Nintendo's Sitting This One Out, So Ayaneo Built the GBA 25th Anniversary Handheld Instead

It's been a few weeks since the Game Boy Advance hit its 25th anniversary in the US, and the real tribute isn't coming from Nintendo — it's coming from handheld maker Ayaneo. During its latest product livestream, Ayaneo unveiled the Konkr Pocket Advance, a handheld that pays homage to the GBA's iconic horizontal form factor while overhauling everything on the inside.

The Konkr Pocket Advance keeps the GBA's signature 3:2 screen ratio, but swaps the original's tiny panel for a 3.5-inch LCD pushed to 960 x 640 resolution. The button layout is also way more loaded than the original: a full ABXY face button set, an extra menu button, and additional shoulder buttons. The unit also picks up a USB-C port, microSD slot, and Wi-Fi/Bluetooth connectivity — bringing this retro-styled device firmly into the modern ecosystem. There's also a 3.5mm headphone jack tucked in for good measure, plus a volume dial that feels like a deliberate easter egg for longtime fans, more so than any of the buttons.

So far Ayaneo has only confirmed two colorways: a deep blue that immediately calls back to the classic Indigo GBA, and a coral orange that nods to the original Spice Orange special edition. Neither color was picked at random — both map directly onto two of the most memorable shells in GBA history.

Ayaneo hasn't dropped pricing or a release date for the Konkr Pocket Advance yet. Worth noting: the brand's previous Pocket Micro 2 sold out within minutes due to limited production runs, so whether the Konkr Pocket Advance sees wider availability remains to be seen.