ModRetro Chromatic review — The right kind of retro

Not too long ago I found myself craving a simpler time. I wouldn't necessarily chalk that up to basic video games, but more wanting to relive my childhood memories of sitting in the backseat with my GameBoy Color. I fondly remember playing during long trips, and angling my handheld in hopes a street light might help me see Wario long enough to move forward when I forgot to bring my worm light. While those days are far behind me, ModRetro is a click away, and with their new Chromatic handheld console have transported me back to yesteryear.

Inside the box you’ll find the ModRetro Chromatic, three AA batteries, and a cartridge for Tetris. Including a game with your handheld is a very retro move, and it’s nice to have something to start with. I also have to tip the stellar presentation, with an awesome box that magnetically opens. Feeling like you received a premium product when you’ve paid a premium price is important for consumers, and the ModRetro Chromatic’s box exemplifies a premium product.

Speaking of premium products, the Chromatic is a stunning piece of hardware. Made of magnesium alloy, the shell is tough. This thing is going to stand the test of time easily, built like a Nokia phone. At the same time, it has heft without feeling too heavy, something necessary for carrying a handheld around. Durable yet manageable is appreciated. I went with the pastel green color for this unit, which has a wonderful retro look to it.

Beyond that, all of the buttons are responsive and clean. These are made of a PBT plastic, so they’re similar in feel to keyboard keycaps, and bring that same sturdiness along with it. Of course, none of this matters if the screen sucks, and it’s the shining star of this device. A custom sunlight display offers a bright backlight to an incredibly colorful screen. This, along with a sapphire crystal cover to protect from scratches makes the Chromatic an indestructible video game hoss. You’ll be able to play on this thing during, through, and after the apocalypse, mark my words.

On the device you’ll find plenty of familiar functions. The aforementioned buttons line up with the GameBoy and GameBoy Color, with a D-Pad, A and B button, and start and select on the face. On top you’ll see the familiar switch that turns the Chromatic on, and even an IR port that lets you connect to other systems for multiplayer functionality. From the left side to the right side, there’s an old-school link cable port so you can trade all them Pokemons, and a scroll wheel to adjust your volume. There’s also a menu button, an extra that opens a menu for the Chromatic itself for you to make a few additional adjustments. These are simple, with options like a silent mode, USB color correction, and brightness, but it’s nice to see the thought put into this device. Also, kudos for a battery life indicator in this menu, allowing you to get a read on if you need to change your batteries.

The bottom of the device features a standard 3.5mm headphone jack, the speaker, an on/off indicator light, and a USB-C port. Nothing too surprising here, but I love the addition of the USB-C port. This allows you to not only charge a custom lithium ion battery pack if you purchase one for your Chromatic, but it will also power the system if your batteries were to run out and you still wanted to use it. Alongside that, it also allows for updates for the device. There’s another key feature we’ll get into in a moment, but needless to say, this is an excellent addition to this handheld.

Just like the GameBoy before it, you’ll pop a panel off the back of the Chromatic and insert a few double As. Even though it will be possible to get a lithium ion battery pack for the Chromatic (not currently on their website), it’d have been nice to have this function built in. That said, with longevity being the aim for the Chromatic, removable batteries is a good call. My other qualm is that the batteries are a pain to get out, with your AA’s sitting really snug inside the casing.

As soon as I turned on the Chromatic for the first time, I was immediately in love with the high quality. The 160x144 pixel sunlight readable backlit display is gorgeous, with great color that matches up perfectly with what was displayed on the original GameBoy Color. The choices made in the design may be a bit more incremental than revolutionary, but everything I’ve played on this handheld is so vividly presented. Given the brilliant backlight, I can also play in the dark, so no digging out a worm light to catch Pokemon under the covers or as I sit in the passenger seat on a late night drive.

I’m also taken aback by the outstanding audio. The speaker holes aren’t huge on the bottom, but they pack a punch. As soon as I inserted Tetris, I had to immediately go to turn the volume down as the theme song started blaring out. It’s not just that it’s loud, but also that it’s detailed and crisp. Any game I’ve played has the same level of quality, proving the premium Chromatic to be an audio-visual feast for retro enthusiasts. That sentence may be better served for a summary of this device, but it’s as true as it gets.

While the audio is tremendous, I do bemoan the lack of Bluetooth connectivity. Yes, this would probably price up the Chromatic by a decent amount, but looking for wired headphones in your home is not as easy as it used to be. You can run down to a local store and buy wired earbuds cheaply, but it’d have been nice to simply use the ones I already carry around for my phone.

Another benefit the Chromatic has built in – although more for content creators like myself – is the ability to capture video via the USB-C port. This is the special feature I mentioned earlier, and it’s super easy to set up, barely an inconvenience. While the audio will require a bit more attention via the 3.5mm jack, OBS instantly recognizes the Chromatic, allowing for easy capture after adjusting a few settings. Given many handhelds have required cumbersome and complex equipment for capture, sometimes even to the point of tearing them apart, this is a much better option.

I know I’ve talked a lot about how the Chromatic plays without truly discussing how well it works, but rest assured it’s fantastic in motion. You might as well have just pulled a GameBoy or GameBoy Color out of the box for the first time. In order to test the handheld the best, I picked up an original GameBoy game, a GameBoy Color game, and a reproduction of Pokemon Gold. To my delight, all three of these ran perfectly, without any issues and as clean as if brand new. When the screen and speaker on the Chromatic is so crisp, it’s no surprise.

An additional benefit of the Chromatic is ModRetro’s publishing arm, allowing for exclusive games to hit the device. While other companies may provide great handhelds, none of them are making brand new games. ModRetro has made some great choices, with Tetris inside the box of this first-edition version. There’s a ton of variety in the roster on their website, with ideas like turned-based RPG Dragonhym or puzzler In The Dark 2 (which we happen to be reviewing so stay tuned). There’s even more planned and pre-orderable in 2025, so this level of attention ensures you’re buying a Chromatic for more than just an old library, but fresh experiences.