I love the Game Boy Advance SP. It’s the most modern design of the Game Boy that can use the original style Game Boy cartridges, and it’s a good on-the-go pocket console. Hackers have created quite a few hacks and mods for the Advance; mine both have aftermarket shells. There are USB-C charge mods and headphone socket adaptations aplenty. However, it’s getting a little trickier to source the original battery. Swooping in to help those in need of a more modern juice source for the SP is this Game Boy Advance SP Battery Adapter.
Comprised of two parts — a neat 3D printed section and a small custom PCB — this adapter allows you to add any suitable li-ion battery while maintaining the form factor of the original battery bay. Project creator Giltesa recommends the 603048 battery with 900mAh capacity; much improved over the original 600mAh batteries the SP shipped with. The keen-eyed will spot a couple of ICs on the PCB; these are over-discharge protection circuits so you can rest assured your new battery will have a long and productive life.
We love seeing all these mods for classic handhelds! it’s great that these retro pieces of kit are being modernised and kept relevant. If you’ve got a Game Boy Advance SP with dying batteries, be sure to check out this product and the many other neat mods on Tindie!
