Game Boy IPS Screen Mods for DMG, Pocket, GBC, GBA, and GBA SP :: RGB320 / MY LIFE IN GAMING

[@makho]

Hey, this is a wonderful video and I want to thank you for making it. I'm going to start recommending it in the descriptions of my videos. That being said, I do have some small notes, mostly just for background info. 09:55 You can minimize the visible interlacing artifacts by adjusting the LCD potentionmeter on the back of the GBA mainboard. Using the "AGS Aging" test patterns on screen is extremely helpful in getting the calibration dialed in perfectly and quickly. 11:49 The tearing on the funnyplaying version in particular seems to happen about 60 frames after a LCD reset command and then there are no tears after that from what I can see. At least until the next reset anyway. Like you said at 20:40, this is because the screen is turning off. 12:34 This was true of the early unbranded kits but I believe it's been resolved in the current ones. Unfortunately, there is no way to tell if you are getting an old stock old cable or a new stock new cable. In the unbranded vendor sector, the only "v2" designation that is actually meaningful is the DMG RIPS kit. The rest of the kits have "v2" tacked on for marketing purposes (because of the funnyplaying GBA v2 IPS kit). If we paid attention to the actual versions, this kit would be anywhere from v4 to v12. 12:57 The unbranded kits have switched vendors to a new LCD supplier. Funnyplaying is still using LG screens but the unbranded kits (who I usually refer to as "one chip" because that seems to be the only consistent "branding" that they do have) have started using Toppoly LCD screens. Older kits may still use LG stock, especially the GBC kits. 20:01 This issue fixed was for audio related issues on some motherboard variants. 20:29 Yeah, this appears to the be same issue that Link's Awakening DX has in certain areas. The fence in the beginning one scree over from the chain chomp house displays the same issue. 23:26 I wonder if it's related to running the screen at a non-native refresh. Otherwise, I find it bizarre that both kits using completely differnt hardware to do the conversion would have behave similarly. 26:30 You should do yourself a favor and check out funnyplayings new IPS ready AGB housings and replacement buttons. It will change your mind on aftermarket buttons and shells. Unfortunately, only AGB has gotten this treatment so far but I've been told more systems are coming. 35:18 On the first GBA, a little bit of heat (like a hairdryer on high or a heatgun on low) will soften the adhesive and allow you to remove the lens with relative ease. Since you have a retrosix shell, adhesives have a hard time sticking to that coating and tend to not grab as strongly. It should be pretty painless to get that lens swapped out. The second GBA, you have a clearance issue or have cranked the screws down way too tight. A metal screwdriver is not the correct tool for removing these lenses, glass or plastic. A plastic spudger is better but a suction cup is best.

[@mylifeingaming]

[Try4ce] Thanks for watching! I was actually considering reaching out to you for info, and it's clear that I should have! You've filled in a few gaps in knowledge for me here. Regarding the tearing on the GBC screens, I came to that conclusion as well - I was playing some game (can't remember for sure which one) where I was seeing more tearing than usual. When I was playing another later, I had the revelation that hey, wait - the screen turns WHITE during transitions even though WHITE isn't in the color palette I'm using! But for some reason, I wasn't getting tearing in some of the other games I was trying after those transitions. So I didn't manage to capture it, and I didn't want to say it was definitely because of the screen resetting because I couldn't recreate it. If I'd spent more time with it (and driven myself more insane) I could've probably done this, but I was feeling pretty done with all the new revelations I kept having, which kept causing my script to expand! VERY interesting that the issue FunnyPlaying was talking about was audio. I figured by "noise" they meant visual noise of some kind. That's deeply disappointing... if the dots issue were fixed, I'd definitely be tempted to get my own FunnyPlaying GBP. Sounds like I should wait a while to see what comes along though. I know it doesn't appear in very many games, but the fact that it occurs at all bothers me. Like, notice how the dots move with the logo as it appears. It feels like it's doing something unwholesome to the video generation rather than just displaying what it's told to display.

[@TheRetroFuture]

You can always trust Makho.

[@sockatume]

Thank you for posting this! So few people know about the trimming pot and it can need adjusting throughout a GBA’s lifespan, and in my experience whenever a GBA SP’s battery is replaced. (It’s related to LCD depolarisation, IIRC?)

[@makho]

@Ulic Lon Dindong uhh, what?

[@Lost_Kappa]

Makho is the king of GB mods.

[@Brodensson]

9:55 To fix the interlaced effect on the AGS 101 screen (and any other Nintendo screen), there is a potentiometer screw you need to adjust. I can confirm this is found in every single GBA, GBA sp, NDS, NDS lite, DSi and DSi xl. It's also most likely found on the Gameboy, Gameboy Color, 3DS and 2DS, but I haven't checked/don't own these consoles to verify. When you turn this screw, it adjusts the voltage going to the screen to sync up the refresh (which causes the pseudo interlacing). It may take some trial and error, so I recommend adjusting it while the console is on to check. On the SP and DSi you can access the screw from the battery bay, and I assume all other models are the same. (Source: I fixed my OEM GBA SP 001 and DSi screens this way).

