ModRetro Chromatic Codex Edition released — a handheld with a rewritable cartridge for creating AI games

Retro gamers who want to create their own games using AI and then write them to physical cartridges should take a look at the ModRetro Chromatic Codex Edition handheld console.

Back at the OpenAI DevDay 2026 conference, OpenAI Chief Executive Officer Sam Altman announced a collaboration with ModRetro and gave attendees a limited edition Chromatic DevDay Edition console.

Now it has been revealed that OpenAI and ModRetro have released the Chromatic Codex Edition handheld. It was available for purchase for $200 (16,549 rubles), but the new item is already out of stock, with the next shipment expected on November 19.

Using the Codex AI and the ModRetro Chromatic plugin, users will be able to create their own games. A user simply needs to describe the world, characters, and how they want to play, connect a special plugin, work through scenes, graphics, and game logic in GB Studio together with Codex, and then build a ROM—a game file that can be tested, shared with others, or flashed onto the bundled cartridge.

You can try out your game and make changes to it in a browser emulator. Plus, you can stream it from your computer to the Chromatic to test controls, visuals, and sound. Naturally, after writing the ROM to the Codex cartridge, you will be able to play your own project on the Chromatic handheld console without connecting to a computer.

The handheld itself also runs games from Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges. On the official OpenAI website, you can already check out three games created with Codex: the mini-puzzle Seedy’s Sweet Garden, the dungeon crawler Hollow Descent, and the rhythm game Codex Dance.