The Game Boy Camera Is Back—And Now It Lives On Your Smartphone

Dust off your inner ‘90s kid—because that gloriously pixelated camera is making a comeback in the most unexpected way.

The Game Boy Camera, Nintendo’s quirky and charming dive into digital photography from 1998, is getting a new life—on your phone.

Riley Testut, the mind behind the popular Delta emulator for iOS, just revealed his next retro-inspired project: Delta Camera, a standalone app that brings back the iconic lo-fi magic of the Game Boy Camera, but with a modern twist.

Currently available in early access for Testut’s Patreon supporters, the app is expected to officially launch later this year.

🎮 Snap Like It’s 1998

Delta Camera replicates the signature 4-color grayscale aesthetic of the Game Boy Camera, capturing that nostalgic, pixelated beauty with all the trimmings of a modern smartphone camera.

Unlike the original, this version comes with actual features—think brightness, contrast, and exposure controls—so you can curate your chaos like a true retro artist.

📷 The Camera That Was Way Ahead of Its Time

When the original Game Boy Camera launched, it was nothing short of revolutionary. Long before smartphones and Instagram filters, Nintendo’s pocket-sized camera let you snap blocky black-and-white selfies and even print them—if you had the Game Boy Printer, which famously spit out thermal-paper snapshots with all the crispness of a fax machine.

With a 128x128 CMOS sensor and a 4-shade grayscale palette, the Game Boy Camera somehow carved out a niche among photography nerds and nostalgic collectors alike. Over time, it’s even inspired modders to attach professional lenses and turn the toy into a weird, wonderful art tool.

🔄 From Cartridge to Camera Roll

Delta Camera is more than just a throwback—it’s part of a larger movement to fuse retro tech with modern functionality. It’s not just about looking like the past; it’s about feeling like it too.

Whether you're an old-school Nintendo fan or a digital hipster looking to stand out in an over-filtered world, this might just be the lo-fi lens you never knew you needed.

Coming soon to iOS. Stay tuned for updates—and maybe start planning your pixel-perfect photo dump now.