Earlier this month we reported that a working prototype of the Hyperkin Smart Boy was spotted at E3. The good news is that for those who are interested in the device, Hyperkin has announced that the developer kit will now be available for pre-order where it is priced at $60 and will basically encourage developers to create games for it.According to Hyperkin, “The Smartboy Development Kit attaches to Android smartphones, turning the phone into a handheld gaming device. It will be compatible with Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges. Included in the kit is an open source serial app and firmware, which will enable developers of all kinds to advance Hyperkin’s current build toward a retail-ready model.”
Note that this is the developer kit meaning that the final version could be slightly different. It is also aimed more towards developers which means that right now unless you’re a developer, there might not be much use for you, however you can still try and pre-order one for yourself if you are so inclined.
Just in case you forgot, the Smart Boy was originally launched as an April Fools joke in 2015 where it was a smartphone case that allowed gamers to play Game Boy games on their phones. However it seems that there was enough interest generated that Hyperkin decided to make it a reality. We’re not sure if there are any ramifications in terms of copyright from Nintendo, but for now everything seems to be moving according to plan.
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