Raspberry Pi Pico Enables Live Video Streaming on Nintendo Game Boy Color

A few days back, YouTuber ChromaLock shared an intriguing new project on his channel—a build log showcasing his latest venture with gaming hardware. This time, he managed to create a unique setup where a Game Boy Color could stream video through its original link cable, thanks to a Raspberry Pi Pico and some cleverly designed custom software.

The secret to achieving a higher frames per second (FPS) rate with this setup is to keep the video simple. Surprisingly, when compared to the classic Game Boy Camera accessory, using a connected USB webcam delivers smoother and clearer playback. Most videos, however, are better off in monochrome due to the Game Boy Color’s limitation to a mere 4-color palette. This limitation makes it quite challenging to run videos effectively on its 160 x 144-pixel screen.

At the heart of this undertaking is an application named CGBLinkVideo, which ChromaLock has generously uploaded to GitHub. It’s designed to work with the Raspberry Pi Pico, a Game Boy Color, and the link cable, building on some existing open-source software. Now, even though the compression reduces video quality to about 1 Megabyte per second, the link cable can manage only up to 64 Kilobytes per second. This results in extremely compressed frames and sometimes leads to issues like dropped or split frames. Still, somehow, it all “works” well enough for a sense of nostalgia-fueled enjoyment.

In his detailed video, ChromaLock doesn’t just display video playback; he dives deep into the development process and how he navigated the limitations of the Game Boy Color’s hardware. By keeping the video in grayscale or monochrome, one can achieve up to 60 FPS. However, utilizing color reduces the frame rate drastically, usually capping it at around 12 FPS.

ChromaLock also experimented with streaming some video games. Unfortunately, streaming even original Game Boy titles presented a far inferior experience compared to running them natively. And for modern 3D games like Doom Eternal? Their resolution was simply too advanced, rendering them nearly indecipherable on the Game Boy Color’s old-school screen.

The driving force behind this project appeared to be ChromaLock’s desire to successfully stream the well-known Touhou Project music video “Bad Apple” on a Game Boy Color. Given that the video is already monochrome, running it smoothly at 60 FPS turns out to be a feasible feat, though notable dithering occurs due to the streaming method.

Overall, ChromaLock’s venture is not just a testament to creativity and technical expertise—it’s an intriguing blend of nostalgia and innovation. If you’re a hardware enthusiast or simply love vintage gaming, this project is definitely worth checking out.