User BJ has introduced a rather interesting device called Retro Song Bird. It is a music player that plays music exclusively from Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges (over 1900 are supported).
It allows you to switch music tracks from a cartridge just like on an MP3 player or a modern speaker. All a gamer needs to do is insert a cartridge into the top slot.
The device can even play sound effects. On the side panel of the Retro Song Bird are physical control buttons for switching tracks and adjusting volume. The player features a stereo output for connecting to Hi-Fi systems and boasts “accurate register-level sound emulation” to ensure the music sounds as close to the original as possible through its modern speaker.
Device video from Bird Cartel YouTube channel (music from Aladdin)
Retro Song Bird offers not only music player functions but also the ability to back up and restore save files and ROM files. It can even flash new cartridges and export soundtracks to PC in WAV format, making it a multifunctional accessory for Game Boy.
Each cartridge is a musical gem, and this accessory allows you to mix original instrumental parts and create mixtapes — or rather, “mixcartridges” — which can then be written to a new cartridge.
Device video from Bird Cartel YouTube channel (music from Super Mario Land)
This means you can edit each of the four sound channels as a separate audio stream via USB, connect an LSDj cartridge to play saved tracks, and convert albums into a ROM file that will play on both original hardware and the Retro Song Bird.
Additionally, the device can be connected to a PC and use the Game Boy Camera as a USB webcam, squeezing the most out of its 0.014 megapixels at 5 frames per second.
There is also an alarm mode that will wake the gamer at a set time with music from any inserted cartridge, and it can be turned off with the buttons on the side panel. Plus, you can also play cartridges directly in the browser, using the device as a console that natively interacts with applications and cheats.
BJ uses an open API, which gives enthusiasts and developers the ability to customize the device, and over-the-air updates will keep the device in the most current state. The device is not yet for sale — BJ has only assembled a few prototypes.
Once the folk craftsman refines the device, he will likely launch crowdfunding or put it up for sale when ready (this might happen, possibly, at the end of 2026).