[@RedSoul001]

^this needs more likes

[@DingusOfTheHair]

thank you!!!!

[@badreality2]

No way. So it's just a poorly set potentiometer?

[@Brodensson]

@@badreality2 Most likely. There are always exceptions, but 99.99% of the time this is the problem. You may even have to adjust it over time, as while it may start off okay, changes in the console (such as a battery change) can cause it to de-sync and require adjustment.

[@badnewsjones]

This has also been my experience. I had an original sp 101 and got an ags 101 from eBay, so I’m not sure of the screen’s origin. The eBay one displayed the interlacing issue and was fixed by adjusting the potentiometer, so now it looks exactly like my original sp 101 with no issues.

[@DeformedConscience]

"We're by no means experts here." _Proceeds to explicitly explain, and troubleshoot 25 different forms of LCD Screen features, and issues using all of the required vocabulary._

[@PUDINHED]

It is a fair warning though, the market for these kits and components is constantly changing, it's hard to keep up the status of Expert for these things.

[@gamingblowsofficial]

😂

[@waldineytorres8578]

Try is truly humble.

[@spragzpc1]

🤣🤣😂

[@QuestForTori]

In this episode: Try slowly loses his mind

[@SIKIZE]

You say that as if he hasn't already

[@dookie_12]

Speck of dust: 1 Try: 0

[@notNajimi]

Isn’t that every RGB episode

[@QuestForTori]

@@theglowcloud2215 what the hell is the matter with you?

[@gamingblowsofficial]

"I'm sorry I just made you notice." Bro that is the most real sentence for obsessive hobbyists that I've ever heard.

[@eymed2023]

I'm not sorry. I'm THANKFUL someone opened my eyes. It's exciting how good you can make older games look with the right equipment.

[@tenow]

23:17 That IPS glitch is caused by overdrive trying to improve pixel response time by overcorrecting. There are LTT videos about it

[@FoxbatStargazer]

Indeed, see blurbusters for more explanation: blurbusters.com/faq/lcd-overdrive-artifacts/ Most flat panel computer monitors let you adjust this setting too.

[@theIpatix]

What suprises me though is the trailing effect stays quite a long time, so I doubt that is regular LCD overdrive. At least most LCD overdrives I have seen do not oscillate and stay for longer. My guess is that this is some kind of anti flicker circuitry (inside or the LCD or on the cable) which causes this.

[@LawrenceJohnYoung]

Wouldn't a pixel overdrive result in corona artifacts as the pixels overshoot their mark. They would also show up on any dark to light areas uniformly and not be triggered exclusively by specific game behaviors

[@EGOS42]

Thumbs up. I saw overdrive in action too. As some have stated there could also be anti-flicker in play. Perhaps identifying what's happening is muddied by multiple factors.

[@3amsleep]

I was going to say the same thing. This looks like overdrive

[@emuboy85]

Embedded software engineer here: I have this feeling that the artifacts are either related to a frame buffering gone wrong or there is a software error in the upscaling, that kind of artifact it's not LCD technology related, It's difficult to guess the refresh direction of a LCD but being a smartphone LCD I would wildly guess that is rotated 90 degree on the mounted axis, that mean that what we perceive as left to right artifact could be a temporal artifact up to down which seems consistent with a possible termporal buffer (you store 3 frames, the previus, the atcual and the next one and interpolate between them to avoid shimmering ).

[@SuperNicktendo]

I love these videos because they're so intensive that 95% of the audience wouldn't even notice or care about their findings. It took me a while to even notice the GBA Super Mario fading pixels. And even then, I don't see what the big deal is. I do appreciate you really doing a deep dive on these and hopefully one day you'll collab with one of these makers to make a perfect display.

[@BLAZENYCBLACKOPS]

Super Nicktendo lol, I was beginning to think I needed glasses because I really couldn’t see anything wrong, but the guy wearing glasses could.

[@alistairblaire6001]

It somehow seems trivial in the video but in real life it's really noticeable. Luckily I only see it in very specific situations and honestly it doesn't bother me. But it's definitely there, when I first noticed the weird dots and trails I thought I botched the install or damaged the ribbon. The thing is, these modern panels look so good compared to the older tech that it's totally worth the trade-off.

[@ur_wrong1209]

I can see myself playing Pokémon Emerald on the Gameboy Advance. That ips screen looks so beautiful on the GBA.

[@kingarthur7255]

I’ve got 3 funnyplayin kits and a one chip kit all v2 kits and they are all amazing worth every penny and so fun to install you won’t regret it they also look amazing even better in person

[@dodongmanoy6653]

Emulator is the best gba mods

[@paulprantilla1596]

The "interlaced" look in some AGS 101 screens simply require a slight adjustment using the potentiometer of the GBA. At least, this is what solved the issue for all the times I've encountered it, and is a suggestion I often see in the internet community as well.

[@kearneyanimation]

I've been watching these videos constantly over the last few months, and the comment section is always one of the most useful places on the internet. Your production quality is top notch!

