The Analogue Pocket. | Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge
The Analogue Pocket, a modern handheld console that can play old Game Boy cartridges, already supports Nintendo’s classic 1998 Game Boy Camera accessory. But with an upcoming firmware update, Gizmodo reports that you’ll be able to actually do something with the low-resolution, grayscale, and yet utterly cool photographs it takes. Namely: transfer them to a microSD card.
Since the Game Boy Camera cartridge itself only stores 30 photos, it’s important to have a way to export them if you don’t want to constantly curate your collection. Back in the day, Nintendo’s official solution was a small thermal printer accessory called the Game Boy Printer which could attach to the handheld via its link port. But given its reliance on proprietary 38mm thermal paper, this obviously isn’t a great long-term solution.
Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge
The Game Boy Camera, plugged into an original Game Boy.
As a result, over the years there have been various third-party and homebrew solutions that have emerged. There’s this $20 adapter for connecting the camera to a modern printer for example, and in September Gizmodo also reported on a Raspberry Pi project that could extract photos from the Camera and make them wirelessly accessible from a browser.
But Analogue’s solution is the most seamless yet — provided you’re able to actually get your hands on its excellent handheld console. Gizmodo notes that there’s currently no firm release date for the 1.1 firmware update, which will enable the microSD card transfers. But when it releases, it should be available to download from Analogue’s site here.