A few things worth mentioning that I left out (but was aware of) in the video: The Chromatic has a USB-C video output mode for recording/streaming that the FPGBC doesn't have. The Chromatic battery door will sit flush if I push the bottom upwards after latching. Scrolling/fast motion scenes often look smoother on the Chromatic, similar to how they do on CRT vs LCD. You can play original GB games in different color palettes (including black and white) on the Chromatic by pressing a two button combination as the game boots. My primary takeaways of this comparison remain: the Chromatic screen is not as appealing to look at as the FPGBC's as the colors are muted and less differentiated from each other. The FPGBC also allows you to play at a larger display size without the pixel grid or with the pixel grid for art styles that look better with it on. The Chromatics' built-in speaker is also objectively inferior to the FPGBC's. It may sound very close to the original Game Boy Color but the FPGBC allows you to hear the audio in its full fidelity, similar to how you might listen to a Game Boy soundtrack on youtube.
If you search for 'Phil Jones GBCC tech notes' he goes into detail about replicating the muted tones of the gameboy color. This is the direction Chromatic team chose to go.
The reason the colors on the Chromatic look different is because they are tuned to match the original GBC color display as closely as possible. The original GBC display was not as saturated as modern displays, and so the graphics in GBC games were developed with that factor in mind. The Chromatic is giving you an experience closer to the original. Whether or not this is good or bad is personal preference, but I personally like it. Edit: Also the color correction, as far as I can tell, is solely for the USB-C video output. Turning color correction on makes the output look more like what is on the Chromatic's own screen, and with it off it looks more like it would on a modern display. I have screenshots showing this, but I'm not sure how to post them considering how much TH-cam hates links.
@aleckermit Most times rechargeable batteries don't fit exactly like akalines that might be the reason your battery door fits a little wonky. I ordered some rechargeable batteries for anyone using a Everdrive GB X7 with there Chromatic you will go through batteries fairly quick. I'm hoping the rechargeable pack that MR is bringing out is a decent capacity according to MR there hoping to have that available 1st quarter of 2025.
@@PongbyAtari I have never had issues with fitment with Eneloops and that is holding true for the Chromatic. The rechargeable pack should be a pretty good capacity considering at least the sheer size of battery they can fit in the space of 3 AA batteries.
Should state that the Chromatics display colors are meant to be more accurate to how the OG GBC screen looks like out in the sun. Also the difference in the speakers sound may be influenced by the different materials. Color correction is for video out, it doesn't effect the handheld. The other video setting is really noticable in something like Side Pocket for the GB and how it handles transparency.
It’s interesting that you see using AAs as a negative, for me it’s completely the opposite: Eneloops have existed for years and the form factor is standard. 15 years from now do you feel confident you can get a lilon battery in the right capacity and dimensions that you need?
That's certainly a good point and that is a potential risk with the FPGBC, but with how successful the handheld is I can't imagine they will stop manufacturing the battery packs any time soon, and if they ever do someone else will probably step forward to make a replacement. AA is a negative in that it's additional cost and if you want no downtime (like the FPGBC offers) you'll need two sets of three rechargeable AA batteries.
By the way, I just tested and the FPGBC can actually play without the battery pack when the handheld is attached to a usb-c cable. So worst case scenario you can always play tethered to a USB port or a portable battery pack.
Great video, I appreciate the detail you went into My 50 year old eyes mean I prefer a bigger screen. Currently I mostly use an Anbernic handheld over my old Nintendo consoles.
Thank you for the comparison. I own an Analogue Pocket and now a Chromatic. I thought about doing an FPGBC as well, since it’s cheaper and customizable. But ultimately I prefer the build quality and ease of use of the two I already own. I may do an FPGBC build in the future just to have it. But it definitely isn’t necessary for me right now.
Honestly I'd go with traditional rechargeable NiMH batteries. See if you can get a 4-pack and a 2-pack for a total of six batteries. Battery chargers should be cheap too. Then you can use three and swap them with the other three once the first three are almost empty.
