A suggestion to anyone in the GBA "mod" business

[Hanafuda]

Been watching the GBA mod and luxury market for a while now. GBA Consolizers, custom shells, metal shells, laminated IPS screens, rechargeable usb-c battery mods, Analogue Pocket, etc. Nobody really makes what I want. Consolizer glues you to a TV, but all the handhelds are made for children's hands, and children's eyes. My childhood was a long time ago (way before the GBA) but I still love some of the games.

What I wish someone would make is a "shell" into which you would install the original GBA mobo, but is not the form factor of the GBA. Larger controller-with-wings adult egos, and with a larger, lighted, glass-topped laminated screen. Resolution still 240x160 with a 'pixel grid' look, just much bigger. The screen would have to be above the controller area, so unless it is made as a clamshell I understand it wouldn't be the most portable. But it would be the best. Li-ion rechargeable, USB-C of course.

Better adult ergonomics, and a top-notch display about twice the size. It's not too much to ask for. They could call it the Game-man kit, or something.

 

[hippy dave]

Nice idea! I would guess it might not have enough mass market appeal to justify the R&D and manufacture run, but maybe that's something you could do market research, survey etc for, if you really wanted to convince a manufacturer.

The other option would be to go bespoke, either offer to pay one of those modders who makes custom handheld versions of consoles, or learn the necessary tech and do it yourself. Either way you would struggle to find an existing screen of the right resolution/aspect ratio and the desired size, but maybe you could find something that's a convenient multiple of the resolution.

 

[Hanafuda]

Nice idea!

Thanks. The suggestion is for a kit, not a finished product, so I dunno I think it would sell at funnyplaying and etc if someone made it. As for DIY, I found where someone with some skills has had this idea ... not exactly what I'm proposing since I couldn't care less if it "looks like" a GBA. I just care that the innards are real, the hold is comfy for grown up hands, and the screen is BIG and accurate.

 

[Jayro]

I have very large hands, and find the GBA SP Unhinged comfortable to use. But my clamshell SP is still my daily driver. I think there might be a mod that uses a screen from a DSi XL, but it still uses the 1:1 GBA resotution. Nobody makes the screen you're wanting. You're better off with a SteamDeck with those kinds of demands. (Ergonomics, 2x sized-screen)

 

[Hanafuda]

I have very large hands, and find the GBA SP Unhinged comfortable to use. But my clamshell SP is still my daily driver. I think there might be a mod that uses a screen from a DSi XL, but it still uses the 1:1 GBA resotution. Nobody makes the screen you're wanting. You're better off with a SteamDeck with those kinds of demands. (Ergonomics, 2x sized-screen)

I know a screen exactly like I want doesn't exist, but neither did the ones being sold at Funnyplaying and etc. now, until there was a demand or them. It 99.9% sure won't happen, but it could happen if enough people wanted it.

As for Steamdeck, I'm not interested in an emulation option. The FPGA stuff with Analogue and MiSTer would be ok, but I just thought a portable unit using real GBA hardware but with improved ergos and display would be better, and cheaper if you already have a donor GBA mobo. In fact I'd be fine with the Pocket if Analogue had made GBA it's primary goal. I may still end up buying one, but probably not. From what I've seen GBA looks great on Pocket, but they didn't go overboard with making it look like an enlarged version of the original display, like they did with GB/GBC.

I have a DSi XL. The screen is great. The fact it cannot play GBA natively, especially when previous DS consoles could, really sucks. If open_agb_firm were possible on the DSi, I never would've thought of this or made this thread. It is possible on 3DS XL of course, but at original resolution displays GBA slightly smaller than actual GBA's.

 

[Hanafuda]

Hmmm ....

 

[pennealpomodoro]

Thanks. The suggestion is for a kit, not a finished product, so I dunno I think it would sell at funnyplaying and etc if someone made it. As for DIY, I found where someone with some skills has had this idea ... not exactly what I'm proposing since I couldn't care less if it "looks like" a GBA. I just care that the innards are real, the hold is comfy for grown up hands, and the screen is BIG and accurate.

Nice mod, really hope to see more of it in the future. Bigger screens are always good.

 

[Hanafuda]

For now I've decided to keep it simple and just overhaul an old GBA with a laminated ITA. As shown in the post above, funnyplaying already has the tech and an LCD spec exists (DSi XL) which would at least make for a substantially larger and still very authentic looking screen. Somebody just needs to make a case to accommodate it.

 

[hippy dave]

For now I've decided to keep it simple and just overhaul an old GBA with a laminated ITA.

Well worth doing. I did my ITA mod before there was a laminated option, but I love the ITA screen, bright and visible and no ghosting and looks authentic in terms of colours and pixel grid.