A Game Boy 'DSLR'? Sure, Why The Heck Not

The Game Boy Camera was never exactly known for its crystal clear resolution or its abundance of colour, but that hasn't stopped a generation of Nintendo fans from using the peripheral for their own means. That could be for anything from an interesting way to film yourself during Zoom calls, a new method of practicing astrophotography, or, in the case of photographer Christopher Graves, as the springboard for a killer mod.

Recently, Graves, a person who calls himself "a Game Boy Photographer", posted photos of his latest invention — a Game Boy "DSLR" — over on his Twitter account.

As Graves describes it, "it's a Game Boy Pocket redesigned exclusively for Game Boy Camera use" and comes with a leatherette custom shell, a "shutter" button, and a GBA SP D-Pad, among other features. It also includes the ability to switch between a modified lens and the original Game Boy Camera cart.

As commenters noted, it technically isn't a DSLR, with no mirror or "reflex" actually present inside the device. But we still think it's a fascinating invention that would make using the Game Boy Camera for serious photography that much easier.

As for why someone would choose to do that, Graves told us, "I really think it boils down to nostalgia and the iconic look of the photos. I have very fond memories with my Game Boy as a kid. Plus, it’s a really unique camera in that when you look at a photo, you are able to tell exactly what camera it’s from. I could go on and on about it."

According to Graves, he started working on the machine back in December 2021 and does want to get it into more hands in the future. However, he wants to perfect things first, as it's still not up to his high expectations.

What do you think of the device? Is this something you'd want to take on your next outdoor adventure?