Someone modded a Game Boy Color to act as a much better Apple TV remote

Most people who have used the Apple TV Siri remote have probably craved something that isn’t so darn frustrating to use — but most of us haven’t modded a Game Boy Color to work as one (via Gizmodo). That’s exactly what Italian YouTuber Otto Climan did, and while his project looks sleek as all get-out, it’s surprising how well it works using the Game Boy’s original hardware.

Photo by Otto Climan

Photo by Otto Climan

First off, we have to talk about the case he used. It was apparently made by a company called Retro Modding, specifically for the project, and it looks incredible with its blend of ‘90s Apple and Nintendo aesthetics. (Embarrassingly, it looks better than the actual video game console Apple worked on in the ‘90s.) If you’re familiar with the Game Boy Color, you may notice that the screen on Climan’s looks a bit crisper and better backlit. In addition to replacing the case, he also gave the screen an upgrade using what looks like another Retro Modding part.

Photo by Otto Climan

Apart from giving it an incredible aesthetic upgrade, though, there wasn’t a ton of hardware hackery needed. The Game Boy Color comes stock with an IR blaster, which the newest Apple TV set still supports. Of course, some custom software was needed to map the buttons to the IR controls.

Photo by Otto Climan

Photo by Otto Climan

Photo by Otto Climan

I wouldn’t have blamed Climan for using a standard custom ROM cartridge, but of course he had one made that matches the Game Boy’s aesthetic. He loaded a ROM that he programmed with the Apple TV’s IR codes and button mappings, and there you have it: a Game Boy Color that can control an Apple TV. And because it has real directional buttons and not a feisty touchpad, it’s probably better at that task than Apple’s actual remote.

Photo by Otto Climan

GIF by Otto Climan

While this project is absolutely incredible, I have an idea for the next iteration: using a Nintendo DS. That way, you can have the touch input if you really want it along with a microphone for Siri support. It doesn’t have an IR blaster or support for Bluetooth like Apple’s remote, but maybe you could add it in with the Game Boy slot, Guitar Hero style.