One modder has taken a Steam Deck and a Game Boy Operator and turned the Valve handheld into the ultimate retro gaming device.
The Steam Deck has easily set itself apart from other gaming handhelds. Not just for being one of the best ways to play Steam games on the go, but for how easy it is to load up with a slew of other gaming services. Xbox Game Pass, Epic Games Store, and retro games from EmuDeck can all be playable on Valve’s iconic handheld.
Through EmuDeck just every retro game you imagine can be played on the handheld. However, you don’t get the same level of authenticity as the real thing. Now, one modder has created a way to play real Game Boy cartridges on the Steam Deck on the go.
User Repulsive_Aide_836 shared an image on the r/SteamDeck subreddit showing off his genius nostalgia-inducing mod. There, an official cartridge for Pokemon Yellow can be seen attached to the back of a Steam Deck.
Instead of emulating the beloved Pokemon game through the likes of EmuDeck, this setup allows Pokemon Yellow to play from the cart itself. Just like intended when the game was originally released in 1999.
The ingenuity and nostalgia of the mod sparked multiple positive comments. Fellow Reddit user thedebatingbookworm stated, “I love how cute this is. It’s almost like Pikachu is powering your Steam Deck.”
Meanwhile, user Tskmster thought the mod was amazing, stating, “I would play so many of my old GBA games if I could buy one of these.”
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However, not everyone on r/SteamDeck was impressed with the mod. User PrinklePronkle stated, “I bet in the time it took to get that set up and working you could have downloaded like the top 100 GB titles for an emulator.”
However, according to the Steam Deck modder, the project didn’t take long to put together. They explained that creating the shell took the most time, whereas the bulk of the mod involves a simple plug-and-play GB player, known as the GB Operator.
With the GB Operator, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance cartridges can all be played on your PC, or PC handhelds like the Steam Deck. GB Operator only costs $50 and also allows you to back up and restore old saved files, which especially comes in handy if your cart batteries are on their last legs.
Taking a GB Operator, Repulsive_Aide_836 cleverly created a 3D-printed shell, which was then mounted on the back of the Valve handheld. This way, the normally stationary GB device can be just as portable as the original Game Boy Pokemon Yellow was intended for.
The Steam Deck modder didn’t explain how their ‘Steam Deck operator’ was put together. However, if you have a 3D printer of your own, they do plan on sharing the files for the shell in the future.
