The Game Boy Advance release date, region by region
The Game Boy Advance release date depends on where you lived. Nintendo launched the handheld in Japan on March 21, 2001, in North America on June 11, 2001 and in Europe and other PAL regions on June 22, 2001. A Chinese version, the iQue Game Boy Advance, followed in 2004. Those dates match across Wikipedia's Game Boy Advance article and the other reference pages we compared this run, with one exception covered below.
The exception is Australia. One source gives June 22, 2001, in line with Europe, while two others give June 20, 2001. Because the sources disagree and we could not open a Nintendo primary document for the Australian launch, we treat Australia as June 20 to 22, 2001 rather than pick one. South Korea is listed by Bulbapedia as January 2002, a date we found in a search summary and did not open ourselves.
The gap between Japan and the West was almost three months. The backward compatibility described below meant owners could also play older Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges from day one.
Launch price and what the GBA cost
The launch price in the United States was $99.99, according to the Game Boy Advance Wikipedia article, which gives an inflation-adjusted equivalent of about $180 in 2025. We have not checked the launch prices of rival handhelds, so we make no comparison here.
The later models launched at the same sticker price in the US. The Game Boy Advance SP was $99.99 at introduction, per Wikipedia's SP page, which also lists ¥12,500, €129.99, CA$149.95, A$199.99 and £89 for other markets. The Game Boy Micro was $99.99 too. Prices in other currencies are as Wikipedia lists them, and we have not verified them against a Nintendo price sheet.
“Now with a BRIGHTER backlit screen!”
Game Boy Advance specs in plain English
The Game Boy Advance runs on an ARM7TDMI processor at about 16.78 MHz, with 288 KB of RAM plus 98 KB of video memory, per Wikipedia. The screen is a 2.9 inch reflective TFT LCD at 240 x 160 pixels with 32,768 colors. It takes two AA batteries for up to 15 hours of play, weighs about 140 grams and measures 82 x 144.5 x 24.5 mm.
Two details define how it felt to use. First, the screen is reflective, meaning it has no backlight, so you needed good light to see it. Second, it is backward compatible: a separate Sharp SM83 chip at 4.19 or 8.39 MHz runs Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges, which is why the GBA could use the old software library from day one.
These numbers are tiny by modern standards: the whole system had less memory than a single small image on a current phone.
The launch games and library
The number of launch games depends on the region. Wikipedia lists 25 launch games in Japan, 17 in North America and 15 in Europe, and notes that Nintendo had announced 15 launch games by March 2001 with more than 60 expected by the end of the year, so counts differ by source.
The library grew into one of the best in handheld history, but we are not ranking games here because rankings are opinion. The facts we can verify are the endpoints: the final games released in each region were Final Fantasy VI Advance in Japan on November 30, 2006, The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night in Europe on November 2, 2007 and Samurai Deeper Kyo in North America on February 12, 2008, per Wikipedia.
The odd footnote is that new GBA games still appear. Wikipedia lists Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution, released in April 2025, as the last GBA game released overall, which makes a 24 year run for the format.
Game Boy Advance SP release date and what changed
The Game Boy Advance SP, model AGS-001, launched in Japan on February 14, 2003, in North America on March 23, 2003 and in PAL regions on March 28, 2003, per Wikipedia. It was a clamshell redesign, the first Game Boy with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, which Wikipedia says lasts about 10 hours with the light on and 18 hours with it off, with about 3 hours to recharge.
The SP had a trade-off that still annoys collectors: Nintendo removed the 3.5 mm headphone jack that earlier Game Boys had. Headphones connect through an optional adapter that uses the same port as the charger, so you could not charge and listen at the same time.
A revised model, the AGS-101, replaced the original frontlit screen with a backlit one. It reached North America on September 19, 2005 and was never officially released in Japan, with a very limited European release in 2006. The box carried the line "Now with a BRIGHTER backlit screen!". The SP shipped about 43.5 million units, per the figures on the SP page, making it most of the GBA family's total.
Game Boy Micro release date: the odd one out
The Game Boy Micro is the smallest model and the least successful. Per Wikipedia, it launched in Japan on September 13, 2005 and in North America on September 19, 2005, then in China as an iQue model on October 1, in Australia on November 3, in Europe on November 4 and in South Korea on November 9.
