As the name of the company might have tipped you off, ModRetro is also pitching the Chromatic as an easily repairable device. The company sells a mod kit with tools that let you swap out parts and replace buttons. If you don’t want to pony up for accessories, the Chromatic is modifiable enough to be repairable with the tools you might have lying around. The main thing that might trip you up is that on the back, the casing is held together with less common tri-wing screws, just like the original Game Boy.
The repairability factor is one of the best things the Chromatic has going for it, and it seems to be designed for the kinds of tinkerers who delight in pulling apart old tech. The thing is, there are lots of opportunities for that elsewhere, and OG Game Boy sickos will probably hunger for something that really feels like it scratches that itch. That’s why there are subreddits dedicated to modifying old Game Boys and people souping up one made out of Lego bricks to actually play old cartridge games. And then there are new devices that take that retro sensibility and package it into something new and different, like the miniature Arduboy.
If you want to just play your old games, the Chromatic is the smoothest, chicest option for that. You’re not going to have to worry about a broken screen, that’s for sure. It just might feel a little too sleek to conjure quite the dopamine hit of nostalgia that you yearn for.