Introduction: How to Make a Gameboy Color Rechargeable.
I don't know about you, but i'm tired of buying AA batteries, and i still LOVE my nostalgia game collection.
so, i decided to mix old and new to make a rechargeable game boy! this instructable is where you will learn to
do the same!
to do this you will need:
a triwing screwdriver (or small flathead)
soldering equipment
sharp object (needlenose pliers worked for me)
~4 in. of wire
a rechargeable battery (i used psp slim)
plugin for charger
charger
a gameboy color
and good enthusiasm !
once you have that, lets get started!
Step 1: :in the Beginning...
okay, what you need to do is take your triwing screwdriver and take out all of the screws on the gameboy,
they are all found on the back, two on top, two in the middle, and two in the battery housing area.
take them all out and pull the back off of your gameboy.
once you have the back off of your gameboy take your sharp object and cut out the battery housing,
i did mine from the inside of the back, and it worked okay.
note: you will need to take out the entire battery area, or the new battery won't fit.
ALSO, BE CAREFUL NOT TO BREAK OFF THE PART THAT THE BATTERY COVER CLICKS IN TO.
Step 2: :melty Madness
after you take the plastic casing off of your battery, it is the time to put your wires into the battery contacts,
you can CAREFULLY use your sharp object, but i used my fingernail (works just fine)
Step 3: :do the Twist!
you need to twist off the small contacts on the gameboy, the metal things that touch the batteries.
LEAVE ENOUGH ROOM TO SOLDER THE WIRES TO!
once you have them twisted off, grab your battery and solder the wires to the contacts, be sure to know which
wire is in the + and - contact, or else it wont work. (usually the black plastic battery casing will tell you)
solder the wires and move on to the next step!!!
Step 4: :untitled.txt!
now, youre almost finished! good job!
you need to solder on the charger port now. for a psp charger port, like i used,
when the two metal strips are facing you, and the opening facing up, the wire on the left is -
solder that wire to the - contact, and the other cord to the + contact.
Step 5: : You're a Genius!
make sure that your wires are out of the way, and put the back, back onto your gameboy.
there should be just enough room to close your cover, when the charge port is laid like in the first picture
note: you may have to push directly onto the lever.
THROW A GAME IN THAT MONKEY AND PLAY LIKE YOU'VE NEVER PLAYED BEFORE!!!!!!

Participated in the
game.life challenge
13 Comments
8 years ago on Introduction
You should have reverse engineered the DC/DC converter (the little addon board) to use a higher efficiency converter in it's place, and also put a lipo charger in there with a micro usb connector where the DC jack used to be.
Reply 7 years ago
Seems like the perfect thing for you to post on your wall as a follow-up!
Any reason you assume the Sony converter is lower efficiency than something you could whip up yourself?
7 years ago on Introduction
yo hice pero use una bateria de bocina y deje los pins de las pilas no lo quemara
8 years ago on Introduction
thinking of doing this are you able to just use the 3v dc plug already in the gameboy ?
9 years ago on Introduction
I intend to make one of these for my original Game Boy Advance and add a back light that I've seen for sale online. Also the last thing to make it the ultimate Game Boy is to have any game you want. I will achieve this with one simple item:
http://www.amazon.com/Engiveaway®Mini-Super-Card-Adapter-NDSL/dp/B0086UN64I/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=K2TDATX28N0J&coliid=I20OMS0RQFJRI
9 years ago on Introduction
Where did you get the charger plug in from?
10 years ago on Step 5
The psp slim battery already has a protection cir. 99% of all lithium ion/pol batteries already have a protection circuit built in. Especially the cellphone and portable electronic with well established battery s
11 years ago on Step 5
I just wondering. PSP use 3.6 v battery. And GBC use 2 AA elements with 1.5 v (and usually it can be lower, like, 1.2 v). Does it work without any problems? No heating, bugs sudden resets?
Reply 11 years ago on Introduction
haha it's been like a year, but two AA batteries in series at 1.5 volts makes 3 volts
11 years ago on Introduction
I am trying to get all the game boy mods :) so i can make the ultimate game boy ds
12 years ago on Step 5
This is a good idea, but without including a protection circuit for the lipo battery you run the risk of the battery failing. Lithium polymer batteries (The type used by the PSP slim) need a protection circuit to work properly. This mod will work for a while, but eventually the battery will "explode". It's not like a bomb or something, but it could very well catch fire... You can purchase a protection circuit that is easy to wire from http://www.batteryspace.com
Reply 12 years ago on Introduction
Would this setup work for other types of batteries? I am contemplating doing this for a GBC as well. I have two Ni-MH AA batteries with a proper chargers.
12 years ago on Introduction
That is too awesome, I will definetely have to try this!