[@seseiSeki]

When I installed an AGS-101 screen in my AGB, back when there were no IPS-kits, it also had this "interlacing" effect. I later learned, that this was caused by me using the wrong ribbon cable. I searched for a fix and found a scary one, that had you remove some resistors from the GBA board. I actually did that and now, the only issue I have left is the usual slow pixel response of 101 screens.

[@Brodensson]

Probably wasn't the ribbon cable, there is a potentiometer screw to adjust screen voltage, a few turns probably would've fixed it.

[@seseiSeki]

@@Brodensson Nope. I had already adjusted it. There's AGS-101-A screens and AGS-101-B screens. I had an A screen and a B ribbon cable.

[@mylifeingaming]

[Try4ce] Yeah I decided to not get into the potentiometer stuff since it doesn't seem to be a factor with the new IPS kits, and that's the main subject. My understanding is that there are some AGS-101 screens that simply have this issue worse than others,even if you adjust the potentiometer.. I'll be curious to hear if Coury has good luck adjusting his, but it looks pretty extreme there. You can't see it on mine, so I have one of the good ones, it seems.

[@Brodensson]

@@seseiSeki I'm amazed it worked at all! I'm glad you fixed it though!

[@DisneyTLK110]

@@mylifeingaming I want to chip in and say the potentiometer is your friend here. It's extremely hard to adjust though, since even the slightest movement will change the voltage. Those lines will go away but only at one specific position, and it's very hard to hit it just right, since even when you remove the screwdriver from the pot, that'll change the value. The "B-type" ribbon cables do not let you adjust the potentiometer on the board, it instead uses fixed values on the ribbon itself. That's why I opted for the A-type ribbon cable, since I was having the interlacing issue with the B-cable. I found the easiest way to adjust this is to walk up and down in Pokemon ruby/sapphire while looking at a dark entrance, using a screwdriver through the hole behind the model-sticker on the back of the console, turning it every so slightly (the "sweet spot" is so small you have to basically stop moving the screwdriver to find it, it's that sensitive lol)

[@shayne1062]

I really appreciate that - in the 'build section of the video - you were unafraid to show all the different types of problems you can - and many will - run into when putting together a custom Game Boy. The first time I put one together was an hour long affair, and you rarely see where things can go wrong on the typical build video since recording would tend to happen after nailing down the process, and when things just don't seem to be matching whatever video you're watching, it's easy to start to panic (especially when you start thinking of the investment in one of these projects). Assembling these custom Game Boy systems has been a lot of fun, but I can certainly see why someone would just want to buy a pre-modded unit to skip the trial and error, or to have a finished product without niggling cosmetic issues. This was a great and informative video on the entire subject, and one I have been eagerly awaiting since its mention on the GBA live stream. Thanks as always for a well researched and fantastic video!

[@GameSack]

Extremely thorough! I'm not interested in playing games portably because I usually get neck and/or upper back cramps looking down at the screen, but the way you presented the subject here kept me interested and I was fascinated throughout with your findings.

[@mylifeingaming]

[Try4ce] Glad you enjoyed it! I was thought you'd never forgive me for the mixture of 30fps and 60fps camera footage (I didn't like it either), but felt it was necessary for an episode all about screen performance.

[@videogameobsession]

Joe, I find that playing my portables while laying in bed, so I'm "looking up" at them, can help quite a bit. I can still get some hand cramps though. It also sucks getting old.. my hyperopia (farsightedness) and astigmatism has become much more obvious to me when I hit 45. I have some prescription reading glasses on the way, but I'm not sure how much they will help with portable gaming. It's part of the reason I ordered an Analogue Pocket, I figure this way, if it's too hard to play on the portable screen, and I connect it to an external display.

[@kaitlyn__L]

@@videogameobsession oh dear :( I'm extremely myopic instead so I can't see more than two inches in front of me without glasses but that still accommodates using phones or consoles in bed without glasses on...

[@retrogameroom9019]

But where's dave

[@nathanmilnthorpe11]

I Find the Same thing with Neck/Back Pains and it sucks because most of the Handhelds have Awesome Games. Handheld Systems i Break my Rule of Emulation for this Reason, The Games Libraries Available are too good to Miss Sometimes!

[@IITheGoodLifeII]

As someone who just started going down the rabbit hole that are game boy mods, I thank you, sir.

[@eduardomancia4958]

As you said, some of these issues happen aswel on regular screens but we were not able to notice them because the screens were not lit and the colors were not as crisp. Now that I’m older I notice some screen tearing and weird flicker on regular unmoded gameboys (mostly GBC and GBA)

[@oasdfe1691]

Hey just to be clear. The funnyplaying ips screen is the exact same LCD as the generic ones (sold by retrosix). The LCD they use comes from an old blackberry, you can check the model numbers on the back. The screen are cheap and cost about $10. The only differences are the ribbon cables which house the brightness, color coordination, power, response and frame rates. Funnyplaying is by far the king

[@toffeeFairy]

I find it funny cause i love these reflective screens of the original, cause i like playing them in direct sunlight, in which most other screens are really quite dark.

