SmartBoy heading to retail later this year in Europe, plays any Game Boy or Game Boy Color game

PQube and Hyperkin have announced that the SmartBoy peripheral is heading to retail later this year in European territories. It will be priced at £59.99 and is compatible with Game Boy and Game Boy Color games from any region and does not require any additional power. Here’s the official PR:

PQube, in partnership with Hyperkin, a video game hardware development company from Los Angeles, has announced it will be releasing the SmartBoy through the Samsung Mobile Accessory Partnership Program (SMAPP) to the European Market.

Originally a development kit in late 2016, the SmartBoy attaches to Android smartphones, such as the Samsung Galaxy S8, turning your smartphone into a handheld gaming device.

The SmartBoy is compatible with actual NTSC/PAL Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges, while sporting a classic-style tactile button set, making the SmartBoy look and feel like a real handheld gaming console. The SmartBoy is compatible with other apps and games, including Game Boy Advance apps from Google Play; configuration for such apps may vary. Out of the box, the SmartBoy was designed for current-gen Samsung devices with USB Type-C ports, like the Samsung Galaxy S8 – other Android device compatibility may vary.

Hyperkin Product Developer, Chris Gallizzi, was ecstatic to learn his team’s baby is now a retail-ready device officially licensed by Samsung.

“The SmartBoy has been about two years in the making – three if you count the months we were kicking around the idea,” Gallizzi said. “From an April Fool’s Joke, to a successful dev kit, and now an officially licensed device, that little guy has come a long way!”

Features:

• Compatible with NTSC/PAL cartridges
• Plays GB and GBC cartridges
• Classic-style tactile button set
• Designed for current-gen Samsung devices
• Phone Size: 5.2 – 6 inches
• Upscales to phone’s resolution • USB Type-C port
• Does not require batteries

The SmartBoy is available to pre-order now at just £59.99 at Europe’s Number One Retro Gaming Destination, FunstockRetro.co.uk