GBFlash: back up your Game Boy cartridges and their saves on your computer

A save battery always gives out in the end, taking dozens of hours of play with it. The GBFlash, designed by Simon (GEEKSIMON), is a USB-C reader-writer for Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance cartridges. It is driven from a computer with the free software FlashGBX: you keep a backup of your own cartridges and your game saves, and you write your homebrews to blank cartridges.

What it does

• Reads your cartridges: backs up the content of your own GB, GBC and GBA cartridges to your computer.
• Game saves: reads and restores saves; on GBA, the memory type (SRAM, Flash, EEPROM) is detected automatically.
• Writes blank cartridges: flashes rewritable cartridges for your homebrews and your own backups.
• FlashGBX compatible: the go-to free software for this kind of tool, on Windows, macOS and Linux.
• Up-to-date firmware: the GBFlash firmware can be updated, acrylic case and USB-C port.

What it does not do

• It does not work on its own: it connects to a computer and is driven with FlashGBX.
• It is only for use with your own cartridges and blank flash cartridges: no content is supplied.
• It does not replace a dead save battery: it lets you put your save somewhere safe before changing the battery.
• It does not read cartridges from other consoles (DS, N64, Super Nintendo…).

Compatibility

Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance cartridges, original cartridges as well as blank flash cartridges. Computer with a USB port and FlashGBX software. DS, N64 and Super Nintendo cartridges are not covered.

Skill level

No disassembly, no soldering: the cartridge goes into the reader, and the reader connects to the computer over USB-C. You need to install FlashGBX and follow its menus. Beginner to intermediate level.

In the box

• 1 GBFlash reader-writer.

Delivered in 10 to 18 days · shipped within 3 to 5 days · 2-year legal guarantee · returns within 14 days.