[@therefix342]

Really enjoying this so far! Makes me so happy to see the f-zero “issue” that I would bet I was the first to encounter first in my video on the subject was picked up on by funny playing, and now by yourselves as such a big channel! I wish I had the time to produce such quality content! The GBA screens at least were originally created by funny playing, which were then cloned by others. Funny playing had posted proof of concept on their DMG concept first, but it seems they were beaten to it by others. I’m not sure if they just sell their product to be sold under different names, who knows. I cannot say for sure about anything though.

[@MakoyUnggoy]

Tito's channel is always interesting to watch, he's a nice bloke and makes modding look easier than it actually is!

[@felipe_ossa]

This video was worth the wait! Thank you. I can also confirm what some other users said about turning a potentiometer to fix the "interlacing" problem when installing the AGS 101 screen mod. A life saver

[@Projectwolfie21]

Great video! The thing with most of the built-in flicker is that in especially early GBA games (sometimes on the GB too, though it was more common that devs would slow down the game to avoid ghosting), devs would abuse the qualities of the screen to create transparency effects. It's to the point that LCD ghosting is available on a couple of emulators now (and others "fix" it somehow). If you see something flicker like F-Zero's map or the slightly flickering effects in Golden Sun (which also used this quality on the World Map to make a sort of AA effect), it's supposed to be transparent. It's kinda sorta similar to the Sega Genesis's waterfall effects that involve certain TV setups.

[@override7486]

No. It's not similar whatsoever. Two entirely different things and topics.

[@kernelzechs]

In regards to the flickering retention, this doesn't happen on cycle-accurate emulators or consolizers/fpga/clones using modern IPS, TN, or VA panels. Furthermore, as you've seen, original hardware displays generally don't have this issue either. Mind you the implementations above might have a sync fix for these images, but more likely this is a result of some post-processing issues or very low quality displays being used in these kits. I'm going to bet on the latter, mostly because you've experienced severe ghosting mixed with inconstant redraw of the screens framebuffer.

[@AlexChipman]

This was amazingly thorough bringing up things that no other reviewer has even touched. Thanks for all your work guys.

[@zackpetrovic3029]

I have been watching Macho Nacho, the quality and presentation is great, deserves way more subscribers

[@HamstarTG]

Same! Glad to see they collaborated.

[@alexkrause5550]

I've never understood how this channel doesn't have a million subs. I've been watching for years. And find my self rewatching some videos multiple times

[@TheMultiGenGamer]

Talk about coincidence! I was in the process of refurbishing my own 30 year old Game Boy with a new shell and IPS screen when you published this video. Results are fantastic!!

This video is great. When I bought a replacement IPS screen a while ago most video reviews were like "this screen is absolutely great" even though there was visible tearing and dropped frames.

[@MatSpeedle]

I've recently done the IPS mod on a GameBoy Pocket, Colour and OG DMG. Fantastic bits of kit! They allowed me to revive two otherwsie completely broken Game Boys from parts I had laying around which only added to the joy of having done this. I've one more DMG I plan to IPS mod from parts as well :) So these mods are saving Game Boys everywhere!

[@AndehX]

Just an FYI, those "generic/unbranded" "1-chip" GBA kits that supposedly have the screen tearing issues, have been fixed for a while now. All the GBA kits perform pretty much identically now. The differences in the screen brightness etc, is down to the LCD panel they use. The "1-chip" kits use a cheaper panel by a company called "Toppoly" while the FunnyPlaying kits use LG panels.

[@-Gothicgirl-]

The 1 chip use less power then funny playing. FP drain immense power on full light

[@Finnishmanni]

so which are better? The toppoly's or FunnyPlaying's?

[@-Gothicgirl-]

@@Finnishmanni when I look at the Videos from mahko then the non fp is a bit better and less faulty

[@AndehX]

@@Finnishmanni the funnyplaying kit comes with the LG screen which is better

[@oasdfe1691]

Not actually correct. I've bought both kits and the model number for the LCDs were the same, both sceens used in blackberry phones

[@MrNono6400]

What an incredible timing : I was about to buy this week a GBA Prestige Edition from Retrosix hoping to get the best picture quality I could get... and now I learn it's not perfect with artefacts I know I would be bothered with. Ok, I'll wait a little more. Thanks a lot !!

[@RoyalFizzbin]

I think I am going to hold out for the Analogue Pocket. It’ll probably be a few months until it’s available.

[@jotreliving2614]

Oh, I’ve been waiting for this episode. Thanks guys.

[@Canady117]

I installed a TFT LCD in a GBC just a few weeks ago, gave it a custom matte white shell with all white buttons and d-pad and it's glorious and beautiful. I'm a modding noob, but the instructions were fairly straightforward. I'm very proud of the end product nonetheless! Great video, btw, and thanks for collabing with Macho Nacho! Now I have another channel to sink a ton of time into!

[@mylifeingaming]

[Try4ce] His channel is filled with videos that will give you lots more fun mod ideas! I'll admit I'm tempted to try a "Game Boy Macro" sometime... but yeah, I'd be curious to try another panel type mod and see if I prefer it to these IPS ones.

