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Yes—but the official LEGO Game Boy is a display model, not a working console. Making it playable means adding electronics: one reported build uses a microcontroller to emulate Game Boy games, while other approaches use real Nintendo hardware. The project can be fun, but “affordable” depends on the parts, tools, and fabrication you need; there is no supported current total for the complete build.
What the LEGO Game Boy does—and does not do
LEGO set 72046 is a 421-piece, near 1:1 brick-built replica of Nintendo’s original Game Boy. Its buttons can be pressed and it has a Game Pak slot, but LEGO’s product specification says the model has no light, sound, or digital play functions. It is a build-and-display replica until someone modifies it.
LEGO announced the set on July 23, 2025, with an October 1, 2025 release date. The announced US launch list price was $59.99; that is a historical list price for the set alone, not a current price or a guarantee of availability. LEGO’s product listing describes the model, and LEGO’s launch announcement gives the release details.
How a playable conversion works
The reported emulator build
In an October 2, 2025 report, HotHardware described Sebastian Staacks of There Oughta Be adapting set 72046 with a Waveshare RP2350-Zero microcontroller and a compact LCD, turning the LEGO enclosure into an emulation handheld. The listed materials also include a Seengreat 2-inch LCD, soldering equipment and materials, and access to a 3D printer. This involves electronics and fabrication; it is not presented as a plug-in beginner kit. HotHardware’s report covers the build.
#1 Best Overall
- BUILD AN ICON – Build the ultimate retro gaming display with the LEGO Game Boy (72046) model kit for adults ages 18 and up
- RELIVE THE EXCITEMENT – Remember powering up your Game Boy for the first time? Experience the thrill again with this authentic of the handheld gaming sensation
- DISCOVER AUTHENTIC DETAILS – The instantly-recognizable Game Boy features classic button layout, contrast dial, and interchangeable Game Pak and lenticular screens
- RETRO ROOM DECOR – Display this buildable model kit on any flat surface in your home or office as an eye-catching centerpiece that celebrates your love of LEGO and Game Boy
- GIFT FOR MEN & WOMEN – This unique DIY Building kit for adults is sure to thrill retro gaming fans, Nintendo collectors, and pop culture enthusiasts who remember their first Game Boy
Other approaches are separate projects
The same report describes Natalie The Nerd’s alternative using real Game Boy Pocket hardware. That is distinct from Staacks’s microcontroller-based emulator, so its parts, installation, and behavior should not be assumed to match the emulator build. In HotHardware’s October 2025 account, full instructions and further release information for Natalie’s approach were still pending.
A separate open-source project, PocketPico, documents an RP2040-based emulator installation for set 72046. Its LEGO installation calls for substantial dremeling and custom 3D-printed pieces, including parts for the buttons and charging-port mounting. The project describes its LEGO variant as a single-game setup and targets original Game Boy DMG games; its broader documentation says Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance compatibility are not supported. Those constraints apply to this implementation, not automatically to Staacks’s different build.
Rank #2
- 3 IN 1 TOY FOR KIDS – LEGO Creator 3 in 1 Retro Gaming Console (31380) building toy lets boys and girls ages 8 years old and up construct 3 gaming toys from 1 set of LEGO bricks
- BUILD & REBUILD – Kids can dream up endless stories as they create 1 of 3 brick-built gaming toys: a handheld gaming console, a desktop mini computer or an arcade game machine (models cannot be built simultaneously)
- FUN TOY GAMING FEATURES – Gaming console has 2 moving buttons and 2 moving joysticks plus a choice of 3 game cartridges to insert, computer includes a keyboard and monitor with a disk to place inside and a mouse, and the arcade game machine has iconic retro details
- GAMER ROOM DECOR – When playtime is over, the completed build doubles as fun bedroom or play room decor for display on a shelf or desk
- GIFT FOR BOYS & GIRLS – Makes a fun birthday gift or anytime treat for little builders who love gaming toys and imaginative pretend play
What parts and work should you expect?
For the reported Staacks emulator route, the available account names these core items and requirements:
- LEGO Game Boy set 72046 as the enclosure.
- Waveshare RP2350-Zero microcontroller.
- Seengreat 2-inch LCD module.
- Soldering equipment and materials.
- Access to a 3D printer for fabrication.
That list is not a complete, verified bill of materials or a step-by-step guide. Check the documentation for the exact version you intend to build for wiring, firmware, additional components, and fit before buying parts or modifying bricks. In particular, inspect the chosen guide before cutting or grinding: the PocketPico installation explicitly calls for dremeling, but that requirement should not be transferred to other designs without evidence.