It has a 2 inch backlit screen at the same 240 x 160 resolution, with adjustable brightness. The cost of that compact design is compatibility: it plays only Game Boy Advance games and cannot run Game Boy or Game Boy Color cartridges. Wikipedia says it shipped about 2.42 million units by March 31, 2007, did not sell well and was discontinued in 2008.
The Micro matters for collectors because of that low volume, but we are not giving market prices. Resale prices change by the week, and we have not checked a live price source.
How the Game Boy Advance ended
Nintendo's DS launched on November 21, 2004, less than four years after the GBA,, and the two overlapped for years: the backlit SP and the Micro both launched in 2005. Nintendo discontinued all GBA models in the Americas in 2008 and globally by the end of 2010, according to Wikipedia.
The family sold about 81.51 million units worldwide through December 31, 2009, per the figure on the Game Boy Advance page. That put it behind the original Game Boy and the DS in Nintendo's handheld history, but still a huge seller. The SP's 43.5 million units show where the demand went: the second model outsold the first by a wide margin.
How to play Game Boy Advance games today
There are two legitimate routes. The first is original hardware and cartridges, where the SP AGS-101 is the model collectors usually look for because of its backlit screen. The second is Nintendo's own subscription service: Wikipedia's Nintendo Classics article places the Game Boy Advance library under the Expansion Pack tier of Nintendo Switch Online. We could not confirm the current price or the full game list from the pages we opened, so check Nintendo's site.
We do not cover or link emulation or ROM downloads, because downloading games you do not own is a copyright problem. If a game you want is not on a Nintendo service, the used cartridge market is the other legal option, and it is worth checking the condition and battery save before you buy.
Frequently asked
What is the Game Boy Advance release date?
The Game Boy Advance launched in Japan on March 21, 2001, in North America on June 11, 2001 and in Europe and other PAL regions on June 22, 2001. A Chinese version, the iQue Game Boy Advance, followed in 2004. Sources disagree on Australia, giving either June 20 or June 22, 2001, so treat that region as a two day range unless you can find a Nintendo document that settles it.
How much did the Game Boy Advance cost at launch?
The launch price in the United States was $99.99, according to the Game Boy Advance Wikipedia article, which gives an inflation-adjusted equivalent of about $180 in 2025. The SP and Micro also launched at $99.99 in the US. Other markets paid in their own currencies, and Wikipedia lists the SP at ¥12,500, €129.99, CA$149.95, A$199.99 and £89, though those are unverified against Nintendo's price sheets.
When did the Game Boy Advance SP come out?
The Game Boy Advance SP launched in Japan on February 14, 2003, in North America on March 23, 2003 and in PAL regions on March 28, 2003. A backlit revision, the AGS-101, reached North America on September 19, 2005, with a very limited European release in 2006. It was never officially released in Japan. The SP was the first Game Boy with a rechargeable battery.
When did the Game Boy Micro come out?
The Game Boy Micro launched in Japan on September 13, 2005 and in North America on September 19, 2005. China received an iQue version on October 1, Australia on November 3, Europe on November 4 and South Korea on November 9. It plays only Game Boy Advance games, not original Game Boy or Game Boy Color cartridges, and Wikipedia says it sold about 2.42 million units by March 2007.
Can a Game Boy Advance play Game Boy and Game Boy Color games?
Yes. The original Game Boy Advance includes a Sharp SM83 processor running at 4.19 or 8.39 MHz that runs Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges, according to Wikipedia. The SP keeps that backward compatibility. The Game Boy Micro does not: its design removed the hardware, so it plays only Game Boy Advance cartridges. Check the model before you buy if old cartridges matter to you.
How many Game Boy Advance consoles were sold?
Wikipedia cites 81.51 million Game Boy Advance family units sold worldwide through December 31, 2009, including the SP and Micro. The SP alone accounts for about 43.5 million of those, and the Micro about 2.42 million by March 2007. These are shipped or sold figures as reported by the sources on those pages, not from a current Nintendo release, so treat them as the best available totals.
How can I play Game Boy Advance games today?
You can use original hardware and cartridges, or Nintendo's own service. Wikipedia places the Game Boy Advance library under the Expansion Pack tier of Nintendo Switch Online, though we could not confirm the current price or game list from Nintendo's pages. We do not link emulation or ROM downloads, because downloading games you do not own is a copyright problem.