[@totalprocall6894]

The ags-101 "interlace effect" is due to the potentiometer needing adjusting just behind the main sticker on the back of the original GBA. The reason factory/nintendo fitted ags-101's dont do this is because they are adjusted/calibrated at the factory when new. Obviously when you retro fit one into a GBA(especially the older model) the potentiometer is sometimes way out of whack. I adjusted mine manually as it was just like coreys...it took me 10 seconds to dial it in and completely eradicate this effect.

[@JeffYPbPr]

How do ya do that.

[@totalprocall6894]

@@JeffYPbPr Its a screwhole behind the main sticker on the back(far right of the sticker) and you simply take a screwdriver of the proper size(nothing out of the ordinary) and gently and slowly turn until you see the flicker/lines gone. Really easy but the only pain is you either have to leave a hole in the sticker or attempt to re-apply it. Alternatively just order a new sticker when done.

[@JeffYPbPr]

@@totalprocall6894 ok so it does not require removing the back shell?

[@Brodensson]

@@JeffYPbPr As long as you don't mind removing the sticker, no. But if you want to keep the sticker on, yes.

[@Brodensson]

I can also confirm this potentiometer is on every single Nintendo console from GBA - DSi XL, and most likely on all 3DS, GB and GBC consoles (but I can't confirm those consoles).

[@RetroAli]

Oh man I’m so excited for this!!!

[@vuetoob3983]

Best content from this channel in months maybe all year. Back to your roots goodness. Need more and more often.

[@daftward9292]

There's something pretty cool about the way you and Tito talk about retro hardware, and how Mahko muses/vents about it. Wish there was a convention for this sort of thing.

[@dbnpoldermans4120]

What a perfect summary! Thanks for discovering all off these imperfections. I'm sure it will be picked up by professionals and/or companies to make these screens more perfect

[@obsidianchao]

You guys really got into the nitty gritty with this one. Appreciate all the details. I recently picked up some IPS gameboys and I love them but they definitely aren’t perfect.

[@josealvarado2309]

I really want you to try the ITA GBA. I think you'll be blown away by how amazing it is

[@chadbaileyisawesome]

Fantastic video. I love the honesty. I’ve done a few she’ll swaps with really busted up systems all the way up to GBA SP. I haven’t done any soldering as of yet. So I really appreciate your honesty about this whole process from a novice view. When looking online a lot of people are almost chastising about people who are nervous about making such mods. I have so many GBA systems that I think I may give it a try to mod one. If I screw up, it won’t be as costly. Thanks so much!

[@HamstarTG]

Yes! I'm so happy this video exists, I recently got into gameboy modding. These videos are so informative and entertaining ❤ Edit: I love that you collaborated with Macho Nacho Productions great to see two channels I love working together!

[@erik19borgnia]

I have a backlit screen from Midwest Embedded, bought it a year ago. I'm REALLY happy with it. It's mostly the same as the BenVenn and McWill ones, but the shell is painted black, so it's not really SO important to get a new front glass to hide it.

[@below_average_student]

All I know is I wish I kept all my old Gameboy systems.

[@thiefrules]

Gameboys are relatively cheap. I picked up an AGB for like $35ish w a copy of Ruby and Sapphire in Japanese lol.

[@AngryGhost114]

This video hit at the perfect time for me. I ended up seeking out a good condition DSi XL so I could replay my favorite DS games on IPS panels and I was so satisfied with it I started to consider modding a GBA to experience similar. This does a lot to set my expectations of the final result, but ultimately I think I'll still do it! It sounds fun and I don't think the retention issues will bother me as much as the overall response. 👍

[@mylifeingaming]

[Try4ce] I think that's a good choice! Expectations have a lot more to do with the opinions we form than I think people would like to admit. Had I known about all these issues before getting into it, I wouldn't have been as disappointed when I saw them. When you play a game that was good, but not as amazing as you were hoping for, you might have a poorer opinion of it than a very average game that turned out to be more fun than you were expecting. That happens to me, at least.

[@vladg5216]

You can play the entire GBA library on your gorgeous DSI XL if you simply mod it. The DSI plays GBA games natively, it just doesn't have a physical game slot. With a mod, you can play the entire library off an SD card.

[@AngryGhost114]

@@vladg5216 Thanks for the tip! I looked into it and although my original want was to use actual carts, it's always good to have options! I just tried it out for a few, and there's some compatibility issues and sound issues on some games, but when a game works it looks great! Now I get to ponder why in the hell they decided to leave the gba slot out of the DSi in the first place... Such a shame. :(

[@artofwar420]

The Game Boy scene is not my jam, but I LOVE how deep you guys get in your videos. Always excited whenever you release a new vid.

[@ryablow]

This was so great watching this video and seeing some gamers not take themselves too seriously. Made my night!

[@nuclearbeeberman]

modded my gbc with an IPS screen some month ago and I LOVE it :)

[@8BitPasta]

I love your criticism and honesty here about who started producing these kits first.

[@MechaDragonX]

"Let's not kid ourselves into treating image retention like it's a *feature*!" Nonono! It's not a bug, it's a feature!

[@samuraivader3814]

“It just works”

[@outerzevin1366]

The speck of dust problem: run a warm shower and get the room nice and warm and humid, then apply it. It'll get a lot of the dust out of the air so it's not sneaking in under your screen cover.

