# Game Boy Advance backlight **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 12, 2003, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-boy-advance-backlight/148096 "2003-01-12T05:40:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Anomalocaris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b77776/32.png) [@Anomalocaris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anomalocaris)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2003, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-boy-advance-backlight/148096/1 "2003-01-12T05:40:58Z")
I have heard of (in Newsweek, I’m fairly certain) a company that sells a backlight for the Game Boy Advance; anyone who has played the GBA knows it needs one. For around $30 US you can get a backlight; the catch is you have to install it yourself, a fact the company seems to acknowledge is a risky venture for those less technologicly inclined. For about $60 US you can send your unit to the company and they’ll install it for you. Has anyone has any experience with this product? How difficult is it to install? Quality of the backlight? Anyone know what I’m talking about? ---
**Author:** ![hazel-rah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/73ab20/32.png) [@hazel-rah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hazel-rah)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2003, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-boy-advance-backlight/148096/2 "2003-01-12T05:50:13Z")
Nintendo is releasing a new version of the GBA soon that has a backlit screen (and some other improvements). IIRC it will retail for $100. If hacking your gameboy doesn’t appeal to you, you might wait for it. ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2003, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-boy-advance-backlight/148096/3 "2003-01-12T06:32:13Z")
[http://pocket.ign.com/articles/382/382062p1.html](http://pocket.ign.com/articles/382/382062p1.html) ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2003, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-boy-advance-backlight/148096/4 "2003-01-12T06:41:54Z")
Not back lit, but works just about as well, (check out those videos of the lights turning off and the GBA’s lights turning on, it looks great). To save batteries, the light can be turned off. The batteries are rechargeable too, so if you lay GBA a lot, it’s a feature that will come in handy. I hear it’s a lot better than the back lit add on, plus if you open up your GBA, it’s no longer under warranty. You may want to check out this… [http://pocket.ign.com/articles/382/382064p1.html](http://pocket.ign.com/articles/382/382064p1.html) This played GBA on your TV using the GameCube. You can adjust the size of the picture, make it look sharper or smother and have a verity borders/skins. I’m sure there’s some other cool poop as well. I’m split on which one to get. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2003, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-boy-advance-backlight/148096/5 "2003-01-12T07:47:00Z")
> [@](#): > > The batteries are rechargeable too, so _if you lay GBA a lot_… …you probably ought to try to get out more and meet some people. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![erislover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2003, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-boy-advance-backlight/148096/6 "2003-01-12T08:50:34Z")
Blasphemy! ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2003, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-boy-advance-backlight/148096/7 "2003-01-12T09:09:26Z")
I don’t make love to me GBA! I DID, however, always think the Nintendo 64 controller resembled a few lady toys I’ve seen in my lifetime. Nintendo was also the fist company of that generation of consols to have the ‘rumble’ option on their controllers. Hmm…? ---
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2003, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-boy-advance-backlight/148096/8 "2003-01-12T14:55:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MyFootsZZZ \* > \*\* > Nintendo was also the _fist_ company of that generation of consols to have the ‘rumble’ option on their controllers. > \*\* (Italics mine) Wow, you’re really going for the Freudian slips today, aren’t you? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2003, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-boy-advance-backlight/148096/9 "2003-01-12T17:01:27Z")
Sure, you can put in a backlight but that kit kinda makes your GBA really big & not quite so portable, I read… wait for the new GBA to come out. There are even things now you can use to let you play your gba on a tv. These aren’t nintendo products, but N is going to bring out a new thingy that lets you play your gba games through your GameCube. ---
**Author:** ![dwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwyr/32/363_2.png) [@dwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwyr)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2003, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-boy-advance-backlight/148096/10 "2003-01-13T01:28:11Z")
The Afterburner light doesn’t make your Gameboy any larger as it’s all internal. I actually bought one after seeing [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=120667) but haven’t gotten around to installing it yet. I guess I’m a little reluctant to open it up. ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2003, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-boy-advance-backlight/148096/11 "2003-01-13T07:55:17Z")
Can you tell if it’s heavy dwyr? ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2003, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-boy-advance-backlight/148096/12 "2003-01-14T17:04:17Z")
“The Afterburner light doesn’t make your Gameboy any larger as it’s all internal.” I guess you’re right, I was looking at someone’s photo, but they did another mod. THe AB does require a bit of work to install, soldering & cutting the case. Here is a great computer modding UK site with photos of what happens when you get it & how it looks & how to put it in: [http://modtown.co.uk/mt/review.php?id=gbaafterburnerkit](http://modtown.co.uk/mt/review.php?id=gbaafterburnerkit) ---
**Author:** ![dwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwyr/32/363_2.png) [@dwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwyr)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2003, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-boy-advance-backlight/148096/13 "2003-01-14T23:46:50Z")
The biggest part of it seems to be the size of the Gameboy screen. You do have to cut the case some though according to the instructions. Handy’s link shows it pretty well.