# ModRetro Chromatic: specs and price

**Price (US):** $199.99 (US MSRP. ModRetro official product page comparison table states "Price — Starts at $199.99 (New)" for the Chromatic. TechRadar (17 Dec 2024) and XDA (25 Nov 2024) both list the list price as "$199". Used the manufacturer's stated starting figure of 199.99.), as of 2026-07-11. Among the 9 retro gaming handhelds we track it is #7 cheapest of 9; category median $99.99.
**Brand:** ModRetro
**Released:** 2024-12
**Deskmark:** Silver Deskmark — pay-blind category standing 67/100, #3 of 9 in class (independent, computed from sourced data, never for sale).

## Specifications

| Spec | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Price (US) | $199.99 |
| Brand | ModRetro |
| Released | 2024-12 |
| Screen size (in) | 2.56 |
| Screen resolution | 160x144 |
| Panel type | IPS |
| Refresh rate (Hz) | — |
| Soc | FPGA |
| RAM (GB) | 0 |
| Internal storage (GB) | 0 |
| Battery capacity (mAh) | — |
| Battery life hrs | 19 |
| Operating system | proprietary |
| Weight grams | 175 |
| Has Wi-Fi | No |

## Where it stands

At $200, the ModRetro Chromatic is #7 cheapest of the 9 retro gaming handhelds we track, where the median is $99.99. On the spec sheet, its screen size of 2.56 in is the lowest of the 10, its RAM of 0 GB is the lowest of the 7, and its internal storage of 0 GB is the lowest of the 8. By release date, it is the newest of the 5 we date.

## What reviewers say

Both whitelisted hands-on reviewers, TechRadar (one month of use) and Digital Trends, recommend the Chromatic as a premium, faithful modern Game Boy Color with an excellent backlit screen and build, but flag its high price and Game-Boy-only library versus the Analogue Pocket. Digital Trends measured over 8 hours of AA battery life at default brightness; TechRadar ran no benchmarks. (Based on 2 reviews, 2 lab-tested, 2024-11-18–2024-12-17.)

Praised: Premium magnesium alloy build quality; Bright, faithful custom backlit display; High-quality PBT buttons and d-pad.
Flagged: Expensive for its narrow, Game-Boy-only scope; No Game Boy Advance / fewer features than the Analogue Pocket; Runs on single-use AA batteries.
Disagreement: On the AA batteries: TechRadar is frustrated ('using single-use batteries still sucks'), while Digital Trends frames them positively, noting the Chromatic 'doesn't guzzle them up,' lasting over 8 hours at default brightness.
Sources: TechRadar (2024-12-17, techradar.com), Digital Trends (2024-11-18, digitaltrends.com)

## Frequently asked questions

**What do reviewers say about the ModRetro Chromatic?**

Both whitelisted hands-on reviewers, TechRadar (one month of use) and Digital Trends, recommend the Chromatic as a premium, faithful modern Game Boy Color with an excellent backlit screen and build, but flag its high price and Game-Boy-only library versus the Analogue Pocket. Digital Trends measured over 8 hours of AA battery life at default brightness; TechRadar ran no benchmarks. Praised: Premium magnesium alloy build quality; Bright, faithful custom backlit display; High-quality PBT buttons and d-pad. Flagged: Expensive for its narrow, Game-Boy-only scope; No Game Boy Advance / fewer features than the Analogue Pocket; Runs on single-use AA batteries. (From 2 tester reviews, 2 lab-tested.)

**How much does the ModRetro Chromatic cost?**

The ModRetro Chromatic has a US price of $199.99 (US MSRP. ModRetro official product page comparison table states "Price — Starts at $199.99 (New)" for the Chromatic. TechRadar (17 Dec 2024) and XDA (25 Nov 2024) both list the list price as "$199". Used the manufacturer's stated starting figure of 199.99.), as of 2026-07-11.

**How does the ModRetro Chromatic compare on price?**

At $200, the ModRetro Chromatic is #7 cheapest of the 9 retro gaming handhelds we track, where the median is $99.99.

**When was the ModRetro Chromatic released?**

The ModRetro Chromatic was released 2024-12.

**What are the ModRetro Chromatic's key specs?**

ModRetro Chromatic (ModRetro): screenSizeIn 2.56, screenResolution 160x144, panelType IPS, soc FPGA, ramGb 0. Full sourced spec sheet verified 2026-07-11.

Source: https://modretro.com/products/chromatic-tetris-bundle (modretro.com, accessed 2026-07-11)
Corroboration: https://www.techradar.com/gaming/modretro-chromatic-review (accessed 2026-07-11)
Canonical: https://frontdeskreview.com/product/retro-gaming-handhelds/modretro-chromatic/
Cite: Per The Front Desk Review, the ModRetro Chromatic price of record was $199.99 as of 2026-07-11 — https://frontdeskreview.com/product/retro-gaming-handhelds/modretro-chromatic/
License: CC BY 4.0. Price history: https://frontdeskreview.com/data/price-history.jsonl