[@thomasnewfield9950]

the poor mans clean room. 👍

[@cicabeot1]

I would love to get my GBC backlight modded in the future, but I’m not at all confident in my ability to do it myself. Even without soldering. Everything I touch breaks. Also congrats on the Skillshare sponsorship!

[@anonymousidea9119]

Gameboy Colors are (in my opinion) the easiest system from the gameboy line to completely disassemble besides maybe the original GBA (they're basically tied). Also, if you want an easier kit the easiest would probably be the latest BennVenn kit as you don't even need to modify the shell, although it might not be the best possible screen for you and you still would have to solder if you wanted to change the brightness.

[@videogameobsession]

I still have my AfterBurner frontlight modded GBA AGB-001. I had such a great time using it after playing a dark GBA for so long, as well as successfully installing it myself, even with the brightness settings, that I haven't had the heart to remove it. A few years ago I bought an AGS-101 modded GBA AGB-001, with replacement parts/glass lens model from China. It was only $68 shipped at the time, and looks/plays excellent. The screen looks nearly identical to the DS Lite, to me. The pixels look great to me, and I don't notice any weirdness, aside from a little noticeable audio buzz through the headphone jack, when the volume is turned up. Not too bad though.

[@TheTNTerminator]

Wow, this is extremely thorough! Was looking into modding my GBA, so the timing of this video is perfect!

[@GadgetUK164]

Great video! Nice attentiion to detail there - you've put me off getting an IPS screen lol.

[@thiefrules]

honestly, I'd still get one. i haven't noticed any of the issues he's pointed out to be honest, and the pixel grid on my 101 is so fatiguing to my eyes I go to my IPS GBA most of the time, even though I dislike the buttons on it.

[@GZbroadcast]

"I'm ok."

[@RichardCraig]

ooooh thank you for going back to the original intro theme! I heard a different one a few videos back and almost cried, lol!

[@mylifeingaming]

[Try4ce] Analog Frontiers uses a different theme (from the same composer!) but we have no intention to change the theme of our regular episodes.

[@vladg5216]

Thank you for doing the leg work on this. Wow, this hole goes much deeper than I ever thought.

[@georgefrankly]

Really amazing camera and lighting work in this video. Showing the visible reality of the handheld screens is a tricky thing and this does it brilliantly.

[@samuraispiritsx]

I've never met anyone that has not liked the AGS 101 screen so that was a pretty shocking revelation for me.

[@analogcaptures2785]

My AGS 101 screen makes the black lines around the objects in the game thicker when moving, maybe someone else has this problem or other things similar to what is said in the video?

[@PrimoAngelo00]

@@analogcaptures2785 You have to adjust the pot inside the GBA to fix this problem

[@RedWolfy7]

I imagine this has lead to Try being put into a padded room while wearing a straight jacket muttering to himself "image retention, image retention" over and over. Seriously through, this was very helpful information. I had plans on upgrading my original DMG but think I'll wait for now. Thanks the stellar content guys!

[@mylifeingaming]

[Try4ce] You're closer to the truth than you might think! I really was driven mad by this video! You know the "Tetris effect" where people keep seeing Tetris blocks after playing Tetris for a long time? Well, the image retention segment was the last part of the video I finished, and I kid you not, last night I was seeing flicker and ghosted objects in my peripheral vision on my computer monitors and TV. Trying to understand how all of it behaved made me feel a bit unwell! I was actually considering tacking on a a hastily shot cell phone video at the end, me sitting dejectedly in the corner, staring into the distance lifelessly, muttering about flicker, retention, ghosting...

[@ryanmcintee]

I've spent a lot of quarantine learning mods. It can be frustrating, but that feeling when you actually get it to work (and not have any dust) is such an amazing feeling. I do need to warn about repro buttons on the GBC and GBA, there's an imperfection on some that make it so you can press down all the D-pad buttons at once and causes problems. You need to make sure it has a rounded bottom not a flat bottom.

[@kristianutomotobing9719]

The image on the gameboys are so clear, I thought it is edited. Major improvement for old handhelds.

[@JohnAGalvanArt]

Great episode, I love those close ups especially on the GBC. Was super weird to see no Retro Future in a Game Boy modding episode, who is a very prominent Modder / KZbinr on this scene.

[@jesseopjescherm]

Woohoo a new MLiG! And on a Sunday as well! Thanks for these absolute quality content videos guys.

[@AirshBornely]

Excellent video! I'm personally fine with the even brighter GBA SP model. Still looks good to this day

[@bruceg22000]

Try's dog jumping on him to express his concern was the best part of the video...

[@inlovewithi]

I bought a Game Kiddy, over other emulation handheld because the reviews found it to have the best screen. It has a 320x240 IPS screen, and Genesis games, CPS1, CPS2 games look so good. As well as other systems. You can still see the pixel dots, but that adds to it.

[@carsena1318]

i have been waiting for you guys to cover the gameboy, i am so happy

[@pippin3430]

literary 10 minutes later Try mostly goes nuts on the many flaws that the mods have

[@thespianmask]

I just got my IPS V2 kit from China for my GBA. No screen tearing at all. Works great, but you are correct with the whole white balance thing. Shit, now I can't even unsee it on my GBA after watching this lmao.

