Taki Udon shows the FPGA SP, a handheld that runs original Game Boy Advance cartridges
Taki Udon, founder of RetroRemake, has shared a new clip with gameplay from the FPGA SP, an FPGA-based handheld console that runs original Game Boy Advance cartridges. Udon describes it as a “passion project,” and in the images appears a transparent blue prototype with a clamshell-style shell reminiscent of the original Game Boy Advance SP, the portable Nintendo launched in 2003.
Real cartridges instead of ROMs
The difference that separates the FPGA SP from an off-the-shelf emulation console lies in how it handles the game. According to Udon, the machine runs Game Boy Advance cartridges natively, rather than dumping the ROM into an emulator. It’s the same principle defended by the MiSTer FPGA ecosystem: reproducing original hardware behavior on an FPGA instead of interpreting it via software.
In the clip, published on October 12, one of the Pokémon games from the Game Boy Advance is seen running. Udon has not detailed the compatibility status of the catalog or which titles are verified in the prototype.
A target price of around $100
In responses to his post, Udon clarified some connectivity details: the FPGA SP offers USB-C output and can run games from SD cards. On the price, he maintains the goal he had already set for this project, writing that “I’m still trying to get this working for around $100.”
For now there is no launch window. The clip shows a prototype, not a finished product, so both the final date and price remain open.
Another front within Udon’s FPGA ecosystem
The FPGA SP is not an isolated project. In a previous clip, the machine was seen running the Nintendo 64 title Diddy Kong Racing; Udon clarified that was only a demonstration of hardware power and not a commitment to focus on N64. Last week, moreover, the RetroRemake creator dropped hints that he’s preparing an FPGA console based on the Super Nintendo.
RetroRemake usually has several fronts open at once, so the FPGA SP advances in parallel with other developments. The current state is of a prototype that already boots real cartridges and shows gameplay; what remains pending is the usual in this field: refined compatibility, launch date, and final price.
