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The Game Boy XXL is a fully functional, record-setting replica built by Belgian maker Ilhan Ünal. A Raspberry Pi hidden in its oversized external connector socket runs the machine; the published account does not identify the Pi model or explain the complete electronics and software setup.
How big is the Game Boy XXL?
Guinness World Records reported on 21 September 2017 that the Game Boy XXL measures 1.01 metres tall, 0.62 metres wide and 0.2 metres deep. Guinness described it as approximately 6.75 times the size of the classic Game Boy, with a volume of 120 litres. The record was featured in the 2018 Gamer’s Edition.
Those measurements make it a life-sized-in-the-opposite-direction tribute: the familiar handheld proportions are scaled up into a machine that stands taller than a metre.
How does the world’s largest Game Boy run?
Guinness says a Raspberry Pi is concealed inside the enlarged external connector socket and runs the fully functional Game Boy XXL. The computer is tucked into a feature that evokes the original handheld’s link-cable connection, rather than being visible as a separate desktop computer.
The coverage does not name the Raspberry Pi model, operating system, display panel, wiring, software image or complete bill of materials. It confirms the Pi’s role, but not enough detail to reproduce the build’s electronics from that account alone.
Can it play original Game Boy cartridges?
The published Guinness coverage describes the XXL as fully functional, but does not establish whether it accepts original cartridges, uses emulation, or what games or software it runs. A Raspberry Pi can serve as the computer inside the build, but that fact alone does not establish cartridge compatibility or the specific method used to play games.
Rank #2
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How was the Game Boy XXL built?
Ünal made the project using his school laboratory and laser-cutting machines to cut the enclosure materials. The available account does not provide a complete materials list or detailed assembly instructions, so it is not possible to infer the exact construction or internal layout from the fabrication description alone.
Ünal explained that the idea grew out of his childhood attachment to the handheld: “The Game Boy was a huge part of many people’s childhoods, including my own. I was obsessed with my Game Boy as a kid, so I wanted to create something that would put a smile on little Ilhan’s face, and hopefully on the face of anyone who is a big kid at heart.”
Rank #3
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What is it like to use?
The giant controls are not just scaled-up decoration: they take substantial force to press. Ünal said his arms could lose feeling after an hour of playing. Guinness World Records Gamer’s Edition editor Stephen Daultrey called it “a fantastic example of tech-nostalgia at its very best,” noting that it leaves most other consoles and gadgets “quite literally in the shade.”
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Includes Raspberry Pi 5 with 2.4Ghz 64-bit quad-core CPU (8GB RAM)
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Rank #4
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- Powerful Single Board Computer: Equipped with 4GB RAM and high-performance processor, delivers fast running speed for 4K playback, AI projects, programming and daily computing tasks. SANOOV for raspberry pi 5 4GB is equipped with broadcom 64 quad-core Arm Cortex A76 processor with gigabit ethernet and upgraded with IEEE 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0 dual-band 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz and Power Over Ethernet (POE). Upgrading delivers 2-3 x speed vs Pi 4, redefining the experience
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Sources
- Guinness World Records: World’s largest Game Boy is fully functional and runs on a Raspberry Pi (21 September 2017)
- Guinness World Records: Largest Game Boy
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