ModRetro’s new transparent Chromatic Game Boy looks like it came straight out of the 2000s

Published Oct 8, 2026, 1:24 PM EDT Patrick O'Rourke is XDA's News Editor and Entertainment Segment Lead. Previously, he was Pocket-lint's Editor-in-Chief, the Editor-in-Chief of Canadian tech publication MobileSyrup, and earlier in his career, he worked as the technology editor at the Financial Post and Postmedia. He's based in Toronto. Over the past 15 years, he's written thousands of articles. Patrick has also interviewed dozens of tech industry executives and covered GDC, E3, Gamescom, WWDC, Apple keynotes, Samsung Unpacked events and more. Patrick has a BA in journalism from Toronto Metropolitan University. Summary The Transparent Chromatic costs $150 (down $50) and is available in Smoke, Green, Purple, and Red. The overall hardware is unchanged; it still plays Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges and supports existing accessories. The transparency is cool and nostalgic, but it feels cheaper than the other versions of the Chromatic. ModRetro is back with a new version of its Game Boy-inspired Chromatic, and this time, the handheld is transparent. On top of that, the company has slashed $50 off Chromatic's price, bringing it down to $150 from $200. New transparent colors include Smoke, Green, Purple, and Red. Hardware-wise, the new Transparent Chromatic matches the previously released Sapphire Crystal and the slightly cheaper Gorilla Glass version of the modern Game Boy Color. That means it still plays classic Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges, alongside Mod Retro cartridges. It's still compatible with accessories like the Mod Kit, the Rechargeable Power Core, the Link Cable, and more. ModRetro's Chromatic lineup is now as follows: $300 for the Sapphire Crystal, $200 for the Gorilla Glass, and $150 for the Transparent version. Getting a look inside the Game Boy-like handheld is pretty cool The transparent plastic feels cheaper than other versions of the Chromatic, though Thanks to the transparency, you can see the handheld's system board, the inside of buttons, and even the batteries at the rear of the device. It's a pretty cool look that definitely evokes the early 2000s in a way that appeals to my Millennial sensibilities. I've been using the Green version for the past few days, and while the handheld definitely looks flashy, it feels noticeably cheaper than the standard magnesium-alloy Chromatic. It's also an absolute fingerprint magnet. Still, it looks really neat, and with nostalgic handheld devices like the Chromatic, that's a big part of the appeal. The Chromatic first launched back in 2024. More recently, ModRetro released the M64, a modern FPGA take on the Nintendo 64 that plays original cartridges.