RetroSix steals designs from people that actually design innovative mods for GameBoys. They are unapologetic and are in it for the money. I personally do not find their practices ethically sound. As a person that's been modding handhelds and has been a contributor to the Chiptune scene since 2011, I'm quite disappointed that you are promoting such a company that is morally bankrupt. It is putting money in the hands of a copycat and not to the original mod designers.
@@MachoNachoProductions Also "wireless" as long as you ignore the wire going into the charging cradle. This whole video is just how many lies can be packed onto one product, basically.
@@acumenium8157 That's like saying Wi-Fi isn't wireless since you need wires going to the router. Ridiculous. Wireless refers to the final power/data transfer method.
@@kelvinnkat Wi-Fi is wireless though. You can move anywhere in distance and use it. Wireless power needs you to be literally ON TOP of the apparatus THAT ALREADY HAS A WIRE GOING INTO IT. Meaning... YOU ARE ALREADY NEAR YOUR CHARGE WIRE. Wireless power actually makes you even LESS mobile. Dumbass comparison since it makes no sense.
Yeah I totally don't trust a retrosix product, they had battery kits that self discharged with no usage. When called about it they were asked about it they had people fixing their own products. While this is a great idea I just kinda can't support RetroSix with all the drama around them taking designs and art from people with no credit.
Cool story, but it's bullshit. THe problem was with their GBA USB-C battery mod. They provided instructions on how a users could repair the issue themselves by unsoldering two components from the board, but if you wanted to send back the unit to have them repair it, they had no problem with that. This information was right there on their discord channel, where are your facts from?
@@MrRobarino check the sidebar in the Gameboy subreddit (r/Gameboy) there’s a whole thread explaining it. Not only that but their shells for example feel unacceptably cheap (even an unbranded shell from eBay felt miles better, not on OEM or even FunnyPlaying’s level of quality, but far better than RetroSix) and the shell they gave me didn’t even come with the right amount of screws or even the RIGHT TYPES of screws. Considering the drama, them stealing credit, and my OWN experience with them I will definitely stay far the fuck away from them. The only exception I might make are the screen lens for the GG but even THEN I’ll try my very hardest to look elsewhere before going to them, even for a screen lens.
Not that I have personal experience with them, but retrosix really don't seem trustworthy when it comes to batteries. Makho has done a few videos on batteries particularly for GBA SP and had two cells from retro six, one of which simple discharged and could not be recharged by any means. The other of which came in much lower than its stated capacity. Small sample size obviously, but definitely makes you weary when other folks have made a superior product in that it can reliably perform its function.
I want one that will accommodate D batteries. LOL JK Unless... But i actually think if an AA shell exeisted would it be shaped more like a gameboy light or a gameboy color?
If I can only charge the battery with a wireless charger, then this is not for me. I'm not always going to have access to a wireless charger. For any device, wireless charging should be an option, not a requirement.
The thing is you always DO have access to a wireless charger if you have access to a USB wire. What do you think the wireless charger uses? It's why wireless charging is such a scam.
@@acumenium8157 I don't think wireless charging is much of a scam. It definitely has it's uses, such as for small devices like smart watches that are too small for a USB-C connector, making the only other option a proprietary connector (Which I find to be worse simply due to the fact that said proprietary connectors are likely only used for one companies products, or even a single line of products. Looking at the Pebble line of devices with their 3 incompatible cables with that last part.)
@@PercyPanleo It's not actually wireless though, so yeah, it is a complete scam. It's also a lot worse because it leaves the device entirely immobile instead of limited to however the wire can move. Also calling BS on smart watches being "too small" for a USB-C, those things have MORE than enough room.
@@acumenium8157 Indeed, there's technically enough space to put a USB-C connector, but most smart watch manufacturers try to make their devices as thin as possible, which also ends up with them making the main board as small as possible so that they can fit the largest battery possible. By putting a USB-C connector in, with the depth of the connector, it would not only end up creating a lot of wasted space where they can't put any battery, but it would also create a pretty sizable dent in the battery size. Smart watches already have a serious problem with battery life due to using similar hardware and software to android phones, so for manufacturers it's a lot easier to just put power and ground contacts on the back of the board and use a proprietary connector or to put a wireless charging coil in the back of the watch.
