Despite being considered one of the biggest portable consoles of all time, each version of the Nintendo Game Boy Advance had a problematic design flaw, from missing headphones to screens that were too small or dark. They can now be fixed with mods, and a new aluminum housing from Boxy Pixel you can even make GBA SP match your Apple MacBook.
Of all the GBA versions Nintendo released, the company seemed determined not to make it look like the original Game Boy. The closest version was the GBA SP folding claw, and if you happen to still have one of those out there, the new Boxy Pixel Game Boy Advance SP Unhinged Box is the closest you’ll come to a Game Boy Advance – or GBAGB, for short.
The boxes are milled from solid aluminum blocks using a CNC cutting machine in a process similar to how Apple currently makes its laptops and mobile devices, and while you can get anodized color options from the Unhinged box in red, blue, pink and black, it seems a crime to use anything other than natural aluminum silver. For $ 94, plus $ 20 + for a corresponding set of machined metal buttons, it is not a cheap mod, considering it is also BYOGBASP, but you also never have to worry about the aging of a broken hinge again.
YouTuber Macho Nacho Productions managed to get their hands on the Unhinged shell and shared a detailed tutorial for those looking to solve this mod. According to Boxy Pixel, if you are starting with a standard version of GBA SP (even one with an updated screen), you can place all parts in the aluminum box without the need for welding, although everything except the shoulder the buttons will need to be updated and you will need a special 3D printed adapter to keep the original battery in place safely.
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But if you’re looking to make some other upgrades in the process, which may include improvements like a bigger battery, a USB-C port, a wireless charging coil, and a suitable headset connector, you’ll need to stop the soldering iron and make some small changes to the box. (What shouldn’t be that hard is aluminum, not vibranium.) If you have all the trouble of sacrificing a GBASP and giving the Game Boy Advance a well-deserved OG Game Boy restoration, it looks like you can also go further and update everything whatever you can.
And while waiting to fill all pre-orders for the Unhinged box first, Boxy Pixel has revealed that it will likely eventually offer customized pre-built units as well, just don’t expect them to be cheap at all. Buying one Game Boy Advance fully updated (backlit screen, speaker amplifier, rechargeable battery, etc.) with a plastic case can cost more than $ 500, so expect an aluminum version to come closer to the cost of a smartphone.