You are likely well aware of ModRetro, they have built the Chromatic, one of our favourite retro handhelds of the last two years.
It plays GAME BOY and GAME BOY Color cartridges, is made of metal, comes with a one-of-a-kind display and takes your AA batteries like the good old days. It's a remarkable piece of retro tech.
To make this device even crazier, Palmer Luckey, the CEO of ModRetro (who also founded Anduril, a weapons and drone manufacturer in the USA) has decided to create a limited edition Chromatic made of the same metal used in Anduril's aerial attack drones.
This is unlike anything we've seen before and will likely feel like no other handheld that we have had our hands on.
It keeps the Chromatic style, which already feels like a GAME BOY Color on steroids, but uses ultra-durable ceramic-polymer that protects their autonomous air vehicle known as Ghost.
Titanium Nitride (a finish typically reserved for high-performance tooling) is also applied to each screw through vapour deposition.
Titanium Nitride (a finish typically reserved for high-performance tooling) is also applied to each screw through vapour deposition.
- Mod Retro
The shell itself is made from magnesium aluminium alloy, decorated with CNC grooving and paired with a sapphire screen cover that provides "near diamond-hardness". This is likely the same display used in their more expensive Chromatic too.
All six sides of the device are fixtured and laser-etched on every single interaction point. They've even chucked in an Anduril logo charm made from stainless steel 304 and protected with a PVD Titanium Nitride finish.
ModRetro is selling this bundled with a pair of limited edition Koss Porta Pro headphones to keep the retro vibe, and are pricing it at £349.99/$449.99.
Undoutedly a mighty price tag, and one that only enthusiasts of ModRetro and Andruil would acquire. An average gamer doesn't need this type of protection, but there's no denying it's going to be a one of a kind handheld for collectors that want something... crazy.
We also want to make you aware (as journalists) that ModRetro does have somewhat of an affiliation with Anduril, so if you're against military actions or political involvement in some form, it's probably not best buying a handheld made of attack drone metal...
If you don't care, then by all means, snag one of the craziest handhelds we've seen all year.
Pre-orders are now open and end on Christmas Day. Shipping will begin in the summer of 2026, so there's a long wait too!
