Hyperkin displays its Smart Boy Case that will turn Android smartphone into Game Boy slot At E3
It has been close to a year since Hyperkin showed off a smartphone case called the Smart Boy. For those unfamiliar, the Smart Boy is basically an enclosure for your smartphone that looks like a Game Boy, which has a cartridge slot in the back in which you could slot in Game Boy cartridges that will load games for you to play on your phone.
The device which was initially showed off as an April Fools’ joke last year has now has been turned into a real product. Thanks to the positive and enthusiastic response it received. At this year’s E3, Hyperkin has displayed a working model of the Smart Boy that is expected to hit the market in December, according to a report from Neowin.
Originally, the Smart Boy was designed to be both an iPhone and Android smartphone accessory. However, at the E3, Hyperkin was specific in saying that the Smart Boy would come for Android devices. Given the abundance of Game Boy emulators available on the Google Play Store, it is not surprising news. Also, considering the locked nature of the iPhone, it is very easy to make it Android compatible.
“As retro gamers ourselves, Hyperkin’s development team admires the painstaking efforts of the emulation scene, as well as the indie game development community,” said Hyperkin’s product developer Chris Gallizzi. “We want to bridge the gap between the gaming industry and the people who have been keeping obscure, retro and niche gaming alive for the past two decades.”
Listed for purchase at $59.99 on the Hyperkin Lab website, the Smart Boy is designed as an improved way to play retro games on your smartphone. The product is listed as the “Smart Boy Development Kit,” and it will work with Android smartphones. It has the same button layout and colour scheme, with a cartridge slot in the back for your prized grey-square possessions.
According to Hyperkin, the hardware will be compatible with all Game Boy and Game Boy Colour cartridges too, thereby eliminating the need to find ROMs and use an emulator. Developers will get access to an open source serial app and firmware. The developer is even offering a royalty percentage to “anyone that can improve the Smart Boy’s serial app and firmware.”
The company expects to start shipping the preorders on December 1 of this year, according to the website. You can purchase the Smart Boy at Hyperkin’s official website.