The Nintendo Gameboy has been a nostalgic icon for most of us who have grown up with the console for entertainment, and while Nintendo has no official word on releasing a brand new concept for the handy gaming system, that hasn’t stopped creative individuals from dreaming up their ideal Gameboy redesign.
.
Inspired by his younger memories of the first gaming console he received for his birthday, industrial designer YJ Yoon decided to revamp the design of the old classic Gameboy, giving it a fresh, new look blending bits of modern-day tech, including the ability to wirelessly charge, into his overall design of the future of Gameboy — the Nintendo Flex.
DESIGN & DISPLAY
Although the chunky and bulky form of the original Gameboy was what we were familiar with, YJ has offered an alternative look to his version of the Gameboy with a thin body and a larger screen. While not much is shared about the concept of the display, it is not presumptuous to say that he would have factored in a touchscreen since most devices like the Nintendo Switch are already equipped with this ability.
.
Aside from that, the display seems to have a bit of a curvature which bends slightly, possibly to create a gaming experience that is more immersive with more field to view. This, in our opinion, would take handheld gaming to new heights since we will now be able to replicate the same curvature desktop experience while we’re on-the-go.
.
Similar to the rear design of the original Gameboy, YJ has also added the linear pattern texture on the lower half side of the back of the console to replicate that retro Gameboy look. His idea is to create the same feel of the nostalgic handheld console without the weight. His Nintendo Flex will also include a headphone jack at the bottom alongside a USB-C charging point.
SPEAKERS
With the old design of the Gameboy, it was common for players to cover the corner where the speaker was located when playing a game. Taking that into consideration, YJ’s renderings see a shift in the placement, relocating it to the top of the device where it creates a closer distance to the player to efficiently deliver sound.
GAMES IN A STICK
The key feature of the original Gameboy was its game cartridge and to build on the essential relationship between the console and the cartridge, YJ has designed a new concept to prevent gaming mishaps from happening.
This idea combines the switch and cartridge into a single form like a stick. When the console is switched on, it will lock the cartridge in place and prevent it from being accidentally taken out during gameplay. This essentially means that YJ’s idea of a game cartridge will now come in the form of a USB-C storage stick that does away with the cartridge slot at the back.
NINTENDO FLEX CONCEPT DRAWINGS
Even though we can’t say for certain if YJ’s renderings would become a reality in the near future, it is nice to know that Nintendo will have some good references if they should be interested in refreshing the Gameboy for the future!
Banner image courtesy of YJ Yoon.
You must be logged in to post a comment.