Someone made an ESP32-powered device that links up GBA consoles over the internet

Credit: Sea_Friendship6201 Published Sep 14, 2026, 12:23 AM EDT Simon is a Computer Science BSc graduate who has been writing about technology since 2014, and using Windows machines since 3.1. After working for an indie game studio and acting as the family's go-to technician for all computer issues, he found his passion for writing and decided to use his skill set to write about all things tech. Since beginning his writing career, he has written for many different publications such as WorldStart, Listverse, and MakeTechEasier. However, after finding his home at MakeUseOf in February 2019, he would eventually move on to its sister site, XDA, to bring the latest and greatest in Windows, Linux, and DIY electronics. Sign in to your XDA account Summary CanoFlash lets your GBA go online using an ESP32-S3 via the link port—no hardware mods. Uses SPI over the link port, WebSocket/TLS for online rooms, and a small C SDK for packets. Kickstarter goes live Sept 20—sign up to be notified if you want one. The Game Boy era would have been even cooler if they could hook up to the internet; alas, we had to make do with performing Pokémon trades using a local link cable with our friends. Fortunately, with modern-day technology, we can retroactively give the Game Boy Advance a lifeline to our routers, and one person has found a great way to achieve that goal. CanoFlash brings the dream of GBA internet connectivity to life It doesn't modify the original hardware in any way Over on the ESP32 subreddit, user Sea_Friendship6201 showed off what they've been working on. It's called the CanoFlash, and it uses a XIAO ESP32-S3 that connects to the GBA via its built-in link cable port. The CanoFlash handles communications between your GBA and the internet, meaning you can set up a room and play games with friends online as if the other device were connected via link cable. Here's how it works: - The Link Port is driven as SPI: the ESP32 provides the clock and the GBA is the slave, with 32-bit words at 4 MHz for the command protocol - The GBA-side menu is sent over Multiboot from LittleFS, buffered in the 8 MB PSRAM - For online play it runs its own WebSocket client over TLS to a room server; the game on the GBA only exchanges fixed-size packets through a small C SDK - Release builds use flash encryption, and each device authenticates with its own token If you'd like to get one for yourself, the creator has set up a Kickstarter page to raise funds for it. It should go live on September 20th, so be sure to sign up for a notification when it goes live.