The problem I see is that the battery is ONLY wireless charging, unless I misunderstand this thing. Not as easy or practical to play while charging compared to using AAA batteries that you can just swap out with no down time. A couple extra rechargeable batteries in your pocket drastically improves the length of time you can play without worry.
Agreed. Give me hot swappable AA or AAA batteries over built in batteries that require a cable or pad to charge any day. Xbox controllers are my favorite of any console controller because of the AA batteries. Oh, controller's dead? Cool, let me just slide open this cover, pop out the dead batteries, pop in new batteries, put the cover back on, and get back to playing wirelessly in seconds. And like you said, use rechargeable batteries so you don't have to keep buying disposables. PlayStation and Nintendo, though? Can't swap the battery on the fly, guess I have to be tethered to the console again like it's 1985 until the battery is charged. And I love it when fanboys want to defend this by saying "just buy a second controller so you have a new controller to swap to." Yeah cool except controllers are stupidly expensive these days, I'm not spending that kind of money when a set of 4 rechargeable batteries and a charger is less than $20, and can be carried over through generations. I bought a set for my Wii remotes and still use them over a decade later in my Xbox Series X controller. Also, I don't want to think about how many people have run the battery completely dead in their PlayStation and Nintendo controllers and just thrown them out and bought new ones because they didn't want to bother with a screwdriver and some spudgers to get inside and replace the internal battery. So much needless e-waste and plastic waste. I personally have no love for """wireless""" charging anyway. It's inefficient, so charging takes longer and the battery gets hotter, reducing its usable life. If I pick up my phone, or Game Boy in this case, the charging stops. And when I'm done charging, there's still a big pad or stand wasting space on my desk or table. Why bother? The wire for this so-called """wireless""" charging is right there sticking out of the pad - I can just plug it into my phone instead and get rid of all of these disadvantages. I get more efficient charging that takes less time and produces less heat. I can pick up my phone to use it and charging continues. And when charging is done, I can tuck the cable away and re-claim my desk space. The only kind of wireless charging I'd be interested in is actual wireless charging, where they put electricity into the air and my phone just grabs it no matter where it is. In my hand? In my pocket? On a table? No problem, it's still able to grab a charge. No cables or pads required. Wake me up when that's mainstream. Until then, can we stop calling induction charging, which is what we actually have now, wireless charging? It's not wireless charging. This is marketing nonsense that annoys me even more than how they managed to change TV resolutions to Ks. ...Yeah this was a long comment, I've got lots of opinions about batteries and charging 😂
@@mjc0961 That's the same reason I love Xbox controllers and hate PS4 controllers. All internal bateries eventualy die. For the Xbox, if you AA rechargeable batteries die, i'd just buy another pair.
I'm so glad that someone has made a start on this cause the pocket desperately needs it, but I'll probably wait for a more refined version cause I'm not too big on leaving screws out or having the battery cover bulging. Plus retrosix is involved which is probably a bad thing. Awesome video as usual nonetheless
@@VanguardRaven If RetroSix sent you a shell that felt incredibly cheaper than unbranded ones on eBay along with the incorrect amount of screws that don’t even fit the shell, causing the screen to break from too much fiddling, you’d probably wanna stay far away from them too (my personal experience that costed me an SP, and almost $100 since the screen got damaged from basically STRUGGLING to screw in the shell)
@@Tye2K I can't speak for their shells, I honestly haven't heard anyone complain about them until now. ExtremeRate also have a nasty habit of sending far too many screws which makes it harder to gauge which go where so you have little choice but to rely on experience and gut instinct. However I can vouch for the actual quality of the EXR SP shells, despite their high cost. Very tight, good fit. On that note, Funnyplaying will be releasing their own SP shells soon, too. About time.
While I appreciate Tito's skill and talent, it feels quite off that a RetroSix product is being featured, considering their reputation re copying shell designs, pcb designs, being rude to other people in the modding community, etc :(
for me, wireless charging is kinda a negative as I don't have a wireless charger, and I also tend to prefer solid color shells over "crystal" or see-through shells, and would like to use my original shell even. Given that, I'll likely stick with nromal batteries, or look for longer lasting batteries.
@@mjc0961 I have a flashcart (Everdrive GB x7), but I was under the impression that an IPS modded GB Pocket would have power issues when using a flashcart...
