Unofficial RetroSync Adapter for Pokemon Trading and Battles Between Switch and GBA to be Released in December

As early as December, thanks to the unofficial RetroSync adapter, gamers will be able to connect Switch and Game Boy family consoles to trade Pokemon, participate in battles, and use other features in Pokemon FireRed, Pokemon LeafGreen, and Pokemon Emerald.

Drewworks — an independent developer, modder, and creator of custom gaming hardware — announced that the unofficial RetroSync adapter will be released in December 2026.

With it, you will be able to connect the original Game Boy Advance to compatible Pokemon games on Nintendo Switch family systems and enable wireless in-game features between them. It will be available for $50 (4168 rubles).

Currently, RetroSync supports 'join-only' mode for the following game modes: trading, single battles, double battles, multi-battles, berry crusher, Pokemon jumps, and Dodrio berry picking. The device is designed for use with compatible versions of Pokemon FireRed, Pokemon LeafGreen, and Pokemon Emerald and supports firmware updates for future improvements and expanded compatibility.

RetroSync is designed to be plug-and-play. It requires a USB-C power source. It is recommended to power it from a Nintendo Switch, but a standard 5V USB power adapter will also work. It is designed to communicate between a GBA and a compatible Nintendo Switch system, not for direct connection of two GBAs.

Original Ruby and Sapphire cartridges for GBA do not support the wireless communication via the original wireless adapter required for RetroSync to function. Gamers can transfer Pokemon from these games to a compatible game, such as Emerald, using a standard GBA Link Cable, and then transfer them to their Switch using RetroSync.

RetroSync does not support Game Boy games such as Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, Gold, Silver, and Crystal, as they lack the wireless communication support required for the device to function. The following Switch systems are supported: Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch Lite, Nintendo Switch OLED, and Nintendo Switch 2.

The following Game Boy systems are supported: Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Advance SP, Game Boy Player, and Game Boy Micro. A Game Boy Micro Game Link Cable Adapter is required for use with the Game Boy Micro. RetroSync transfers trade data between devices without altering Pokemon data. It acts as a bridge, allowing games to communicate in their 'native language'.

RetroSync does not work on emulators or non-Nintendo systems. Furthermore, RetroSync is an independent product of Drewworks and is not affiliated with, endorsed, or sponsored by Nintendo or The Pokemon Company. Nintendo, Pokemon, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo Switch, and other trademarks are the property of their respective owners and are used solely to describe the functionality of RetroSync.