Nintendo Flex Game Boy concept shows a reimagined handheld designed around USB-C

While Nintendo has enjoyed great success in recent months with a number of notable Direct keynotes and other releases, some are still looking to the future. In a stretch that has been dominated by retro-styled releases, designer YJ Yoon is looking ahead with his Nintendo Flex Game Boy concept. The original handheld gaming console from Nintendo arrived on the scene back in 1989 and in the time since has seen a number of recreations to varying degrees of success. With an ambitious spirit, Yoon has set out to redesign the original with a modern take that would deliver one of the coolest handheld releases we’ve seen in recent years. Head below for a closer look at the Nintendo Flex Game Boy concept.

Nintendo Flex Game Boy Concept: A sleek take on an old favorite

Nintendo has been enjoying serious success in recent years as its Switch console has become a top-seller throughout the holiday season and beyond. Its current lineup includes the 3DS, which depending on your stance has been a lovable or equally disdained release. As a user of the original Game Boy and subsequent follow-ups, I long for those days of the ’90s. I’ve never really taken to the current 3DS situation.

Reviving a more classic Game Boy-style device may help reinvigorate an older sub-section of Nintendo’s fan base. The Nintendo Flex Game Boy concept takes that old school vibe and puts it inside a modern take. The classic shape is retained but with a sleek aluminum body that feels – you guessed it – almost Apple-esque.

USB-C plays a key role in Nintendo Flex Game Boy concept

Like many manufacturers in the consumer tech space, YJ Yoon looks to USB-C as a key component in his Nintendo Flex Game Boy concept. Specifically, a stylus of sorts will offer USB-C on one end and serve as central storage for all of your games. Now, many of us have lost a stylus in our day, so putting your entire library on one may not be the best idea. That said, I appreciate the idea behind it.

The stylus would take in flush with the body and could be popped out when needed for certain tasks. You would assume that each game is loaded to the handheld itself since the storage would be removed when the stylus is in use. These are questions for another time, not in the concept stage.

9to5Toys’ Take

All told, the Nintendo Flex Game Boy concept is a fun take on an old favorite. Streamlined controls and a sleek design would make this one of the more intriguing releases in recent memory. It’s unlikely to ever hit the market in it’s current form, after all, Yoon has no formal relationship with Nintendo. But it sure is fun to imagine.

Subscribe to the 9to5Toys YouTube Channel for all of the latest videos, reviews, and more!