Time Frog Color: a real Game Boy Color as a wristwatch, without emulation
There are some homebrew projects that impress. And there is Time Frog Color. Chris Hackmann, aka LeggoMyFroggo, has just unveiled his latest creation: a fully functional Game Boy Color housed in a watch strap, without the slightest compromise on authenticity. No emulation, no FPGA. The real thing.
⌚ The rules of the game, according to Hackmann
From the start, the creator imposed three non-negotiable constraints:
- Use the
real original Sharp CPUfrom the Game Boy Color - Being able to play via real cartridges (not from an SD card)
- Maintain the er re same console turned off, like a real watch
It was these three rules that made the project so complex, and so impressive.
🔧 How is it st built?
The case is CNC machined from 7075 and 6061aluminum, anodized in a deep purple evoking the Nintendo colorways of the era. The total thickness is 15mmonly. The buttons are distributed across the edges: four action buttons on one side, the D-pad on the other.
The real challenge was the cartridges. A Game Boy Color cartridge is much larger than the watch itself. The solution: custom PCBs in M.2 format (the connector usually used for NVMe SSDs) that contain the game ROM and fit into a slot integrated into the case. Each game has its own little miniature cartridge.
The battery does not fit into the case because of the cartridge slot. Hackmann therefore integrated a flexible circuit into the silicone strap, connected to the watch body via pin connectors. A solution that is both crazy and elegant.
⚠️ The inevitable compromises
Hackmann is the first to laugh about it: the Time Frog Color is “a Game Boy Color with a far from optimal playing experience.” No speaker (no space), reduced autonomy (old hardware consumes a lot), and the controls on the slices are not exactly ergonomic. >But that’s not the point. It's a spectacular proof of concept: the first truly functional Game Boy Color in wristwatch format, without any emulation, with the real original CPU. Hackmann knows the subject well: in 2023, he had already completely rebuilt the GBC hardware from scratch with his Frog Boy Color project.
Sources: Time Extension - Hackaday - Hackster.io