Perfect Dark gave me issues on the FPGBC and played perfectly on the Chromatic. So far, the screen makes the Chromatic well worth it to me. That "washed out" look was intentional to have it match the OG Color screen.
7:48 The colors aren't supposed to be more saturated. If we want to be technical I could make gbc look better on my phone than I could a fpgbc, but it would still be wrong because the color is messed up. Take lapras as an example: no part of it is supposed to be yellow, the saturation ruined the dev's intentions. Chromatic looks just like gbc but clearer. The screen is perfect but I agree that the speaker is kind of weak and tinny.
I've heard people mention Alleyway (which works fine on mine) and Perfect Dark (haven't tested). The clock speed thing.. it's basically the difference between 59.97fps and 60fps. It's not discernable in sight or sound. If anything it's a perk for me because for every 10 minutes of gameplay or so you're saving seconds of your life.
@ It’s easily worth $40. Many Tetris pro players are saying it’s the best version of the game released so far. It’s also officially licensed, so to call it a “repro” is undervaluing it a bit.
I’ve considered the FPGBC. I got the ModRetro Chromatic & It’s a fantastic piece of technology and I’ve got zero issues with AA batteries, just allows for more power options which is never a bad thing. Also, while many reviewers praise its ability to replicate GB/GBC graphics, colors & sound better than the Analogue Pocket, my Pocket remains my go to for GB/GBC gameplay vs the Chromatic. In fact Pocket is my go to for pretty much all my retro handheld gaming
I don't own a FP system however I do have an Analogue Pocket and imo I think the games look better on the Chromatic even with the different core display options and higher resolution of the AP. I also purchased my Chromatic at GS my battery door sets flush my ir sensor wasn't scratched as well as my Tetris cart. My only real complaint is I wish the rechargeable pack was available at launch for the Chromatic because it goes through AA batt quick when using an Everdrive.
i did just get a FPGBC in the mail from China. I was not aware of the Chromatic at the time I ordered it but have become curious. The FPGBC screen does look pretty good with the 4x integer scale and grid filter on. As someone really into displays though, I would love to try a chromatic in person. But I have a wall full of crts, rgb modded consoles, and a retrotink 5X (bought before the 4k existed) so I probably care more about this than most normal people lol
I've owned severa CRTs including a Sony Trinitron for 240p retro gaming and Trinitron PC monitor for 480p gaming, I don't think the Chromatic's screen rival these experiences. Perhaps if the color temperature and saturation wasn't purposely degraded for authenticity it'd be a sweet experience but as is it's more like looking at a cheap CRT for me.
@ have you compared it to a fpgbc or a q5 ips gbc? i mainly wonder if the grid-like effect can be more realistic than the one on the fpgbc. I suppose it would also be pretty accurate on the Pocket due to such a high resolution. I like how the fpgbc screen looks, I would just like to compare it to something that is backlit while also a more accurate grid to see what i prefer. i suppose i could load up my ags 101 and compare em side by side to get a good idea
I guess it's for people who like to play outside in the Sun. I think FPGBC is more for me but I may have to buy that Tetris game. I haven't made up my mind yet. I love SkyEmu's Retro Pixel Effect on my devices but I want to link and play two players with my girlfriend in bed.
Previous GBC mods and the like have all been varying degrees of ok to excellent and each has served it's purpose. However. The Chromatic puts each and every one of them in the redundant category. Make no mistake, the Chromatic is the absolute pinnacle when it comes to playing GB and GBC games, beating even the Analogue Pocket.
