"...The Legend of Zelda: Minish Cap, there was no shortage of amazing worlds to explore."
The Game Boy Advance is one of the most beloved handheld gaming consoles in all of gaming, with a fantastic design and library of games. Originally released in 2001, the Game Boy Advance would go on to sell over 30 million units, and that’s not even counting the two more compact models released in the mid-2000s. If you were a gamer in the early-2000s, there’s a good chance you were tapping away on one of these excellent portable gaming devices. With masterpiece-quality games like Mario & Luigi: Super Star Saga, Pokemon Ruby & Sapphire, and The Legend of Zelda: Minish Cap, there was no shortage of amazing worlds to explore. You can find out about this easy drop-in ips mod below.
While the original Game Boy Advance is a powerhouse of gaming, it’s not a completely perfect machine. One of the biggest issues with the Game Boy Advance is its lack of a backlight, which makes playing games in dimly lit areas almost impossible. Luckily, thanks to a bustling mod community, there are a variety of solutions for those who want to enrich their GBA with some extra light. Today, we’re covering a brand new drop-in IPS mod for the Game Boy Advance AGS-001 model, which will help brighten your gaming experience. Better yet, this IPS mod requires absolutely no soldering or cutting, making it a perfect GBA mod for beginners.
"...getting to enjoy these classics on your home television is even better."
An Easy Drop-in IPS Mod for GBA
Whereas other IPS mod kits for the GBA require special tools or alterations to the console itself, this kit only requires a simple screwdriver for console disassembly. Included in the mod kit are two spacers, two ribbon cables (one 40-pin and one 32-pin), a custom driver board, a foam gasket to seal the screen, as well as the IPS screen itself. With just the included parts, a screwdriver, and a short assembly time, you’ll be quickly on your way to a brighter, more vivid GBA gameplay experience.
Installing this IPS mod kit is breezy and quick, with only a few short and simple steps. After disassembling the case and removing the motherboard and rubber buttons, you’re basically ready to swap screens. Place the gasket and spacers in their appropriate spots and then swap the screens. Take your ribbon cable and attach it to the custom driver board, then tuck the board behind the screen and attach it to the custom driver board. From there, you’re pretty much finished. Replace the original GBA parts, reconnect the motherboard, and enjoy your new illuminated screen! For more in-depth installation tips, please check out our full GBA IPS mod kit video.
Tutorial Video
WATCH: This is the full review and installation tutorial of the Drop-In IPS Kit.
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"While there are a few negatives to speak of, the pros vastly outweigh the cons."
Pros and Cons of the Simple GBA IPS Mod
When compared to the original Game Boy Advance screen, this IPS mod is a big improvement. Not only does it provide crisp and vivid visuals, but there are also six brightness settings, which you can quickly swap between using the included touch sensor. While there are a few negatives to speak of, the pros vastly outweigh the cons. Since you won’t have to make any permanent changes to the console shell or inner parts, this IPS mod is great for updating any rare or limited GBA you own. There’s no need to worry about damaging your precious portable, since there’s absolutely no cutting, carving, or soldering. This makes it an incredibly easy mod to both install and uninstall, so if you ever need to swap back to the original GBA screen, it should only take you a few minutes.
Although this IPS GBA mod is a favorite for quick and easy screen placement, there are a few downsides. Firstly, the screen included in this mod kit isn’t as bright as some of the other after-market screens available. While it has six brightness settings, even the max brightness struggles to match other, more advanced screen mods. Furthermore, you will need to adjust this brightness setting every time you start up the GBA, as the mod defaults back to the highest brightness whenever you turn off the system. This mod also lacks a pixel mode, a popular setting found on other IPS mods. Despite these small issues, we still fully recommend this simple IPS mod kit, as it’s one of the cleanest and easiest kits on the market.
