Self-Taught Modder Creates Stunning Transparent Game Boy Color Circuit Board in a Fully Clear Shell

Alright, let’s dive into this quirky little world of homemade tech magic, shall we? So, there’s this wizard of a console modder who goes by @natalie_thenerd. (Wonder if she wears a cape? Probably not, but you get the vibe.) Anyway, she cooked up this mind-boggling version of a Game Boy Color. You can literally see through its insides. Yes, she made a motherboard that’s as clear as the sky on a perfect day. I’m talking about a clear PCB, where the copper circuits almost dance in your eye line. She mentioned on her, erm, X account—formerly known as Twitter because who can keep up—that she drew up her own schematics to get it all ticking. Like, she took off the ground zone to make the whole “see-through” thing happen. Sounds risky but, hey, we’re here for it.

Now, Natalie didn’t pull off this miracle solo. She got this third-party service to whip up the PCB, made out of some snazzy acrylic-like stuff that can melt if you look at it too hard—at 200 degrees Celsius. So, she had to tiptoe while soldering those chips, making sure nothing went kaput.

And, you won’t believe this—almost every bit of this custom Game Boy is clear as your conscience on a Monday morning. From the chips to the screen to this little daughter board thingamajig, it’s all see-through. Oh, and she borrowed the cartridge reader from a Chinese clone. Semi-transparent, naturally. The whole ensemble? Dressed in a clear shell with translucent keys. If this isn’t a tech magician’s dream, then… I’m saying it wrong.

But here’s the kicker, folks: this jaw-dropping, transparent Game Boy is a one-and-done project. An art piece. Not for sale. Can you believe that? Seems it’s a bit too delicate for daily living—or for someone having a gamer rage moment. Some think, maybe swap out the copper for silver to keep things chic, or toss in some backlighting just to flex. Who knows what these brilliant minds in the Modded Gameboy Club might conjure next?

A few dreamers have even talked about translating this transparent wonder to other gadgets, like the Nothing Phone 2. Guess this whole see-through gizmo trend is on a roll. But, as with all good things, unless they can figure out how to toughen up these clear PCBs (or lower the cost without selling a kidney), we might not be seeing this artistry in our everyday tech, at least not anytime soon.

Kudos to Natalie for this slice of innovation; it’s creations like hers that make modding such an electrifying playground. Art meets tech, and we can only just sit back and clap like we’re at some avant-garde show we barely understand. Love it.