Key Takeaways
- Orange FM cartridge transforms Game Boy into portable FM radio.
- Cartridge includes built-in antenna and external antenna option for signal boost.
- Orangeglo aims to release cartridge for sale in the future.
Given their popularity, Game Boys would have made amazing portable radios. Of course, the tech wasn’t around at the time to make it happen, but that doesn’t mean someone has found a way to do it anyway. Such is the case of Orange FM, a special cartridge you can plug into a Game Boy to turn it into a portable FM radio.
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The Orange FM cartridge introduces FM radio to the Game Boy
As spotted by Hackadaythis special cartridge was developed by Orangeglo. Called the Orange FM, the cartridge comes with a built-in antenna so it can pick up radio waves. Orangeglo states you can also use the headphone jack to plug in an external antenna for a signal boost. Once it’s in, Orange FM can pick up a nice range of stations:
Orange FM supports 87.5 – 108 MHz for most of the world, and 76 – 95 MHz for Japan. There is also a full range mode that will give you 64 – 108 Mhz. You can choose between 200 kHz (e.g. 88.5, 88.7, 88.9, etc) and 100 kHz (e.g. 88.5, 88.6, 88.7, etc) spacing options.
Because everything is handled on the cartridge, any console that accepts Game Boy games can be turned into an FM radio. Orangeglo lists all the compatible units on their website, but some interesting entries include the Game Boy Advance, the Super Game Boy, and even the modern-day Analogue Pocket. Depending on the model you use, some will support playing the music through its built-in speaker, while others won’t.
When it comes to sharing this tech with others, Orangeglo is still a little timid. Right now, the cartridge is a prototype, and they’re not ready to release it to the public just yet. They’re not even 100% sure how much it would theoretically cost if someone were to buy one. However, they do state that they wish to open up sales in the future, allowing others to grab their own cartridge and turn their old hardware into portable radios. Until then, maybe you can tide yourself over by checking out the Game Boy game Nike released recently.