I have both and the fpgbc in my opinion is garbage. It feels cheap and has quality control issues. My volume wheel doesn’t even work. I have to go into the menu to change it. It also sounds blown out, but maybe that’s just my unit. Yes it’s a cheaper product, but when you consider the materials the chromatic uses the cost is a non-issue. The button feel is also light years ahead of the fpgbc imo. My fpgbc also has issues with the everdrive that my chromatic has no problem with. The fpgbc also doesn’t just automatically play a gbc game if it’s set to gb mode. You have to manually change it and reload the game. And on top of that, if it’s set to gbc mode and you try to play a gb game, it displays the game incorrectly. The speed is also wrong on the fpgbc. It has a setting in the menu to change it but you can never get it “just right”
I can see your perspective, the FPGBC does occasionally disappoint with its inconsistent parts quality. You volume definitely shouldn't sounds blown out, it's very good quality on my units. Funny Playing does have good customer support. Generally they will at least partially refund your purchase if something's wrong. I disagree that it feels cheap though. After assembled it feels about as sturdy as an original GBC to me.
Yeah, I tried contacting funnyplaying and while they did reply, they were ultimately unhelpful. They asked for a video, which I sent and then asked for me to ship my unit back to them at my cost. I told them that was unreasonable and that something is clearly defective on the motherboard. I asked that they either send a new motherboard or pay for shipping. They refused so I just let it go.
Dont know why they couldn't have used an oled screen instead of that washed-out ips screen. I mean they were touting all the premium features and only using the best so why not use an oled instead. It would have been the superior screen technology in my opinion.
I don't know about display tech, but I can imagine a custom made 160x144 OLED that has a sub-pixel structure to replicate a GBC might be impossible or insanely expensive.
@RogerEssigArtist After seeing it in person, I think the native sub-pixel structure is a little overrated. The FP gbc's subpixel structure filter looks just as good. You can put it close to your face and count the pixels on either handheld. I'm with Eric and saying an OLED screen would have been a better choice, as well as a high-quality speaker.
Not necessarily true they can last a long time and the technology has gotten alot better. Alot of smartphone including Apple use them even nintendo with their switch. Of course I agree not as long lasting as regular ips screens but the contrast and and overall screen quality is worth it in my opinion. Plus hopefully micro led or another major improvement to oled tech is just around the corner.
I get that, although there are other factors to take into account, such as potential burn-in - especially when running with these levels of brightness. Like you say, we’re still years away from ‘perfect’ screen tech which rivals the CRT tube.
Yeah with the screen I almost wonder if there's something wrong with my chromatic display because it's so pale in vibrancy but I'm assuming that this is the way it's intended to look. The audio tone was very shocking, I personally would never use the built-in speaker on the chromatic because there's quite a bit of fidelity lost and the tone is too high pitched and tinny for me.
@@aleckermit I don't think the Chromatic is pale, I think the FPGBC is incredibly over-satutrated. When you compare the FPGBC to the Pocket to the Chromatic, the FPGBC is the most saturated, followed by the Pocket which is close, followed by the Chromatic. The Chromatic is the only one, from what I've seen, that faithfully matches the intended original palette of the GBC. There are many scenarios where the other devices are just way too saturated.
@banboosy Intended or not, to my eyes it's an inferior image quality. For example when looking at the title screen of say Metal Gear solid, on the FPGBC it is a pure red with strong blacks and good contrast. On the chromatic it can hardly even be called red, it's almost a pink.
A few things worth mentioning that I left out (but was aware of) in the video: The Chromatic has a USB-C video output mode for recording/streaming that the FPGBC doesn't have. The Chromatic battery door will sit flush if I push the bottom upwards after latching. Scrolling/fast motion scenes often look smoother on the Chromatic, similar to how they do on CRT vs LCD. You can play original GB games in different color palettes (including black and white) on the Chromatic by pressing a two button combination as the game boots. My primary takeaways of this comparison remain: the Chromatic screen is not as appealing to look at as the FPGBC's as the colors are muted and less differentiated from each other. The FPGBC also allows you to play at a larger display size without the pixel grid or with the pixel grid for art styles that look better with it on. The Chromatics' built-in speaker is also objectively inferior to the FPGBC's. It may sound very close to the original Game Boy Color but the FPGBC allows you to hear the audio in its full fidelity, similar to how you might listen to a Game Boy soundtrack on youtube.
