Will there ever be a "Retron" for portables?

[Warmsignal]

That would be a machine I would actually buy. It would be so cool if they came out with a console that let you play classic portable games on your TV screen. GameBoy, GameBoy Color, Game Gear, Atari Lynx, Neo Geo Pocket, WonderSwan, etc. Image a console that could accept any of those carts and play them at home on the big screen.

I'd love just to be able to play my Game Gear games on something other than a half-broken Game Gear. 

[telly]

That would be amazing!
Maybe throw DS and 3DS in there too? I know there are some who don't like to play any portable games and would rather play them on a TV 

[aliensstudios]

That would be amazing!
Maybe throw DS and 3DS in there too? I know there are some who don't like to play any portable games and would rather play them on a TV 

That's unlikely to happen without Nintendo stepping in. It makes sense with Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance and Game Gear because the patents have expired and they don't make a lick of money off of them. I'd love to play DS and 3DS on my TV but I just don't think it'll ever happen.

[telly]

That would be amazing!
Maybe throw DS and 3DS in there too? I know there are some who don't like to play any portable games and would rather play them on a TV 

That's unlikely to happen without Nintendo stepping in. It makes sense with Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance and Game Gear because the patents have expired and they don't make a lick of money off of them. I'd love to play DS and 3DS on my TV but I just don't think it'll ever happen.

True, true. But could it happen after 5-10+ years when those systems become as old as the Game Boy line is now? Or are the patents for the DS/3DS different?

[redblaze57]

the Retron 5 does play Gameboy/Color/Advance games. not to mention there is always the GBA PLAYER.

[burningdoom]

That would be a lot of cartridge slots, for something that would be a small portable, too. It would have to be the size of Game Gear, probably.

[telly]

That would be a lot of cartridge slots, for something that would be a small portable, too. It would have to be the size of Game Gear, probably.

I think Warmsignal was talking about something like the ultimate Game Boy Player; playing all these portable titles on a regular TV. I do wonder what a portable version would have to do to manage all those cartridge slots though if they did make one.

[badATchaos]

There's portable emulation machines, like the Dingo

[aliensstudios]

That would be amazing!
Maybe throw DS and 3DS in there too? I know there are some who don't like to play any portable games and would rather play them on a TV 

That's unlikely to happen without Nintendo stepping in. It makes sense with Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance and Game Gear because the patents have expired and they don't make a lick of money off of them. I'd love to play DS and 3DS on my TV but I just don't think it'll ever happen.

True, true. But could it happen after 5-10+ years when those systems become as old as the Game Boy line is now? Or are the patents for the DS/3DS different?

A patent typically lasts about 20 years (sometimes 30) so theoretically in 2024 the Nintendo DS's patent would/could expire and the 3DS would be probably 2030, that's a long way off huh? I guess it could happen but unless the hardware is cheaper to dupe and Nintendo loosens up, I don't see it happening. It stinks too because I'd love to play my DS games on the big screen!

[telly]

That would be amazing!
Maybe throw DS and 3DS in there too? I know there are some who don't like to play any portable games and would rather play them on a TV 

That's unlikely to happen without Nintendo stepping in. It makes sense with Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance and Game Gear because the patents have expired and they don't make a lick of money off of them. I'd love to play DS and 3DS on my TV but I just don't think it'll ever happen.

True, true. But could it happen after 5-10+ years when those systems become as old as the Game Boy line is now? Or are the patents for the DS/3DS different?

A patent typically lasts about 20 years (sometimes 30) so theoretically in 2024 the Nintendo DS's patent would/could expire and the 3DS would be probably 2030, that's a long way off huh? I guess it could happen but unless the hardware is cheaper to dupe and Nintendo loosens up, I don't see it happening. It stinks too because I'd love to play my DS games on the big screen!

Ahh I see. That's really unfortunate Oh well, I like playing portable games so it doesn't bother me too much