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Just a few days ago, popular YouTuber ChromaLock revealed his newest tech creation on his channel. This time around, he introduced a Game Boy Color, enhanced with the ability to play video through its original link cable, thanks to a Raspberry Pi Pico and some tailored software crafted specifically for this task.
Generally, simpler videos translate to higher playback frames per second. Interestingly, the playback was impressively clear and smooth when compared to a conventional USB webcam, quite unlike the vintage Game Boy Camera accessory. However, most videos are best viewed in monochrome since the limited color palette—restricted to four colors—makes running videos on the Game Boy Color’s 160 x 144-pixel display quite challenging.
The key tool for this project is an app called CGBLinkVideo, created by ChromaLock and made available on GitHub. It’s built on various open-source software. Although the compression cuts down video quality to about 1 Megabyte per second, the Link Cable can only handle a meager 64 Kilobytes per second, intensifying the compression of final video frames. This leads to frequent occurrences of dropped or split frames, yet the overall playback process does manage to function.
In ChromaLock’s full video, viewers get more than just a playback demonstration; he dives into the technical hurdles encountered while working within the Game Boy Color’s hardware limitations. Video playback scales up to 60 FPS in grayscale or monochrome, whereas using color typically caps the frame rate at around 12 FPS.
He also experimented with streaming some games, though the experience was notably inferior to running games directly on the device. Even classic Game Boy titles faced performance issues, and modern 3D games, like Doom Eternal, were utterly unreadable on the Game Boy Color’s dated, low-res screen.
The project seemed to stem from ChromaLock’s desire to pull off the remarkable feat of streaming the well-known Touhou Project music video “Bad Apple” on a Game Boy Color. Since “Bad Apple” is already in monochrome, achieving a smooth 60 FPS playback was surprisingly feasible, though the method introduced noticeable dithering.
Whether you’re a fan of retro gaming, tech wizardry, or simply curious, ChromaLock’s video is a fascinating watch—offering a peek into the intersection of old-school gaming hardware and modern creativity.
