Light toggles on or off
The frontlight shines across the LCD. With it switched off, the screen is not illuminated; switching it on lights the display from the front.
Released 2003 · Foldable Advance
First version · front-lit
Game Boy Advance SP
The fold-up Game Boy Advance with a built-in battery and a lit screen. The first version lights the screen from the front; the later one lights it from behind, which is much easier to see.
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Key specifications
Introduced2003 · North America
VersionFirst version
ScreenSwitchable frontlight
PowerRechargeable Li-ion
Choose a revision
Frontlight or backlight?
Select an SP to see its identifying label, screen type, North American release year, and a matching eBay search.
How to tell them apart
Check the bottom label, then test the screen
Don't go by shell color; both versions came in many colors. The quickest check is the light button.
Normal and Bright levels
The backlit screen stays illuminated at its Normal and Bright settings.
Buying check: Press the light button a few times. If the light turns off completely and the screen goes dim, it's the first version. If it only switches between normal and brighter, it's the backlit one.
Compatibility & everyday use
A rechargeable, backward-compatible clamshell
The SP keeps the Advance's game library while adding a folding design and built-in light. Both revisions share the key compatibility and connector tradeoffs.
Game library
Plays Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Color, and original Game Boy cartridges.
Rechargeable battery
Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery; use the correct SP AC adapter and confirm the battery charges when buying used.
No headphone jack
There is no standard 3.5 mm headphone socket. Wired headphones need a compatible Game Boy Advance SP headphone adapter.
Colors & special editions
More than the standard silver and blue
Platinum Silver and Cobalt Blue were launch colors. Later regular colors included Pearl Blue, Pearl Pink, Graphite, and Flame Red. Notable region-specific or special designs included NES Classic and Famicom 20th Anniversary editions, Pikachu, and Zelda Triforce variants. This is a selection, not a complete color catalog.
More Advance models: Compare the original landscape GBA, both SP screen revisions, and the Game Boy Micro on the Game Boy Advance guide, or review side-by-side hardware details on the model comparison page.