The Game Boy Printer, released by Nintendo in 1998, was a small thermal printer designed as a companion to the Game Boy Camera. The device connected to Game Boy systems through the Link Cable port and used special thermal paper to print grayscale images captured by the Camera or screenshots from compatible games. The printer required 6 AA batteries and could produce small, stamp-sized prints measuring 38mm × 38mm.
Despite its novelty, the Game Boy Printer had limited commercial success due to its specialized nature and the relatively high cost of thermal paper rolls. The device was compatible with several games beyond the Game Boy Camera, including Pokémon Yellow and Gold/Silver, which allowed players to print their Pokédex entries or in-game certificates. While the printer was discontinued in early 2003, it has become a sought-after collector’s item and remains an interesting example of Nintendo’s experimental hardware accessories from the late 1990s.
Japanese Game Boy Printer or Pocket Printer.
There’s one project on Github that uses an Ardrino to let you print any images you want with the Game Boy Printer as well.
Most of the original Game Boy Printer paper no longer works, you can use this Seiko receipt printer paper as it is the same 38mm size as well. Additionally the printer head on the Game Boy Printer was also coincidentally also made by Seiko.
