Confused on Steam Play and Proton? Be sure to check out our guide.
We do often include affiliate links to earn us some pennies. See more here.

Play real Game Boy cartridges on Steam Deck / Linux with GB Operator

By - | Views: 28,321

GB Operator excites the collector in me, giving you a small device to plug into your PC or Steam Deck, allowing you to play real Game Boy cartridges.

Costing $49.99 (plus shipping), it gives you a device that supports cartridges for the Game Boy, Game Boy Color and the Game Boy Advance. Along with their cross-platform Operator application, with a tightly integrated version of the mGBA emulator so you get plenty of features.

Honestly, I hadn't heard of this until it started appearing in my Twitter feed. The developers of the device mentioned:

It’s official - enjoy your childhood cartridges, now on SteamDeck! Today we validated at the office that GB Operator and the Operator app are fully compatible with Steam OS and run impeccably on SteamDeck. This makes the experience fun and portable, we're happy to support it 💪🏻

Picture Credit - Epilogue.

It's been around for some time too, so it hasn't just suddenly appeared and a lot of people seem to quite like it.

I have one ordered and on the way so I can see what all the fuss is about. Seems like collecting Game Boy cartridges is going to turn into something I end up doing now…

The creators are also currently working on a SNES version.

Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
26 Likes
About the author -
author picture
I am the owner of GamingOnLinux. After discovering Linux back in the days of Mandrake in 2003, I constantly came back to check on the progress of Linux until Ubuntu appeared on the scene and it helped me to really love it. You can reach me easily by emailing GamingOnLinux directly. Find me on Mastodon.
See more from me
The comments on this article are closed.
21 comments
Page: «2/3»
  Go to:

Philadelphus Oct 16, 2022
Quoting: slaapliedjeI would love something like this for the Switch. I would much rather play the Switch games on the Deck...
Doesn't the Switch used microSD cards? (I don't have one.) Just need an emulator on the Deck that can detect when one's been plugged in if that's the case…
Pengling Oct 16, 2022
View PC info
  • Supporter
Quoting: emphyThen you may also be interested in the Retrode 2, a snes and genesis cartridge dumper with plugins for gbx, sms, and n64. It also allows one to connect the classic controllers of the respective consoles.

It's available irregularly at several online retro-game shops.
I dropped in here to post exactly that. I got mine way back when they first became available - neat little piece of kit!

Quoting: PhiladelphusDoesn't the Switch used microSD cards? (I don't have one.) Just need an emulator on the Deck that can detect when one's been plugged in if that's the case…
For digital releases yes (and the card specifically has to be formatted on the individual Switch console it will be used with), but generally no, it uses its own cartridge format.

I no longer have a Switch, but have a couple of games still hanging around because local stores won't accept imports due to them not carrying the nationally-accepted age-ratings, so here's a picture;




Last edited by Pengling on 16 October 2022 at 11:02 pm UTC
slaapliedje Oct 16, 2022
Quoting: Pengling
Quoting: emphyThen you may also be interested in the Retrode 2, a snes and genesis cartridge dumper with plugins for gbx, sms, and n64. It also allows one to connect the classic controllers of the respective consoles.

It's available irregularly at several online retro-game shops.
I dropped in here to post exactly that. I got mine way back when they first became available - neat little piece of kit!

Quoting: PhiladelphusDoesn't the Switch used microSD cards? (I don't have one.) Just need an emulator on the Deck that can detect when one's been plugged in if that's the case…
For digital releases yes (and the card specifically has to be formatted on the individual Switch console it will be used with), but generally no, it uses its own cartridge format.

I no longer have a Switch, but have a couple of games still hanging around because local stores won't accept imports due to them not carrying the nationally-accepted age-ratings, so here's a picture;

The real annoyance as that for some, it really seems like they did the same thing as Postal III did, basically shipping with physical media, that then gets replaced by digital, so you still end up having to download the whole thing. Not all did this, but some do.

Still haven't spent the time to figure out how to dump a game and play it on an emulator... haven't fired up my switch in ages.
elmapul Oct 17, 2022
the only downside seems to be this cable floating arround, someone need to invent an way to wrap arround the deck nicely.
someone with an 3D printer for example
StoneColdSpider Oct 17, 2022
Quoting: PenglingI no longer have a Switch, but have a couple of games still hanging around because local stores won't accept imports due to them not carrying the nationally-accepted age-ratings, so here's a picture;

Did you try and eat a Switch cartridge to see if they tasted bad???
Pengling Oct 17, 2022
View PC info
  • Supporter
Quoting: StoneColdSpiderDid you try and eat a Switch cartridge to see if they tasted bad???
I can confirm that Switch cartridges do indeed taste of what I assume to be Bitrex.
Philadelphus Oct 17, 2022
Quoting: PenglingFor digital releases yes (and the card specifically has to be formatted on the individual Switch console it will be used with), but generally no, it uses its own cartridge format.

I no longer have a Switch, but have a couple of games still hanging around because local stores won't accept imports due to them not carrying the nationally-accepted age-ratings, so here's a picture;

Oh, OK. Maybe I was mixing up the cartridge with full-size SD cards. Thanks.
Ardje Oct 17, 2022
All it needs is a 3d printed case to attach it to the deck so it is like inserting a cartridge into your deck.
Lachu Oct 17, 2022
Connect this cartridge connector with dock, please.
MexicanDandy Oct 17, 2022
This is great for video game preservation but also is sad that the responsibility goes to the gamers and not the company owner of the original hardware and software.
While you're here, please consider supporting GamingOnLinux on:

Reward Tiers: Patreon. Plain Donations: PayPal.

This ensures all of our main content remains totally free for everyone! Patreon supporters can also remove all adverts and sponsors! Supporting us helps bring good, fresh content. Without your continued support, we simply could not continue!

You can find even more ways to support us on this dedicated page any time. If you already are, thank you!
The comments on this article are closed.