Modding a GBC: The Truth About the AMOLED Game Boy Color Mod

What's going well, fellow do-it-yourself aficionados who own Game Boy bricks? Like you, I have a strange obsession with using soldering irons and stripping screws to destroy my gadgets. You and I both do this with the tacit assurance that the gadget we're developing will be far superior to its predecessor.

And like you, I finally looked at the finished product and said, "Well," after weeks of waiting for pricey chunks of plastic from China to arrive, sometimes hours of work, gallons of blood, sweat, and isopropyl alcohol. That wasn't worth the effort. And finally abandoned to put in your conceit.

It was the Game Boy Color AMOLED mod for me. After searching Reddit and getting suggestions for other console screen customizations, I can tell you that it's not a "me" issue. You've come to the perfect place if you're considering becoming a moderator or if you would rather I write articles than go to therapy.

This article explores the drawbacks of this mod—and, by extension, all GBC LCD mods—why they occur and how to address them to obtain something that is at least as good as OEM. I am your insane man. This is GBC AMOLED, and I'm Modding the Mod, Joe.

Skippable Context

This hack has recently generated a lot of excitement on YouTube, with users hailing it as one of the easiest, most efficient, and most affordable methods to improve the Game Boy Color screen. A pre-laminated screen, a logic board, a few solderable wires, a shoddy pre-cut shell, and terrible rubber membranes and buttons are all yours for $60. This console is straightforward enough for beginners to assemble; all you need is the will to live and the ability to solder. Check out Andrews's article here for a more comprehensive set of instructions.

The screen and its capabilities are amazing, and getting up and going looks effortless. The phone you're reading this on likely has an AMOLED screen. You will see that if you look up some Game Boy Color screenshots online. Unlike previous screen tweaks, I can confidently tell that the screen displays colours accurately and doesn't appear torn.

Fun fact: Did you know that the two-tone colours of an original Game Boy game on a GBC or GBA can be changed by pressing the D-pad's instructions? I adore the sepia that appears from the D-pad up.

Unexpected Extra Features

Long-pressing the touch screen on the onscreen display will bring up a menu with options to adjust alignment, set colours, and turn on interframe blending. For games to properly use transparency effects, interframe blending adds ghosting back. Additionally, it makes everything appear so smeary and abandoned that you miss the old days when Game Boy screen tweaks were unimportant.

However, all these new buttons and shells can create their issues now that we do. Considering that the quality control ranges from 1x1 OEM level to a shoddy, eye-closed depiction of a Game Boy shell. The one that comes with the screen mod is not very good, but it can be.

The Shell is Pretty Bad

Not unsavable, though. What am I saying? When I go to play it, everything fits, and it appears fine. Oh no. Yes, the D-pad and buttons bottom out quite easily. I'm calling my lawyer because this is unpleasant and unacceptable. "Aren't you too old for Game Boys?" he said. I let him go. In any case, several factors are at play here. But the leading cause of this is the shell's screw post length, which keeps the motherboard from getting adequate contact with the buttons to seat them correctly.

This is a simple remedy that requires a very minimal filing down of the pegs. I mean not even a millimetre when I say small. Or, to be honest...You can purchase an alternative shell. Later, more on that.

This is for when you use the screen's included shell. If not, there is still a problem: The buttons and rubber membranes are considerably worse.

The Rubber Membranes and Buttons Are Terrible

Everybody has different tastes when it comes to the Game Boy Color buttons. Some choose to acquire a brand-new set, while others want to utilize OEM membranes and new buttons. Still, others prefer OEM and use it as much as possible.

The membranes included in the package are too shallow for this upgrade to have anything that resembles the actuation of a real Game Boy Color, and the smaller peg on the D-pad makes it worse. In addition to making the buttons bottom out, it isn't easy to play most games. It is the worst. My lawyer blocked me when I tried to phone him again.

Rubber membranes and the original membranes can be used. However, there are other ways to get the extra dopamine high that comes with purchasing. I'll discuss pre-cut shells for Funnyplaying IPS V5.

Perfecting the GBC AMOLED

Now, let's get started. Here are some strategies to overcome these shell and button bupkis and achieve an almost flawless OEM experience.

Method 1: Keeping the Original Shell

I paid for this mod twice because of the screen's ability to stick to the shell and journalistic integrity. Like me, you wanted to get and assemble the kit, but you later discovered that you had only paid an additional $5 for a disappointing surcharge. Use the OEM buttons and rubber membranes and file a few of the screw pegs, as mentioned above. Boom. Completed.

The final thing performs well and has a lovely atomic purple shell. A solid 95% of the GBC library runs flawlessly, so you'll likely be satisfied, even though diagonals can be problematic. However, I'm not content, so I repurchased the mod.

Method 2: The Hispeedido Shell

This shell is not unique, even though it is customized for the mod. It's a duplicate of the funny-playing shell for the Q5-type screen, the most recent IPS mod. Better buttons and membranes can be purchased in addition to a tried-and-true GBC shell. Since funny-playing membranes have more slack and contact with the logic board than OEM, it is much simpler to hit diagonals. This approach is ideal, and I strongly recommend it.

Final Thoughts

We've come a long way from where we began: the modified Game Boy, the BennVenn AGS-101. In person, it appears far worse than in photos. For it to work, we had to tape the blasted thing shut and mutilate all of the screw posts.

Since I've been making these screen mods (GBC with AGS-101 here), no two constructions are the same. They differ based on your soldering technique, how clean your OEM components are, how well you build it, and how your Game Boy feels that day.

Trips and Ticks

I've learned the following advice over the years:

1. Don't over-tighten the screws: To prevent button rattle, you might be tempted to tighten your Game Boy as much as you can. It may surprise you to learn that it is best to leave your screws free. The D-Pad may make or break diagonals and is far more sensitive if you tighten your screws as little as possible. My recommendation is to tighten the screws until you encounter resistance, and then loosen them by around 180 degrees. I would simply do this for all of your screws but mostly the board's Phillips-head screws.
2. Stay OEM as much as possible: Although extreme Rate and Funnyplaying products are excellent, none truly capture the Nintendo vibe. The likelihood that it will function similarly to the original increases with the number of original components. It can be awful to change your shell, but if you're a masochist, it might be worthwhile.
3. Don't be afraid of soldering: A baby's first electronics mod is the Game Boy Color, which also makes it an excellent way for a baby to learn more sophisticated adult skills like melting metal. Be sure to have flux fluid and Kapton tape on hand.
4. You aren't missing out if you already have a modded Game Boy Advance: The function is essentially the same, with the exception of a much reduced viewing window. I still prefer the buttons.
5. The best Game Boy you can own is the one you already have: If you already have a modified Game Boy, a new, shiny OLED one won't make up for it. Don't get too caught up with these mods. Either sell it on our Discord or enjoy what you have!