OpenAI Lists ModRetro Chromatic Codex Edition Handheld at $200

When we were kids, we wanted to own a Game Boy; when we grew up, we wanted to make our own Game Boy game—and unexpectedly, OpenAI is preparing to fulfill both of these wishes at once.

Just now, OpenAI's merchandise store Supply Co. officially listed a handheld console jointly launched with retro gaming hardware maker ModRetro, called the ModRetro Chromatic Codex Edition, priced at $200, or about 1,344 yuan.

At first glance, the device looks quite similar to Nintendo's Game Boy handheld from back in the day, featuring a retro LCD screen, a D-pad, physical action buttons, and a game cartridge slot—it even retains the cartridge design that was iconic of traditional handhelds.

However, OpenAI clearly has no intention of selling products purely on nostalgia.

The joint-branded handheld's biggest selling point is letting players use Codex to create their own games through natural language, then write those games onto physical cartridges and actually run them on the handheld.

In fact, this handheld first appeared as an event-exclusive product at the OpenAI DevDay developer conference, and now it has re-entered the market as the latest co-branded product released by Supply Co.

Moreover, this is not the first time OpenAI has crossed over into releasing Codex co-branded hardware.

Previously, OpenAI teamed up with keyboard maker Work Louder to release the $230 Codex Micro mini mechanical keyboard, which supports displaying the running status of AI Agents through RGB lighting effects, and can also use physical keys, a joystick, and knobs to quickly invoke Codex functions and adjust reasoning levels.

From a mechanical keyboard for developers to a retro gaming handheld that ordinary users can also pick up, OpenAI is trying to bring Codex into more physical hardware scenarios.

According to the official introduction, this $200 handheld bundle includes, in addition to the device itself, a programmable Codex game cartridge and an exclusive carrying case.

Currently, the product ships only to the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, the United Kingdom, and EU regions.

More than the handheld itself, what OpenAI wants to showcase is just how simple Codex can make game development.

The entire creation process can be divided into four steps.

First, users need to install the ModRetro Chromatic plugin in the Codex desktop app, and then describe their game ideas through chat, including the world setting, character design, and specific gameplay.

For example, you can ask Codex to make a top-down adventure game in which a pixel-art beaver collects wood in a forest and builds its own cabin.

After receiving the instructions, Codex can invoke the development tools in the plugin to create a game project, generate character assets, build maps, and write the relevant game logic.

If you are not satisfied with the generated result, users can continue to modify the game through natural language. For example, make the beaver a bit fatter, add collectible resources such as dirt and leaves, or adjust obstacles on the map so that certain areas become passable.

Even more interestingly, Codex also supports annotating and modifying the game screen directly.

Users can pause the game in the browser emulator, select a character, map element, or specific area, and then tell Codex how they want it adjusted. After the modifications are complete, rebuild the game file and you can see the new result.

In addition, the plugin can simulate button operations, continuously execute specified actions, and capture game screenshots, helping developers check functions such as character movement and scene interaction.

For users who want to further fine-tune the game, Codex also supports use with GB Studio.

GB Studio is a visual editing tool for Game Boy game development. Users can directly adjust game scenes, character positions, collision areas, and event logic, and then hand it back to Codex to rebuild.

After the game is finished, the system generates a ROM file, that is, a game program that can run on an emulator or compatible gaming hardware.

Here comes the interesting part.

OpenAI has prepared three ways to run games for this toolset: users can playtest on a computer, connect a physical handheld for testing, and finally write the game onto a real cartridge.

Among these, the computer side supports running games directly through a browser emulator, making it convenient for users to repeatedly test and modify.

If you want to experience the feel of physical buttons, you can connect the Chromatic with a USB cable and test the game's controls, display, and sound on the handheld.

After debugging is complete, users can also write the ROM onto the included Codex cartridge. After that, even with the computer disconnected, you can directly insert the cartridge into the Chromatic and run your own work just like playing a traditional Game Boy game.

