetro decided to partner with OpenAI on a clear transparent one, which... for some odd reason they're now incentivising people to create AI-generated retro games using it. I'm not going to lie, I absolutely despise this idea, and it led to a huge debate between myself and ModRetro's CEO Palmer Luckey on X.

But I'm putting the beef aside in this video as it's all about me showing you the hardware which is officially available to buy today. So, let me show you around this bloody good $150 FPGA Game Boy.

• Release Date: October 8th, 2026
• Price: $149.99
• Where To Buy: ModRetro's Official Website
• Colour Variants: Smoke, Green, Purple, Red

The New Shell

So, I have three sample units to show you: the green, the red, and the purple. They all look stunning in their own way, though in my opinion the purple is a little too dark. Still, I know some of you will dig that. Every area of the new Chromatic is transparent, allowing you to see through to the motherboard, similar to what ModRetro have done with the M64. You can even see all of the cartridge art on the back of the handheld, which is a nice touch and will certainly please us 90s kids who grew up with transparent tech.

The shell features a very shiny, somewhat oily look to it, so much so that you can see the morphing of the injection-moulded process around some areas of the device that cause this spectacular iridescent effect. I am not sure if this was done on purpose, but I like it either way; it gives it a very unique look. Though this process and type of plastic used are prone to fingerprints, and if you're like me and like to snack and game at the same time, this does become a little slimy, sweaty device to hold if not cleaned regularly.

The biggest physical change I can see with this new plastic version in comparison to its metal brother is that the battery door has changed slightly, and on both of my units, the doors are incredibly tight, so much so that at times I do struggle to open it because it requires a lot of force from one finger, so I need to really get in there and wedge it open. Seb didn't have as much of a problem with his red unit, but reported that it was 'very snug'.

The black covering on the cartridge port is also plastic, whereas it was metal on the original, but this has no impact or change to cartridge input at all; both of mine are already scratched up. It only really affects the weight of this thing, which has now reduced from 250g with batteries down to 220g, a 14% reduction in weight. It's enough to notice when it's in your pocket or satchel, but not a large selling point in my opinion. I guess it shows just how damn light the magnesium alloy is in comparison to plastic.

There are some noticeable physical changes that you really have to look out for, such as the A/B text under the buttons being a little thinner. The circle on my On/Off switch is also a little smaller, and my menu button on the side requires a little more force to press in. But apart from that, it's nearly identical, and so it should be because it's a comfortable device that nods to the GBC design.

Different Display?

I had to really look at this display, because at first I thought it was a new one. It's only because I noticed the faintest of differences between this Gorilla Glass display and my original Sapphire display. I almost believed it was hiding a new display that ModRetro hadn't told me about, but that's not the case.

The newer transparent Chromatic has an ever-so-slightly darker contrast to the display, barely noticeable to the untrained eye, but it does make the darks and deeper colours slightly more vibrant. I am not saying it looks better, not at all; all I am saying is that there's a very minute difference, making me believe that the Gorilla Glass, in comparison to the Sapphire Glass, is ever so slightly allowing a different contrast of light to come through. So, I dropped ModRetro's team a line, and they confirmed that the Sapphire screen has slightly less "transmissivity" than the Gorilla Glass screen.

The display is still great, and resembles the Game Boy Colour size perfectly, with incredible brightness. It keeps that blocky, pixelated effect that makes this device far more nostalgic to use in comparison to its competitors. Both also come with some minor customisations to the display in the menu, such as frame blending, and the choice of 15 colour palettes to give your gameplay a slightly different look about it. My favourite of the bunch is the Game Boy Pocket palette, especially on my transparent green Chromatic.

One thing that stuck with me when I interviewed Palmer over a year ago was when he mentioned that the original Game Boy Color was actually very inaccurate, so he had to somewhat build a new modern display specifically for this device to mimic that inaccuracy to make it accurate to the Game Boy Color. It's why this feels so authentic in a way, but still modern. I love the display; there's no denying it.