[@EzraMashupVT]

Yay, Brand new RGB...and it’s on my favorite thing; Game boy mods. I need to watch the full thing to give full feedback, but based on your reputation, I know this will be really well done.

[@projectz975]

i had a DSi system that developed that same "scanline" effect over time on the top screen. it started completely clear but after a year or so sitting in a drawer i pulled it out again it had that exact same striping effect

[@bradcarlson8349]

I installed a FunnyPlaying V2 screen into an original GBA using a replacement shell molded to fit them w/o modding. Looks fantastic and haven't noticed any issues aside from a tiny amount of light bleed from outer edge of the lens due to using a clear smoke shell after a month of regular use. I definitely prefer the new IPS to my old AGS-101 which had the flicker issue, and had awful ghosting.

[@P3PPING]

Sorry to necro this, but you spoke about the repro shells making the controls feel bad. I've noticed in my modding that __some__ repro shells have the posts for the membranes just a millimetre too close. It causes the membrane to sit slightly buckled, which makes the dpad feed stiff and crunchy (it will squeak). I mainly mod/refurb gbc and gbp and I have found that the funnyplaying shells have the prefect post placement for stock membranes! If you already have a shell (I dont do this on any I sell) you can use a scalpel to carefully enlargen the post holes by making them slotted towards the centre of the membrane.

[@thejustinconnell]

Sumo Fighter for the gameboy! I love it! That was one of three games I had when I was a kid, and played the heck out of it!! Great video!!

[@Reckoner89]

Thank you so much. I was so close to ordering all the parts from Handhald Legends, but now I'm convinced I need to wait a little while longer. €100 saved. Also, thanks for addressing the issue that non-original membranes and buttons can make the haptics feel off. I was afraid of exactly that happening.

[@mylifeingaming]

[Try4ce] I think this still will hopefully be in a much better state within a couple or years, but yeah, I'd hold off! I don't know a ton about choosing parts... I'm sure there is some good repro stuff out there. That metal shell and buttons are pretty awesome! I forget if Tito said whether the GBC used the original membranes or not. Obviously those can wear out (some SNES ones of mine went bad), but for the most part I've not had bad ones. I did buy replacement SNES ones, and I liked them at first (even said so in a video) but after further use, I'm not satisfied. The diagonals work very poorly, so now I always check a Contra game when testing a new controller to see if I can comfortably hold diagonal shots, or if diagonals are triggered too easily when I meant to hold up/down/left/right instead. It's a weirdly fine line on that stuff, and amazing that so much thought was put into the original controllers so that they feel good to aim in every direction.

[@markmahon8149]

That was a really great video. I loved your perspective as open and honest on your experience with doing the mods. I now understand that I will not be doing it myself, which I am very grateful for! Maybe one day, but I think my lack of willingness to cut into any of my original hardware would be one of many issues.

[@alfiehicks1]

I've always found the Gameboy line's passively lit screens to be very good. They're designed to be played outside, and work very well in that situation - even better than modern backlit screens, as those need to have the brightness turned up high to be seen in a bright environment. If i'm playing inside, I'll use the Gameboy Player, which just makes sense as I'm not needlessly wasting the batteries that way. The only situation that proves an issue is outside at night, but I've rarely ever needed or wanted to play in that environment, anyway, and when I have, I've found a streetlamp to stand under. Obviously, a major issue with the original Gameboy is ghosting, but that problem was fixed in every subsequent system.

[@pimpedoutstereos9747]

I’ve done a few of these ips screens for my different gameboy and gbas. For me I enjoy the tinkering side of things and it’s really not that difficult to do but I do recommend using a reproduction precut shell to save time, frustration and to ensure a better fit for the ips screen

[@star_suit5882]

Y'all are a gift to the community.

[@elveskz]

I am from Brazil and here taxes are very high, and these handheld devices are very expensive, so we look for parallel ways of getting something that brings a little bit of the same experience. I decided to buy a BitBoy Pocket go that already comes with an illuminated ips display and has all Nintendo handheld emulators installed, and I have a lot of fun with this device for $ 45.

[@nensondubois]

I have no intention of risking my original game consoles to mod their screens because it is irreversible and is not for me personally, also partly because I can play the games using a TV with original hardware. Definitely interesting to see a lot of work going into these modifications and still, great videos as usual!

[@mylifeingaming]

[Try4ce] These mods are definitely reversible if you don't cut the original shell and use a reproduction shell instead.

[@RetroSix]

Definitely need to send you my CleanScreen TFT for GBA in a few weeks. Fixes all known issues including color, ghosting, tearing, response time, original screen size and more. Would be great to get your advanced breakdown and see if I did a good job or not.

[@maxducks2001]

Read the description and found out your P.O. Box is in Indian Trail. And because of that, I’d like to extend my salutations from Matthews. That’s it. Also, great video.

