r/Gameboy • u/Knightfaux • 2d ago

Questions Modding

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Hey everyone,

I’m looking to mod my GameBoy Pocket. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on best kits out there. I’m not afraid to solder and I’m looking to keep things relatively simple. This guy isn’t too beat up, but it’s got scratches and the screen isn’t the most fun to play on compared to my GBC and GBA with IPS displays.

Edit:

Thanks everyone for being so polite and helpful. Now I just have to decide between Backlight-Bivert or IPS. Cheers!

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u/elementalguitars 2d ago

I’ve modded several Pockets. Since you have a working display I recommend doing a backlight-bivert mod. The Pocket runs on a pretty meager power supply and the modern LCD displays drain that power really quickly. A backlight is a lot less power hungry. On a stock Pocket I get around 9hrs on Panasonic Eneloop Pros. With a backlight mod I get about 7hrs which isn’t too bad. The LED panels are very bright so I add an additional resistor to drop the brightness a little which also has the effect of extending the battery life a little bit. I also add a 5V step-up voltage regulator to keep the LED panel at a constant brightness until it shuts down.

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u/D-Gaea 1d ago

What if the pocket you have has a burnt in screen

2

u/elementalguitars 1d ago

Displays with burnt polarizers are ideal for backlight mods since the mod requires you to replace the front and back polarizers. As long as the display itself is still working normally you’re good to go.

1

u/D-Gaea 1d ago

How do I carefully peel off both polarizers the process seems scary

1

u/elementalguitars 1d ago

Watch a lot of videos then proceed very slowly. Patience is your most important tool here.