Game Boy Pocket

Smaller, lighter redesign running on two AAA batteries, with a true black-and-white FSTN screen and a smaller link port.

Nintendo released the Game Boy Pocket in 1996, first in Japan and in September in North America for US$69.99; Europe followed in January 1997. It runs on two AAA batteries for about 10 hours of play and measures 77.6 × 127.6 × 25.3 mm. Its FSTN screen shows true black and white instead of the original's green tint, with better visibility and far less ghosting. Inside, the new CPU MGB chip moved the video RAM onto the SoC.

The link port is smaller and needs an adapter to connect to an original Game Boy; that port design carried over to later models. Reviewers liked the size and screen but criticised the short battery life and the missing power LED. An early 1997 revision brought the LED back, added more case colours and lowered the price. It plays the same software as the original Game Boy.