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Console encyclopedia

Nintendo · 1998

Game Boy Color

Game Boy Color Emulator Online

HandheldGeneration 5

Nintendo brought color to the Game Boy family while retaining support for earlier Game Boy cartridges.[1]

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Game Boy Color hardware artwork
Game Boy Color · Nintendo
First launch
1998
Manufacturer
Nintendo
Category
Handheld
Generation
5
Hardware sales
118.69M[6]

Combined worldwide Game Boy and Game Boy Color hardware; no separate Color total in this report.[6]

01

The console story

Game Boy Color arrived in 1998, nearly a decade after the original. Its faster CPU modes and larger memory supported richer games without abandoning the familiar controls and cartridge format.[1]

The library included games that also ran on monochrome Game Boy and titles that required Color hardware. This distinction matters when discussing the system as a revision or a successor.[1]

02

A history in milestones

  1. 1998
    Japan

    [1]

  2. 1998
    North America

    [1]

  3. 1998
    Europe

    [1]

03

Technical profile

Processor
Sharp SM83 · 4.19 / 8.38 MHz[2]
Memory
32 KB work RAM + 16 KB video RAM[2]
Display & graphics
160 × 144 · color LCD[2]
Media
ROM cartridges[2]
Audio
Four sound channels[2]
Power
2 × AA batteries[1]
Input & connectivity
D-pad, A / B, Start / Select; Game Link and infrared ports[2]
05

Why it mattered

Continuity through color

Compatibility helped preserve a large existing library while color-only software demonstrated the new hardware. Nintendo reports its sales together with Game Boy.[1]

118.69M

Combined worldwide Game Boy and Game Boy Color hardware; no separate Color total in this report.[6]

06

Defining games

Years refer to the earliest release of the named version. Games are historical references; GameCapsule does not distribute them.

01

Link’s Awakening DX

A color-enhanced edition of the Game Boy adventure.[3]

02

Pokémon Gold / Silver

A new region and time-based play in the Pokémon series.[4]

03

Oracle of Ages / Seasons

Two interconnected Zelda adventures.[5]

07

Hardware variants

Game Boy Color

Color LCD; multiple casing colors.[1]

08

Accessories & ecosystem

Game Link Cable
Linked play in compatible games.[1]
Game Boy Printer
Prints from supported software.[1]
09

System family

Related systems in the collection. These links do not imply technical compatibility.

Game Boy hardware artwork

1989 · Related platform

Game Boy

Available NowGame Boy Advance hardware artwork

2001 · Related platform

Game Boy Advance

Planned
10

Hardware gallery

Game Boy Color hardware artwork

Game Boy Color

Game Boy Color

Evan-Amos; modified by Gunnar.offel, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Public domain (PD-self)

Console artwork from the Game Capsule collection. No gameplay screenshot is shown.

11

GameCapsule support

Up Next

This system is represented in the catalog. Its emulator, file import and gameplay are not available today. There is no announced release date.

Color support is the next console direction documented in the catalog. No color gameplay is available today.

Bring your own compatible game files. Game Capsule does not include commercial games.

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Sources & further reading

  1. Historical overview and model chronology ↗

    Historical narrative, regional release precision, model chronology, commercial context and accessories

    Reviewed 2026-09-30
  2. Rodrigo Copetti · hardware architecture research ↗

    Processor, memory, graphics, audio and hardware interfaces

    Reviewed 2026-09-30
  3. Link’s Awakening DX · release history ↗

    Named game/version release year; descriptive context

    Reviewed 2026-09-30
  4. Pokémon Gold / Silver · release history ↗

    Named game/version release year; descriptive context

    Reviewed 2026-09-30
  5. Oracle of Ages / Seasons · release history ↗

    Named game/version release year; descriptive context

    Reviewed 2026-09-30
  6. Nintendo investor relations · lifetime hardware sales ↗

    Worldwide consolidated lifetime hardware units; report as of June 30, 2026

    Reviewed 2026-09-30