I've done a full, deeper review of the Chromatic's gameplay quality in the past, so I don't want to go too deep into it, but rest assured ModRetro's goal to imitate the Game Boy Color in a modern way has been executed perfectly; you will not be disappointed with the FPGA quality of this device.

What About Changes Internally?

I did open this thing up to see if there were any changes on the internals, and there are a few, although they don't change the product in any way. I might add that my unit is a first edition Chromatic, one of the first made, so changes may differ from non-first edition Chromatics.

For example, the battery compartment on the original is wired, whereas on the transparent Chromatic, it sits on the metal receivers without wires. The board on the new one is made in Vietnam, whereas the original came from Mexico. And from what I gather, there is no internal SD card slot on the transparent version, which my metal one has, not that I use it anyway. So all in all, nothing has really changed; it still uses all of the same parts, including the rubber conductive membranes for the buttons, which, as I have mentioned before, feel great. So, it's the same apart from some minor adjustments internally.

How Well Does It Run My GB/GBC Cartridges?

Flawlessly. It runs Game Boy and Game Boy Color games exclusively and uses FPGA technology to create a near-identical experience to Nintendo's Game Boy Color and will play all of your authentic and third-party cartridges incredibly well. There's even an included trading cable port allowing you to not only use this with other Chromatics, but other Game Boy's too.

It doesn’t change the Game Boy experience; instead, it pays tribute to it with respect and no strings attached. The process is as easy as inserting the cartridge and snapping the switch to ‘On’. In a second, you’ll be greeted with the display and pulled into the array of Game Boy games that you have in your collection.

It's, in my opinion, the best FPGA Game Boy on the market at this moment in time, which is a tough one to say because the Analogue Pocket is remarkable. But the choice of display, alongside the choice of design, makes this feel and look like a modern Game Boy Color as naturally as possible. If you want something that doesn't resemble the Game Boy and also plays GBA cartridges, then yes, the Analogue Pocket is for you. But this... this is a true modern Game Boy Color built with a new, high-quality transparent shell that makes playing my Game Boy Color games incredibly fun.

It's also worth mentioning that ModRetro has also released many of their own self-published games for the Chromatic and Game Boy in the past, working with indie developers in the space and handing over $1,000,000 in royalties since they launched. I absolutely love this, and I've met some of these people in person, thanking them for making such good games.

It's why I had to take a jab at ModRetro publicly the other day, because their move with OpenAI to make AI-generated games for the retro gaming industry goes against their recent collaborations with talented indie devs. It felt out of sync for ModRetro, and I'm not sure who actually greenlit that collaboration because it has annoyed their core audience who love them while pleasing AI enthusiasts who likely don't give a crap about them.

Should You "Downgrade"?

If you already own a Chromatic, then there's really no point in buying this one. The magnesium alloy makes the originals feel so much better, and they're sturdier too, especially if you went all out on the sapphire glass display version; that thing is near invincible. This is aimed at those that have been on the fence for some time and are after an authentic FPGA Game Boy Color for under $150.

The only reason to "downgrade" is if you really like the transparent colour choices that ModRetro have launched, which are Green, Purple, Red and Smoke, for now. The same goes for if you own an Analogue Pocket; I don't think it's worth getting the new Transparent Chromatic unless you want the colour choices, which are admittedly cheaper than paying over the odds for a colourful Analogue Pocket on auction sites.

Overall Opinion

So, overall, I think the release of this is a very smart, tactical move that turns this into one of the best FPGA Game Boys on the market. It's designed to underprice competition and offer many a new, more affordable entry device into the world of ModRetro, who, as you know, are renowned for making high-end products and also renowned for being an absurd brand with controversial connections and now, controversial takes on AI-generated video games that are dividing their community.

It's a weird world to get into, but I try not to get political here at Retro Dodo; we put products to the test, and this one has passed the test with flying colours, just like the original. Now, ModRetro, if you are reading, hurry up with the Chromatic Advance, yeah? You can buy a Transparent Chromatic via ModRetro's official website for $149 today.