Game Boy Advance SP
Clamshell, rechargeable, and finally a light you'll actually use.
Market price
Loose $110
Boxed $270
Checked on 2026-11-05. Not live, a rough guide only.
The story
The SP folded the Advance into a pocketable clamshell with a built-in rechargeable battery, no more AAs. The first revision, AGS-001, used a dim front-light. The 2005 revision, AGS-101, swapped it for a genuinely bright backlit screen and is the one to own.
There is one catch collectors always warn about: the SP dropped the headphone jack. Audio is speaker-only unless you add an adapter, which is a real consideration if you play with earphones.
An AGS-101 is close to the ideal 'grab and go' retro handheld. If you find an AGS-001, a backlit screen mod brings it up to the same standard.
Specs
- CPU
- ARM7TDMI @ 16.8 MHz (+ Sharp LR35902 for GB/GBC)
- Screen
- 2.9" TFT, 240 × 160, front-lit (AGS-001) or backlit (AGS-101)
- Power
- Internal rechargeable Li-ion (about 10-18 hours)
- Plays
- Game BoyGame Boy ColorGame Boy Advance
- Headphone jack
- No
Special editions
- AGS-101 backlit revision (2005)
- Pearl Blue, Flame Red, Graphite, Platinum
- NES, Famicom and Pokémon editions
Mods for the Game Boy Advance SP
See all mods you can doWe don’t have a step-by-step guide written up for the Game Boy Advance SP yet. In the meantime, browse the full list of mods the community takes on, from screen swaps to fresh shells and rechargeable power.