If you search for 'Phil Jones GBCC tech notes' he goes into detail about replicating the muted tones of the gameboy color. This is the direction Chromatic team chose to go.
The reason the colors on the Chromatic look different is because they are tuned to match the original GBC color display as closely as possible. The original GBC display was not as saturated as modern displays, and so the graphics in GBC games were developed with that factor in mind. The Chromatic is giving you an experience closer to the original. Whether or not this is good or bad is personal preference, but I personally like it.
Edit: Also the color correction, as far as I can tell, is solely for the USB-C video output. Turning color correction on makes the output look more like what is on the Chromatic's own screen, and with it off it looks more like it would on a modern display. I have screenshots showing this, but I'm not sure how to post them considering how much TH-cam hates links.
@aleckermit Most times rechargeable batteries don't fit exactly like akalines that might be the reason your battery door fits a little wonky. I ordered some rechargeable batteries for anyone using a Everdrive GB X7 with there Chromatic you will go through batteries fairly quick. I'm hoping the rechargeable pack that MR is bringing out is a decent capacity according to MR there hoping to have that available 1st quarter of 2025.
@@PongbyAtari I have never had issues with fitment with Eneloops and that is holding true for the Chromatic. The rechargeable pack should be a pretty good capacity considering at least the sheer size of battery they can fit in the space of 3 AA batteries.
Should state that the Chromatics display colors are meant to be more accurate to how the OG GBC screen looks like out in the sun. Also the difference in the speakers sound may be influenced by the different materials. Color correction is for video out, it doesn't effect the handheld. The other video setting is really noticable in something like Side Pocket for the GB and how it handles transparency.
It’s interesting that you see using AAs as a negative, for me it’s completely the opposite: Eneloops have existed for years and the form factor is standard. 15 years from now do you feel confident you can get a lilon battery in the right capacity and dimensions that you need?
That's certainly a good point and that is a potential risk with the FPGBC, but with how successful the handheld is I can't imagine they will stop manufacturing the battery packs any time soon, and if they ever do someone else will probably step forward to make a replacement. AA is a negative in that it's additional cost and if you want no downtime (like the FPGBC offers) you'll need two sets of three rechargeable AA batteries.
By the way, I just tested and the FPGBC can actually play without the battery pack when the handheld is attached to a usb-c cable. So worst case scenario you can always play tethered to a USB port or a portable battery pack.
Great video, I appreciate the detail you went into
My 50 year old eyes mean I prefer a bigger screen.
Currently I mostly use an Anbernic handheld over my old Nintendo consoles.
Thank you for the comparison. I own an Analogue Pocket and now a Chromatic. I thought about doing an FPGBC as well, since it’s cheaper and customizable. But ultimately I prefer the build quality and ease of use of the two I already own.
I may do an FPGBC build in the future just to have it. But it definitely isn’t necessary for me right now.
holy heck, I never knew there was individual USB-C rechargeable batteries
Yeah neither did I until I was at Costco and saw these on sale. They come with a USB / C to 4 USBC splitter so you can charge them all at once.
@@aleckermit very cool.
Honestly I'd go with traditional rechargeable NiMH batteries. See if you can get a 4-pack and a 2-pack for a total of six batteries. Battery chargers should be cheap too. Then you can use three and swap them with the other three once the first three are almost empty.
Perfect Dark gave me issues on the FPGBC and played perfectly on the Chromatic. So far, the screen makes the Chromatic well worth it to me. That "washed out" look was intentional to have it match the OG Color screen.
7:48 The colors aren't supposed to be more saturated. If we want to be technical I could make gbc look better on my phone than I could a fpgbc, but it would still be wrong because the color is messed up. Take lapras as an example: no part of it is supposed to be yellow, the saturation ruined the dev's intentions.