Rank #3
- DEFEND THE CHICKEN FARM – LEGO Minecraft Chicken Farm (21585) building toy for boys and girls ages 7 years old and up features a chicken-shaped coop with movable wings, opening gate and fun gaming-inspired details
- 4 MINECRAFT TOY FIGURES – Includes a Chicken Fan minifigure, plus a baby zombie (who likes to ride the chicken), fox, cold chicken and a baby chicken
- GAMING-INSPIRED FUNCTIONS – The giant chicken-shaped coop lays eggs at the rear and dispenses seed from its mouth into a container, which tilts forward when the chickens need food
- CREATIVE STORYTELLING POSSIBILITIES – Young players can help the Chicken Fan care for the chickens while fending off a fox trying to eat the cold chicken and a baby zombie trying to hitch a ride
- ACCESSORIES FOR PRETEND PLAY – Features torches, hay, a smoker stove, 2 eggs, 2 lots of seeds, a chicken leg, feather and an axe
Is the project affordable?
There is not enough information to give a current complete project cost. The set’s $59.99 US price was LEGO’s announced launch list price in July 2025, while the conversion also requires electronics, a display, fabrication, and tools. Your total depends on current local prices, shipping, and whether you already own soldering equipment or have access to a 3D printer. Treat “affordable” as relative rather than as a verified price claim.
For historical context only, an unrelated February 2019 OCinside.de guide estimated about €90 for converting an original Game Boy shell with a Raspberry Pi Zero. Its estimate itemized roughly €15 for a case, €25 for the Raspberry Pi Zero, €30 for a 3.5-inch TFT, €7 for an 8GB microSD card, and €13 for other parts. That was a different project, using an original Game Boy shell, and is not a cost estimate for the LEGO conversion. OCinside.de’s guide provides that dated breakdown.
Rank #4
- MINECRAFT TOY FOR KIDS – The Nether Lava Battle is a small LEGO Minecraft set that provides big build-and-play fun for boys and girls 6 years old and older who play the popular video game
- PRETEND PLAY – This playset includes a buildable section of the Nether fortress bridge, and minifigures including Alex, a wither skeleton, plus blaze and strider LEGO Minecraft figures with weapons and accessories
- LEGO MINECRAFT FORTRESS ACTION – Players will need their skills to collect ancient debris, escape a lava fall, battle mobs and ride a Minecraft figure to safety
- MINECRAFT FIGURES – The skeleton wields a stone sword, the whirling blaze spins its rods, the strider features posable legs and a saddle, and Alex carries the game’s familiar diamond sword
- FUN GIFT IDEAS – This hands-on video game set is a great birthday, holiday, or any-day treat for boys and girls who love small build-and-play toys packed with activity
Which kind of build should you choose?
| Build | Approach | Documented considerations |
|---|---|---|
| Staacks / There Oughta Be | RP2350-Zero and LCD emulate games in the LEGO enclosure. | HotHardware reported a parts list and documentation in October 2025; it characterized the work as not entry-level. Current parts, instructions, and compatibility should be checked on the project page. |
| Natalie The Nerd | Uses real Game Boy Pocket hardware rather than the reported emulator approach. | HotHardware said full instructions and further release details were pending when its October 2, 2025 report was published. |
| PocketPico LEGO installation | RP2040-based DMG emulator installation. | The documented LEGO setup requires substantial dremeling and custom 3D-printed pieces; the LEGO variant is described as a single-game setup. The project says DMG is supported, not Game Boy Color or Advance. |
Before committing, compare the chosen build’s current documentation for required tools, how much the LEGO shell must be altered, game compatibility, and whether its instructions are complete. Those details differ by project, and the available evidence does not establish a single universal best option or a current all-in cost.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- MINECRAFT TOY FOR KIDS – LEGO Minecraft Zombie Dungeon (21587) building toy for boys and girls ages 8 years old and up
- 5 LEGO FIGURES – Builders can cast a Wastelands Wanderer minifigure, a slime and 3 zombies (including one with enchanted leggings and gold sword and one with diamond helmet) in their pretend play adventure stories
- GAMING-INSPIRED FUNCTIONS – Set in the Minecraft desert biome, this zombie dungeon features a rotating, zombie-spawning chamber and a sliding piece that triggers a rockfall
- INSPIRE CREATIVE STORYTELLING – The Wastelands Wanderer, equipped with a diamond pickaxe, mace and netherite armor, takes on a slime and 3 zombies in the desert biome dungeon
- ACCESSORIES FOR PRETEND PLAY – Features netherite armor, a mace, diamond pickaxe, gold sword, diamond helmet, crafting table, torch and a chest containing bread, bone and rotten flesh
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