[@Frietuurs]

The interlacing effect can be removed by tweaking the voltage potentiometer. There is a hole on the back. And can occur on real and fake hardware. That’s why it’s different on multiple screens. Please thumb up for exposure

[@mfinite689]

After playing the original Game Boy as a kid in 1990 all I can say is good lord these screens are beautiful.

[@jaimemcnulty]

Every time Try says "Tito," I experience joy unlike anything else I've experienced in my life.

[@Vtertdfgwrth5ybdfasgagadfg]

23:28 What your talking about could be a form of pixel refresh overdrive, when refreshing the image different colours have different lengths in transition time, in order to combat the blurring caused by this, modern lcds have different levels "pixel overdrive" to lessen the effect, too much overdrive causes discoloration noticeably white ghosting in front of moving objects. hardwareunboxed has great videos on this and includes this sort of transition data in their monitor reviews if you're interested. Thats my guess anyway.

[@mylifeingaming]

[Try4ce] I saw another comment guessing something along these lines. I'd like to learn more about it. At one point in the script I described it as almost seeming like a "predictive" effect, but I thought that just sounded too insane. Maybe I was closer to the truth than I thought...

[@Vtertdfgwrth5ybdfasgagadfg]

@@mylifeingaming Yeah it does seem crazy the first time you see it hahaha, unfortunately all the current display technologies have their different "quirks". I was thinking about building an ags101 gba myself, the video was very informative, cheers!

[@mikev333]

Perfect timing with the Analogue pocket fiasco.

[@kerokerocola99]

What happened?

[@PrimoAngelo00]

@@kerokerocola99 Sold out in less than 10 minutes and MANY people were unable to proceed with the purchase due to the very low number of units available, probably between 15 and 20 thousand units, based on the progressive numbers of the orders, also due to problems with the site regarding the calculation of shipping costs.

[@vgcchoirboy]

thanks for the shout out!

[@SkyScourgeGod]

I'm actually planning on doing IPS mods for both my OG Gameboy and my Color. I had a GB Color a few months ago that I brought back from the dead with a normal backlit screen kit (cracked original screen so perfect for modding), but I gave it back to my friend who happened to be it's original owner before I got it so he could give it to his 7 year old daughter to play games on. We've been close friends for a long time and since I'm the gaming nerd of our unofficial family I wanted his kids to have something really nice so I just considered the mod work on his childhood GB Color to be a present for his growing family to cherish. In return he traded me another unmodded fully functional Color his younger sister used to own and I've chosen the IPS as my next mod for that particular system. The OG Gameboy I have is also from the same friend and, unfortunately, is quite a mess. The speaker is blown, the screen has tons of vertical lines and games will occasionally crash even after deep cleaning everything. Even the shell is in rough shape, though fortunately nothing is cracked or broken. For that one I'm also doing an IPS mod, but I'm also going to do an audio upgrade and getting a new custom shell for it. Might install a rechargeable battery, but I haven't made up my mind yet. A bit overkill? Perhaps. Awesome? You bet your ass it is! lol

[@JYGamingGuys]

Thankfully I now have experience with doing joycon shell replacements so this is up my alley

[@redwidow1358]

What a coincidence, I'm waiting on a new backlit IPS screen for my GBA right now. Already got a new shell myself. This will be my first hardmod, aside from swapping Joy-Con sticks for a repair, or doing a new shell.

[@rabidguineapig]

Not too long ago I bought a modded GBA, the old wide one with an AGS-101 screen put in and I've been loving it! and it's 100% legit too! If what the seller was saying is true it was taken directly from a GBA SP, hopefully broken and the screen was salvaged. I can see why people would like these IPS screens but I like the 1:1 pixel ratio of an original screen. Feels more authentic. I also have an old DMG with a custom case and buttons, I put it together myself, but the screen is the original. I'd much rather just have it backlit rather than get one of these IPS screens but that's just my personal preference. I always liked the "calculator" look, you know? I guess I'm just the kind of person that likes things to be a very specific blend of authentic and upgraded.

[@Wobble2007]

What would be really nice is an OLED screen, almost instant pixel response, much better colors and contrast, and best of all, better motion clarity, even better would be microOLED (OLEDoS), those screens are the real next gen display technology, they have 5000+ PPI, which is crazy, would make for the perfect handheld display.

[@jackbootshamangaming4541]

I got an IPS screen cause this episode and I have LOVED IT! I always use CRT shaders for retro games, and for emulated handheld I love using the GB/C/A matrix overlays, and I have an AGB-101 with an amazing 101 backlit screen, I thought I'd prefer it do to the more "pixel" look, but I am using the IPS more honestly.

[@benjaminramsey4695]

EXCELLENT video, wow, just thank you! Such a good overview of these screens!

[@Izquierda]

One key point that hardly anyone touches on is that for GBC and GBA both these screens and the AGS-101 screens produce incorrect colors. It's not just that the colors are more saturated or bright than the original non-backlit screens, but they use a different color space. GBC and most GBA games were designed with the original color space in mind. The GBA Micro (OXY-001) is the only official backlit screen that has correct colors, though it doesn't support GBC hardware. The GBA Consolizer and the MiSTer do offer color filter options to address this.

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

Thanks for the great guide! I kid, kid 😊. Great video as always.