Wireless charging is probably one of the biggest scams I've ever seen. It's not wireless. It's a wire hooked up to a dock that your device has to be hugging to charge. It's actually WORSE than wired charging as you have 0 mobility instead of limited by the wire YOU NEED ANYWAY.
Out of curiosity what are the best AA batteries to use if I'm tired of reachables getting lodged inside of things? Having to go get a screwdriver and jam it between the AA batteries to get them out of my steam controller is not fun I ended up buying a long USB cable and using it that way.
@@bland9876 not familiar with the steam controller specifically but I’ve never had to pry out rechargeable batteries before. That sounds scary. Is it possible your batteries are bulged from overcharging?
@@Cherokie89 my guess is that rechargeable AA batteries are a few milimeters longer/rounder than normal AA. Here's a video showing somebody changing the batteries on the steam controller using regular batteries that do not get stuck. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Juw6zg6r_jY.html
I would check out the Juggee batteries that Retro Game Repair Shop sells. They have a shorter positive terminal which make them easer to remove. Hope that helps!
it's ordering because the Game Boy Pocket and my favorite console, on the other hand 25 $ of shipping costs it hurts, surely because I live in France ^^
this is amazing video! thanks for tests. i hope better mods for future (gameboy pocket battery cover fits 850mah lipo) there is looks 30 percent higher playtime
Great video! Are you considering a review of the Retrosix's Cleanpower regulator for both gameboy color and gameboy pocket? It would be really helpful to hear your thoughts about it. Greetings!!
At least for the Sept 2020 version mine fit with pretty much no bulge AND all screws in. The trick is you have to push the white PCB board as far as you can to the left to go against the one remaining left side contact spring so the PCB can clear the contact rails that are on the left. I also had to gently nudge the coil that sits on top downward so it would more easily fit into the area milled out for it on the back piece.
Wait, so there's no way to plug in to charge? This is definitely not for me then. I have no use for induction charging - what if I want to play and charge at the same time? If I had a Pocket, I'd just stick with rechargeable AAAs. Popping in new batteries is way better than having to stop playing because the system needs to sit on a bulky pad to recharge. -Also, I find it quite odd that they make a custom shell for this battery, but force you to take apart the shell to remove battery terminals. If the shell is specifically for this battery mod, just don't include those battery terminals to begin with. Not quite as offensive as that no-cut mod that you had to file (AKA cut) to get the buttons to fit, but still very strange.- Wait, never mind. I got caught up in watching you open yours, and forgot that you'd be receiving an empty shell that you have to install a Pocket PCB into and screw together anyway. Never mind. 😅
As a person who had a battery pack way back in the day for the gba that had to be set on a charging pad I can say that it is annoying however if you're willing to turn the system off then you can pop out the rechargeable battery and put in AA/AAA and then when you're done playing put the rechargeable battery back in and let it charge when you're not playing. I do this with controllers that have a "play and charge kit"
Great video and battery! The Gameboy pocket helped me get through some of the toughest years of my life back in the late 90s. Such a great rendition of the hardware.
After looking at rechargeable packs for other controllers, I wonder if it'd be feasible for them to just build the battery pack and cover all together. To help avoid fitment issues
I have a Modded Game Boy Pocket with the Funnyplaying Shell and IPS LCD. Does anyone know if this battery mod will work with the Funnyplaying GameBoy Pocket IPS Ready Shell? Has anyone used this battery mod with a IPS LCD mod and an Evedrive GB? My GameBoy Pocket won't turn on with an Everdrive in it, I have to use a GameBoy DMG to use the Everdrive GB since the AAA Bateries are so weak.
Hi Tito, great video as usual. Do you know the voltage on this battery back? I cant find that info on their website. But for whatever reason my Funnyplaying IPS modded GBP cant run properly off of rechargeable AAA batteries. I think its because regular AAA's are 1.5v but even my rechargeable Eneloop pro's are only 1.2v. It means I have to use regular disposable batteries, which doesn't feel right based on how fast this machine eats them up with the IPS kit. I have ended up just not using it much. Not sure if maybe my GBP needs to be recapped or something.
restricted li-ion shipping makes it expensive for international buyers, and secondly, how long do these "custom" li ion pack do you think will be available? I think less than 1 year
Given the case is supposedly custom, it’s ridiculous to me that they didn’t measure the dimensions required for clearance. All it needed was a couple millimetres and it would sit nice and flush. It’s a cool mod, drop in mods especially are really appreciated as it means more people can experiment without needing to worry about soldering.