Chromatic looks just like gbc but clearer. The screen is perfect but I agree that the speaker is kind of weak and tinny.
The biggest drawbacks of the FPGBC are less compatibility and incorrect clock speed. Those both kill any interest in it for me
I've heard people mention Alleyway (which works fine on mine) and Perfect Dark (haven't tested). The clock speed thing.. it's basically the difference between 59.97fps and 60fps. It's not discernable in sight or sound. If anything it's a perk for me because for every 10 minutes of gameplay or so you're saving seconds of your life.
The Tetris game is worth at least $40 and the assembled FPGBC costs $100, so it's more like $60 price difference.
Fair enough but the moment that a cartridge-only of Modretro Tetris sells for 40 bucks you let me know okay?
@@aleckermit Next year.
It what world is a repro Tetris worth $40?
@ It’s easily worth $40. Many Tetris pro players are saying it’s the best version of the game released so far. It’s also officially licensed, so to call it a “repro” is undervaluing it a bit.
@@mitchthepreacher1512 I see you are uneducated.
The frame blending is noticeable when playing links awakening, bowwow chain flickers when it’s off and the chain is transparent when it’s on
I’ve considered the FPGBC. I got the ModRetro Chromatic & It’s a fantastic piece of technology and I’ve got zero issues with AA batteries, just allows for more power options which is never a bad thing. Also, while many reviewers praise its ability to replicate GB/GBC graphics, colors & sound better than the Analogue Pocket, my Pocket remains my go to for GB/GBC gameplay vs the Chromatic. In fact Pocket is my go to for pretty much all my retro handheld gaming
I don't own a FP system however I do have an Analogue Pocket and imo I think the games look better on the Chromatic even with the different core display options and higher resolution of the AP. I also purchased my Chromatic at GS my battery door sets flush my ir sensor wasn't scratched as well as my Tetris cart. My only real complaint is I wish the rechargeable pack was available at launch for the Chromatic because it goes through AA batt quick when using an Everdrive.
How's flashcart support in the chromatic?
Everdrive X3-X7 work fine.
@aleckermit thanks
i did just get a FPGBC in the mail from China. I was not aware of the Chromatic at the time I ordered it but have become curious. The FPGBC screen does look pretty good with the 4x integer scale and grid filter on. As someone really into displays though, I would love to try a chromatic in person. But I have a wall full of crts, rgb modded consoles, and a retrotink 5X (bought before the 4k existed) so I probably care more about this than most normal people lol
I've owned severa CRTs including a Sony Trinitron for 240p retro gaming and Trinitron PC monitor for 480p gaming, I don't think the Chromatic's screen rival these experiences. Perhaps if the color temperature and saturation wasn't purposely degraded for authenticity it'd be a sweet experience but as is it's more like looking at a cheap CRT for me.
@ have you compared it to a fpgbc or a q5 ips gbc? i mainly wonder if the grid-like effect can be more realistic than the one on the fpgbc. I suppose it would also be pretty accurate on the Pocket due to such a high resolution. I like how the fpgbc screen looks, I would just like to compare it to something that is backlit while also a more accurate grid to see what i prefer. i suppose i could load up my ags 101 and compare em side by side to get a good idea
Can you do a video of your N64 collection?
You might be disappointed but you I'll see it when my Analogue 3D comes in.
Tetris and screen ftw!!!
i been wating for my pink chromatic so bad
@@mauricioalcala4074 i think about another week.
I guess it's for people who like to play outside in the Sun. I think FPGBC is more for me but I may have to buy that Tetris game. I haven't made up my mind yet. I love SkyEmu's Retro Pixel Effect on my devices but I want to link and play two players with my girlfriend in bed.
