ModRetro is the retro brand of Palmer Luckey, the founder of Oculus and Anduril. Its Chromatic console takes the Game Boy Color format, reads original cartridges and pushes the finish as far as a sapphire glass screen. An object apart in the retro landscape, and one of the most discussed since its release. Updated in August 2026.
The story begins well before the console: in 2009, Palmer Luckey, then a teenager, created the ModRetro forum, dedicated to console modding. It was that community that led him to virtual reality and to Oculus. In 2023, he revived the name as a company, co-founded with Torin Herndon, with a preservation goal: playing Game Boy cartridges again on new hardware that is faithful and built to last.
The Chromatic was announced in June 2024 and went on sale at the end of 2024. The first batch sold out fast, to the point that units — in particular a special edition in Anduril colours — resold well above the retail price. Since mid-2025, the console has come back in stock more regularly on the official US store.
The central product is the Chromatic: a handheld the size of the Game Boy Color, compatible with Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges. Hardware fidelity relies on an FPGA, reusing in particular open source components from the MiSTer project — the “circuit recreation” approach rather than software emulation. The finish stands out from the crowd: a screen protected by virtually scratch-proof sapphire glass on the original models, a rigid alloy shell, a panel set exactly to the 160×144 resolution of the era, power from AA batteries with an optional rechargeable battery.
ModRetro also publishes new cartridges: original games (Dragonyhm, Traumatarium Penitent, etc.) and physical reissues (Toki Tori, Rayman, Croc). The console was launched in a bundle with a Tetris cartridge. Apart from these official cartridges, the Chromatic is sold without games or ROMs: it reads your cartridges, that is all.
Prices observed in dollars on the official store; as with Analogue, availability works in waves and can change from one week to the next.
ModRetro sells directly from the United States, with no French distribution. In practice: payment in dollars, VAT and import fees on top, transatlantic delivery times, and recurring shortages on some colours or editions. The resale market, fed by the scarcity of the first drops, charges unreasonable prices.
Fun-Esports is preparing to open its premium and FPGA console section, in which the Chromatic has a prominent place. Sourcing this type of product is difficult and we would rather say so: this page serves first of all as a French-language reference, and we publish the real state of the stock rather than keep you waiting. As soon as units are available, they will be listed here in euros, including all taxes.
An emulator imitates a console through software, with approximations and a little latency. An FPGA is a chip configured to reproduce the circuits of the original machine: the cartridge talks to recreated hardware. That is what gives the Chromatic faithful behaviour and native cartridge reading, without software emulation.
Yes: Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges, including your own period copies. That is the whole point of the console. It is sold without ROMs; the only games supplied are the official physical cartridges, such as the Tetris bundle at launch.
Sapphire is practically scratch-proof — it is found on high-end watches. On a handheld that lives in a pocket or a bag, that is a real durability argument. Since mid-2025, ModRetro has also offered a cheaper Gorilla Glass variant, with sapphire remaining the most scratch-resistant option.
Both read Game Boy cartridges via FPGA. The Chromatic plays the card of an object faithful to the GBC format, rugged, running on AA batteries. The Pocket aims wider: a very high definition screen, GBA natively, multi-system adapters and openFPGA. Two different philosophies, the same refusal of software emulation.
To go further: follow the opening of our Premium & FPGA consoles section, and compare the Chromatic with the other retro handhelds using our comparison tool.