If you thought you’d never see GTA 5 on a Game Boy, think again, because someone has made the impossible possible.
A physicist by the name of Sebastian Staacks has figured out a way to make Rockstar’s open-world classic playable on Nintendo’s handheld from 1989 – and it's quite the sight to behold once you get past the Game Boy’s archaic display.
It’s important to note that GTA 5 isn’t actually running on the Game Boy – that would be technically impossible. Instead, the game is streamed from a PS4 using a Game Boy cartridge with built-in Wi-Fi which Staacks developed. Loading up a bunch of GTA 5 cheats and causing chaos would likely make the hardware explode.
In the video below from Staacks’ ‘there oughta be’ YouTube Channel, you can see that the GTA 5 is indeed playable on a Game Boy, though it doesn’t exactly look like a fun experience thanks to the handheld’s lack of buttons and low-resolution, non-backlit screen.
But what about the recently released Analogue Pocket? With its greatly improved screen, does GTA 5 look any better? Well, as you can see below, the answer is a resounding 'yes'.
My WiFI cartridge on the @analogue Pocket.It works right away, but with a small timing problem: Those horizontal glitches are not present on the original #gameboy. Still, I am very impressed that the Pocket is so close to the original.https://t.co/tBC05jGYBP pic.twitter.com/sU9B2BikO2January 15, 2022
Unfortunately, as Staacks points out, there’s a small timing issue that causes visual artifacts – or "horizontal glitches" as he calls them – to be present. However, if you really want to play GTA 5 on a retro handheld, the Analogue Pocket is clearly the way to go.
You can read all about how Staacks got the game working and developed the Game Boy cartridge with built-in Wi-Fi here.
Analysis: but will we ever see GTA 6?
It's certainly interesting seeing GTA 5 running on a Game Boy, but it's fair to say that fans are more than ready for a new entry in Rockstar's long-running franchise.
After all, GTA 5 was first released in 2013 for PS3 and Xbox 360, and has since made its way to Xbox One, PS4 and PC, with an enhanced edition set for PS5 and Xbox Series X on March 2022.
GTA 6 is reportedly still a few years away, with evidence pointing to a release date of 2025 at the earliest. That's hardly a surprise considering how well GTA 5 continues to sell, and the fact that GTA Online is quite the money-spinner, with updates and new content released regularly.
Still, at least there's now another way to play GTA 5 if you haven't already.
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