Before using the cartridge function, you need to update the handheld to a supported firmware version and enable developer mode. Note that writing a new ROM will overwrite the original game in the cartridge and may also erase save data, so important data should be backed up in advance.

To showcase Codex's game-making capabilities, OpenAI also provides a number of original games for users to try.

For example, "Seedy's Sweet Garden" is a plant-themed block-matching game in which players need to swap blocks to complete matches and challenge higher scores.

"Deep Into the Gloomy Cave" is a dungeon exploration game in which players need to fight monsters, learn spells, and upgrade equipment, gradually going deeper into the underground world.

Another title, "Codex Dance Fever," focuses on music rhythm gameplay, in which players need to step on the beat according to the arrows on the screen and make the Codex mascot complete dance moves.

In addition, OpenAI has also launched a dedicated ModRetro game showcase page, which includes "FlapGPT," "Codex Land," and many other Game Boy Color games made with Codex. Users can try them directly in the browser or download the ROM files.

Beyond the officially showcased works, players have already begun trying to bring their own ideas to the handheld.

Internet user kuna showed off their port of the popular card game "Balatro" to the Game Boy Color platform, and said it had successfully run on the Chromatic handheld obtained during DevDay.

Another internet user, Moriarty, used the ModRetro Chromatic plugin to create a "Geometry Dash"-style game level for their son, and without needing to buy the co-branded handheld, it can also run on the Analogue Pocket.

Codex developer Kevin Whinnery also shared his experience of using the relevant tools to build games, demonstrating the AI-assisted development of retro games.

As for the hardware itself, the Chromatic still retains the design language of traditional retro handhelds.

The device is equipped with an LCD screen, a D-pad, A/B action buttons, Start and Select buttons, and provides a 3.5 mm headphone jack, a USB-C port, a speaker, a link cable port, and an infrared port.

The back of the body retains a physical game cartridge slot and battery cover, and the overall design clearly pays tribute to the classic Game Boy.

After trying the Chromatic, internet user @kato__tatsu commented that the body is lighter than expected and the display effect is also good, but the buttons are slightly stiff and the screen is a bit smaller than the Analogue Pocket, while the price difference of nearly $100 between the two also made them feel the hardware quality of the Analogue Pocket again.

However, regarding the arrival of this co-branded handheld, many internet users' first reaction was: Anthropic has already released Fable 5.2, so where is my GPT-6.2 Astra?

In addition, OpenAI also separately sells a $50 Codex programmable flash cartridge, which is currently temporarily out of stock and is expected to be restocked on November 19 local time.

This cartridge supports the ROM formats of original Game Boy and Game Boy Color games (.gb / .gbc). Players can use the ModRetro Chromatic plugin to create games and write them to the cartridge, carrying their own works with them.

Each cartridge also comes with a Codex charm and a developer mode activation code. The activation code can be used for up to two devices, but only applies to the ModRetro Chromatic Codex Edition.

From the perspective of product positioning, there is another noteworthy change in this collaboration.

Now, Codex is beginning to try to extend AI programming capabilities to physical consumer hardware, allowing users to complete game creation through chat and put their works into a real cartridge.

Of course, a lower barrier to game production does not mean everyone can easily make a good game. Level design, gameplay balance, art style, and the actual experience still require users to continuously adjust.

But at least for those who once thought about making their own Game Boy game but were discouraged by the programming barrier, Codex offers a new way to try.

In 1989, Nintendo launched the Game Boy, letting countless people experience for the first time the joy of putting video games in their pocket.

Thirty-seven years later, OpenAI has added a new layer of imagination to this classic concept. In the past, we spent money to buy games made by others; now, we can even have AI help us make a game and then put it into a cartridge.

Technology has moved forward for 37 years, yet human happiness is still so simple.

This article comes from the WeChat public account "APPSO," author: the one who discovers tomorrow's products, published by 36Kr with authorization.