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Tech · Nintendo · 2005

Game Boy Advance SP (AGS-101)

The backlit last revision of the SP, and the best stock way to play three generations of Game Boy carts.

Retro handhelds: the five worth buying used — #2

Overall

8.2

out of 10

Axis scores

Strongest on Design (9.0), weakest on Value (7.4), a 1.6-point spread. The 8.2 overall is the plain average of all 5 Tech axes, with no weighting.

Game Boy Advance SP (AGS-101) — axis scores out of 10Horizontal bar chart of editorial scores out of 10 across 5 axes. Bars run from a shared zero baseline; longer is better. Game Boy Advance SP (AGS-101): Performance 7.6, Value 7.4, Durability 8.4, Ease of use 8.6, Design 9.0.PerformanceGame Boy Advance SP (AGS-101) — Performance 7.6 out of 107.6ValueGame Boy Advance SP (AGS-101) — Value 7.4 out of 107.4DurabilityGame Boy Advance SP (AGS-101) — Durability 8.4 out of 108.4Ease of useGame Boy Advance SP (AGS-101) — Ease of use 8.6 out of 108.6DesignGame Boy Advance SP (AGS-101) — Design 9.0 out of 109.0Editorial score out of 10 — higher is better
  • Performance — How well it does the core job
  • Value — What the same money buys elsewhere
  • Durability — Failure and fade reports past the one-year mark
  • Ease of use — Setup, daily operation, cleaning, maintenance
  • Design — Build quality and how it sits in a room

Specs

Screen
2.9 in TFT, 240×160, backlit
Plays
Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance
Battery
Rechargeable lithium-ion, user-replaceable
Form
Clamshell
Audio
Mono speaker; headphones need an adapter

As published by the manufacturer. We didn't measure these ourselves.

Is it for you

Buy it if

  • Your library is Game Boy, Color, and Advance cartridges, and you want them on original hardware
  • A clamshell that protects its own screen in a bag appeals to you
  • You want a console where every wear part costs little and swaps out with one screwdriver

Skip it if

  • You want headphones without a dongle, since there is no 3.5mm jack
  • The listing cannot prove AGS-101 from the label on the back, because the original front-lit AGS-001 sells for less

AGS-101 is the model number printed on the label on the back of the console. It means a true backlight, a big step up from the front-lit AGS-001 that came before it. From the front, with the screen off, the two look the same, so the label is the proof. Sellers who know what they have photograph it.

Collector forums agree that a large share of SPs sold as “mint” are reshelled. That alone isn’t a problem. A fresh shell on genuine boards is a fine console. The catch is reproduction labels. They can turn an AGS-001 into a listed AGS-101. A brand-new-looking label on a worn shell, or print that doesn’t match photos of known originals, is the thing to ask about.

Aftermarket IPS screens are the other common change. They’re brighter and sharper than the original panel, usually need the shell trimmed, and show deep blacks around the image that no stock SP has. Some listings mention the mod only in the photos. If you want a stock unit, compare against a known AGS-101 screen before you bid.

Batteries from 2005 are tired by now. A replacement pack is cheap and goes in behind a single screwed battery door, no shell opening required.

Last updated . The scoring method is on how we rank.