Previous GBC mods and the like have all been varying degrees of ok to excellent and each has served it's purpose. However. The Chromatic puts each and every one of them in the redundant category. Make no mistake, the Chromatic is the absolute pinnacle when it comes to playing GB and GBC games, beating even the Analogue Pocket.
nope
FPGBC is not future proof with that battery
I have both and the fpgbc in my opinion is garbage. It feels cheap and has quality control issues. My volume wheel doesn’t even work. I have to go into the menu to change it. It also sounds blown out, but maybe that’s just my unit. Yes it’s a cheaper product, but when you consider the materials the chromatic uses the cost is a non-issue. The button feel is also light years ahead of the fpgbc imo. My fpgbc also has issues with the everdrive that my chromatic has no problem with. The fpgbc also doesn’t just automatically play a gbc game if it’s set to gb mode. You have to manually change it and reload the game. And on top of that, if it’s set to gbc mode and you try to play a gb game, it displays the game incorrectly. The speed is also wrong on the fpgbc. It has a setting in the menu to change it but you can never get it “just right”
I can see your perspective, the FPGBC does occasionally disappoint with its inconsistent parts quality. You volume definitely shouldn't sounds blown out, it's very good quality on my units. Funny Playing does have good customer support. Generally they will at least partially refund your purchase if something's wrong. I disagree that it feels cheap though. After assembled it feels about as sturdy as an original GBC to me.
Yeah, I tried contacting funnyplaying and while they did reply, they were ultimately unhelpful. They asked for a video, which I sent and then asked for me to ship my unit back to them at my cost. I told them that was unreasonable and that something is clearly defective on the motherboard. I asked that they either send a new motherboard or pay for shipping. They refused so I just let it go.
Dont know why they couldn't have used an oled screen instead of that washed-out ips screen. I mean they were touting all the premium features and only using the best so why not use an oled instead. It would have been the superior screen technology in my opinion.
I don't know about display tech, but I can imagine a custom made 160x144 OLED that has a sub-pixel structure to replicate a GBC might be impossible or insanely expensive.
@RogerEssigArtist After seeing it in person, I think the native sub-pixel structure is a little overrated. The FP gbc's subpixel structure filter looks just as good. You can put it close to your face and count the pixels on either handheld. I'm with Eric and saying an OLED screen would have been a better choice, as well as a high-quality speaker.
OLED screens don’t have a great half-life expectancy. They’re composed of organic compounds which fade out with heat over time.
Not necessarily true they can last a long time and the technology has gotten alot better. Alot of smartphone including Apple use them even nintendo with their switch. Of course I agree not as long lasting as regular ips screens but the contrast and and overall screen quality is worth it in my opinion. Plus hopefully micro led or another major improvement to oled tech is just around the corner.
I get that, although there are other factors to take into account, such as potential burn-in - especially when running with these levels of brightness. Like you say, we’re still years away from ‘perfect’ screen tech which rivals the CRT tube.
Oof. Glad I went with the FPGBC for nearly half the price.
ouch...these are sobering conclusions about the screen quality and the tone quality.
Yeah with the screen I almost wonder if there's something wrong with my chromatic display because it's so pale in vibrancy but I'm assuming that this is the way it's intended to look. The audio tone was very shocking, I personally would never use the built-in speaker on the chromatic because there's quite a bit of fidelity lost and the tone is too high pitched and tinny for me.
@@aleckermit I don't think the Chromatic is pale, I think the FPGBC is incredibly over-satutrated. When you compare the FPGBC to the Pocket to the Chromatic, the FPGBC is the most saturated, followed by the Pocket which is close, followed by the Chromatic. The Chromatic is the only one, from what I've seen, that faithfully matches the intended original palette of the GBC. There are many scenarios where the other devices are just way too saturated.
@banboosy Intended or not, to my eyes it's an inferior image quality. For example when looking at the title screen of say Metal Gear solid, on the FPGBC it is a pure red with strong blacks and good contrast. On the chromatic it can hardly even be called red, it's almost a pink.