GBA SP emulator turns 51 Game Boy Advance games into dual-screen titles

Second screen for GBA games

A new emulator called GBA SP has arrived in beta on GitHub, according to Notebookcheck. It adds second-display features to 51 Game Boy Advance titles, turning games designed for one screen into dual-screen experiences on modern handhelds.

What appears on the extra display depends on the game. Mario Kart can show the track, Metroid displays a large map of the game world, and the GBA version of Super Mario World shows a list of levels already completed.

How the emulator works

The technical approach is unusual. The emulator runs a second instance of the same game and carries progress over from the main instance, so elements such as a minimap update regularly on the extra display.

There are limits. The second screen offers no touchscreen functionality, so it works only as a passive information display rather than a true Nintendo DS-style input surface.

Supported games and devices

A full list of the 51 supported titles is available, and it shows what each game displays on the second screen. Games outside the list are not left out entirely: the emulator supports most other GBA titles but simply shows nothing on the extra display.

The software is compatible with Linux-based handhelds such as the Anbernic RG DS and with Android devices such as the Retroid Pocket Duo, according to Notebookcheck.

Context: the dual-screen handheld boom

Dual-screen gaming handhelds have grown popular over the past two years. Devices range from the Anbernic RG DS to the Retroid Pocket Duo and the more powerful AYN Thor. They are designed for Nintendo DS and 3DS games, but the second display can also host videos, web browsers or manuals during single-screen games.

GBA SP is not the first emulator to experiment with this idea. PokéDaisy adds a companion app to Game Boy and Game Boy Advance Pokémon titles. What distinguishes GBA SP is the breadth of support: 51 titles with tailored second-screen features at launch of the beta.

Why it matters

Owners of dual-screen handhelds who mostly play Game Boy Advance games have so far had little use for the second display. This emulator gives those games purpose-built extra content, from maps to level lists, without changing how the games play.

As the software is a beta available on GitHub, features and supported titles may change. Readers interested in the project should check the emulator's official GitHub page for the latest list of compatible games and devices.