The Hyperkin SmartBoy is worth buying in 2026 only if you own a compatible Android phone, have a working collection of original Game Boy or Game Boy Color cartridges, and are comfortable doing a bit of setup. For most casual retro fans, the compatibility hurdles and the age of the device make alternatives a more practical choice.
The SmartBoy is still one of the most physically authentic ways to play original Game Boy cartridges on modern hardware. It snaps onto the bottom of an Android phone via USB-C, dumps the cartridge data to your phone, and launches it through an emulator of your choice. The form factor is a dead ringer for the original 1989 Game Boy brick, and for collectors who care about holding something that feels like the real thing, that matters. The question is whether the experience holds up in practice.
Does the SmartBoy actually work with modern Android phones?
Compatibility is where the SmartBoy gets complicated. The device connects to any Android phone with a USB-C port, but it was officially designed and tested around Samsung Galaxy phones, specifically the S8 line and later. Hyperkin lists a range of supported devices, including Google Pixel (generations 1 through 3), various LG and OnePlus models, and several Motorola and Huawei handsets, but that list stops at phones from roughly 2019. If you’re running a Pixel 8 or a Galaxy S24, your experience may vary.
The physical fit is also phone-size dependent. The SmartBoy’s telescoping sides adjust to accommodate phones between 5.2 and 6.4 inches, which covers most mid-range and flagship handsets. Smaller or caseless phones can feel loose in the grip. Bigger phones with curved edges sometimes don’t seat cleanly against the USB-C connector, which requires a small port alignment adjustor built into the unit just below the Start and Select buttons.
On the software side, you need two apps: the SmartBoy Companion app from the Google Play Store and a separate emulator. Hyperkin recommends My OldBoy! Free as the default launcher. When you insert a cartridge, the Companion app dumps the game data to a folder on your phone, then hands off to the emulator to boot it. Pull the cartridge out mid-session and you’ll get a piracy warning notification, and the game stops. The process works reliably, though it takes three or four steps before a game boots.
Which Game Boy cartridges does the SmartBoy support?
The cartridge slot on the back of the SmartBoy reads Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges. Both NTSC and PAL versions are supported, so your European carts will work. Game Boy Advance cartridges are a different story: the SmartBoy ships with L and R shoulder buttons that suggest GBA support, but physical GBA cartridge reading was removed before the product launched. You can use those shoulder buttons with GBA ROMs through a separate emulator app, but the slot itself will not read an actual GBA cartridge.
That gap matters if your collection skews toward the GBA era. Pokémon FireRed, Metroid Fusion, Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow, none of those will load from a physical cart. For GB and GBC titles, Tetris, Pokémon Red and Blue, Link’s Awakening, and the like, the SmartBoy does what it promises. The upside is that your phone’s screen replaces the original pea-soup LCD, so games render at your handset’s full resolution, which is a meaningful visual upgrade over playing on original hardware.
Is the SmartBoy still a good buy compared to alternatives in 2026?
The SmartBoy launched around 2017 at roughly $50, and it has occasionally been found for as low as $29. In 2026, stock is limited and the device has not received meaningful updates. The companion app has not kept pace with Android’s evolving permission model, and users on newer OS versions sometimes report extra friction getting the USB connection authorized.
For someone who wants to play Game Boy games on a TV in HD, with save states and a proper controller, the Hyperkin RetroN 5 is a more capable option. It supports Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance cartridges alongside NES, SNES, Genesis, and more, all output at up to 720p over HDMI with on-the-fly save states. That is a home-console use case, not a portable one, but worth naming for anyone who primarily wants cartridge-based Game Boy play without the phone dependency.
For portable play without cartridges, standalone emulation handhelds from various manufacturers have become genuinely good in 2026, with IPS screens, rechargeable batteries, and broad system support out of the box. They trade the legal, cartridge-based authenticity the SmartBoy offers for a setup where you load ROMs and play with zero compatibility friction.
The SmartBoy Is Right for One Specific Buyer
The SmartBoy’s answer has always been narrow: it works best for someone who already owns a compatible Android phone, has a box of GB and GBC cartridges they want to play legally on modern hardware, and values the physical Game Boy form factor over convenience. If all three of those are true, the SmartBoy delivers something no standalone emulation device can, a real cartridge slot in a shell that feels like the original hardware, paired with a screen that makes 1989-era games look genuinely sharp.
If even one of those conditions doesn’t apply, a different route will probably serve you better. The cartridge gap (no physical GBA support), the narrow phone compatibility list, and the two-app setup process are friction points that add up quickly for anyone who just wants to pick up and play.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Hyperkin SmartBoy work with iPhone?
No. The SmartBoy requires an Android phone with a USB-C port. An iOS version was considered during early development but was shelved before the product launched. There is no Lightning or USB-C iPhone version of the SmartBoy available.
Can the SmartBoy read Game Boy Advance cartridges physically?
No. The SmartBoy’s cartridge slot only reads original Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges. The L and R shoulder buttons on the device can be mapped to GBA emulator apps, but you cannot insert and read a physical GBA cartridge through the SmartBoy hardware.
Do I need to keep the cartridge inserted the whole time I’m playing?
Yes. Removing the cartridge while a game is running stops the session and triggers a piracy warning notification on your phone. The game data is temporarily dumped to your phone to run, but it is deleted once the cartridge is removed, so you need to keep it seated throughout your play session.
What Android phones work best with the SmartBoy in 2026?
The SmartBoy was officially tested with Samsung Galaxy S8 and later Samsung devices, and Hyperkin’s compatibility list includes Google Pixel 1 through 3, LG G5 through G7, and OnePlus 2 through 3T, among others. Phones released after roughly 2019 are not on the official list, so compatibility on current flagships is not guaranteed.
Is there a better option for playing Game Boy cartridges on a TV?
Yes. The Hyperkin RetroN 5 plays Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance cartridges on a TV via HDMI at up to 720p, with save states, scanline filters, and support for nine cartridge formats in total. It is a home console rather than a portable, but it handles the full GB cartridge library including GBA titles the SmartBoy cannot read.