You know, I was thinking about the Pockets' battery problem a couple months back, then makho did a video about it recently. Though, it's a shame it was *that* guy that made it though. With that kind of shaky rep, would've preferred one of the well established retro shops have made their own in-house solution instead. Well, I guess we might see an improved version sooner or later
What do you think of most famously the Nintendo 3DS where it acts like a wireless charging but it has these pins that touch holes to do the electrical transfer? I had a battery way back in the day for my game boy advance that used this method so it had all the annoyances wireless charging would have where you can't use it and charge at the same time.
I really wish this didnt require you to remove the one side of the battery connectors. Since if im out and about and my battery dies I can't just throw 2 AAAs in.
If I used a flash cart there’s a good chance the console wouldn’t be able to turn on. Additional power mods may be necessary, but it is like to be reduced further. I would guess around 2 hours of battery life.
@@MachoNachoProductions I've found that you can have the X7 running with an IPS using the stock power supply and normal AAAs You simply need to pull apart the switch and DC Jack (properly pull apart) and give them a good clean. (Copper contacts on the switch need to be polished) and it will run! Can provide a video showing one running on Instagram if needed.
I know there’s a way to add a wireless charging coil to the existing clean juice kits but the instructions aren’t that detailed, at least not to me. Can you do a video adding wireless charging to the old clean juice kits 🤔
10:30 I'm the person that watches these videos and goes why not just use a game boy advance SP? It has all this biult in to it especially the "new brighter backlight" one.
Do you feel this will ever shrink further to be a true drop in? Right now you still have to swap/sacrifice your shell which sucks (to me at least.) If I could get a drop in on that and more so the COLOR without having to swap shells, I'd buy it instantly as I have a couple wireless bases around here for an iphone that would be a pleasure to use.
I remember a while back there was a true drop-in you could do for GBA by using a rechargeable pack meant for a Wii remote lol Maybe something like that?
They do not. GBP takes AAAs, GBA takes AAs. Very different diameters and lengths. AAAs are smaller though, so I imagine putting it in the GBA would give you quite a lot of slop. Better off getting a GBA specific battery mod though, you'd be able to fit a bigger battery and thus get longer battery life.
Do you have any advise for a Game boy Pocket which is not loading games? it boots but the screen sometimes stay stuck on the nintendo logo, other times the logo vanishes and it stay on a white screen but does nothing, i know the games are not faulty since i trying on a working Game Boy Pocket
Hey Tito, I'm building a Pocket with this mod and the case flex is bugging me. You mentioned using countersunk screws in the battery compartment, but I have no idea what to look for sourcing countersunk screws in this size. Do you have any recommendations? Appreciate the video btw; I never would have known this kit existed otherwise.
@@MachoNachoProductions I completely forgot that they use different batteries but if they do make it for the color it definitely give me a reason to not have it stored away all the time
Hey there! I was wondering what about the clean power mode they made for the pocket and color? Is it better with those mods installed? Would love to see a test with or without those mods plus battery mod!!
Isn't the Pocket supposed to have it's screen go dimmer and dimmer once the battery goes out? I'm thinking about getting one myself (one without a battery LED) and mod it but the thought of not knowing when the battery is about to die scares me
My Pocket didn’t have a battery LED so I installed one of FroggoCustoms that can have two different colors for battery (second color shows when there’s 10min left before battery runs out.) and it works with this battery.
This, with a different battery, could possibly be used for the GBC. Also with an aftermarket battery cover that would make it flat or flat and at a slight degree tilted so it sits flat when lying on back.
I have a pocket with ips, the problem comes when you add an Everdrive to the equation and turn up the volume.... it lasts a few minutes or hangs. I have this battery on the way, I hope it solves the problem :-/ PS: Super nice video, top.
I just did this mod with the funnyplaying ips screen...and I can't even power on a Pokemon game. The nintendo screen loads up and then the screen slowly fades black. Tetris and Dr. Mario work fine, but that's pretty much it. I wonder if it's the power draw of the IPS screen causing this?
