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With On-Screen Display (OSD)

Batteries​

  • We specifically installed a power regulator that is compatible with both conventional alkaline batteries and rechargeable batteries.
  • Any battery type will work well; however, you will notice longer battery life with modern high-capacity batteries such as NiMH or Lithium Ion.

AC Adapter​

  • The original 3V AC barrel adapter will work with your console.
  • You can also use newer USB 5V AC barrel adapter cables with any USB wall charger.
  • In both cases, we recommend removing the batteries while playing with an AC adapter.

Headphones​

  • Plug any 3.5mm stereo headphones into the headphone jack.
  • Use the volume wheel to adjust the headphones volume.

Screen​

  • Tap the top-middle-right of the console while playing to change the brightness to one of 8 levels.
  • Higher brightness uses more battery, lower brightness uses less.
  • Screen brightness also applies to the illuminated logo. This logo uses extra screen real-estate to illuminate, so they change brightness together.

On-Screen Display (OSD)​

  • Hold Select + Start to bring up the on-screen display.
  • Press Select to decrease a value.
  • Press Start to increase a value.
  • Hold Select to move left on the menu.
  • Hold Start to move right on the menu.
  • To close the menu, simply wait 10 seconds or hold Select + Start again.

Games​

  • Works with any original Game Boy or Game Boy Color games

Troubleshooting​

The Game Boy Color logo has a black bar across it or is only partially lit​

  • Press and hold Select and Start for 10 seconds or until the logo resets.
  • If this does not work, turn the console off and then on again and try again.
  • This does not mean the screen is broken or damaged in any way, it is a rare but well-known minor bug with the firmware in the screen itself.

The power light is no longer illuminated​

  • When the batteries get low, the battery indicator light (the power LED) will dim and may even turn off completely. Replace the batteries and try again.
  • Turn down the screen brightness to reduce power consumption, you may notice that the power indicator light lights up again.

There is no sound coming from the speaker​

  • Ensure that the volume wheel is not in the off position, which is all the way up. Scroll the wheel down towards the bottom of the console.
  • Turn down the screen brightness or install new batteries, sometimes the sound can cut out when there is not enough power left to drive the speaker.

The console will not read a specific game​

  • Using a toothbrush/Q-tip and some isopropyl alcohol, scrub the gold contacts in the game cartridge and allow it to dry, then try again.
  • Use the old "blow in the cartridge" trick to remove any loose debris and try again.

The console will not read any game​

  • Try blowing air into the console cartridge reader itself to remove any loose debris that might be preventing it from reading.
  • Ensure that the console has good batteries, games take more power to run and may be causing the console to reboot due to low power.

Support​

If you run into issues that are not covered here, or some part of the console is broken, message us on Etsy and we will do our best to help you.

Warranty​

All Game Boy Color consoles we sell are made from an original motherboard from 1998-2003, and their manufacturer warranties are long expired.

However, if you have any issues with our modifications to your console, please message us on Etsy and we will make it right, up to and including repairing the console for free if it is an issue with our workmanship.