Running homebrew
Running Homebrew
Running homebrew on a real Game Boy is straightforward once you have the right cartridge. Unlike many later consoles, the Game Boy has no firmware to exploit or accounts to manage. You simply load a ROM onto a flash cartridge and insert it like any normal game.
What you need
- A flash cartridge that fits your console. Some carts store a single ROM, while others use an SD or microSD card to hold many.
- A way to write ROMs to the cart, either a USB cartridge programmer or, for SD-based carts, a card reader on your computer.
- The homebrew ROM files themselves, in the standard .gb or .gbc format.
- Copy the ROM onto the cartridge or its memory card using the appropriate writer or reader.
- Safely eject the card or disconnect the programmer.
- Insert the cartridge into a powered-off Game Boy.
- Power on. SD-based carts show a menu to pick a ROM; single-ROM carts boot straight in.
Color compatibility
Game Boy Color games marked GBC-only will not run on the original DMG or Pocket. Dual-mode and DMG titles run everywhere. Check a homebrew title's requirements before expecting it to boot on grayscale hardware.
If a ROM refuses to load, see the flashcart troubleshooting page. Common causes are a poorly seated cartridge, a corrupted file copy, or a cart that needs reseating or cleaning. flashcart