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Specifications

Game Boy (DMG)Game Boy Pocket (MGB)Super Game Boy (SGB)Game Boy Color (CGB)
CPU8-bit 8080-like Sharp CPU (speculated to be a SM83 core)
Master Clock4.194304 MHz1Depends on revision2Up to 8.388608 MHz
System Clock1/4 the frequency of Master Clock
Work RAM8 KiB32 KiB3 (4 + 7 × 4 KiB)
Video RAM8 KiB16 KiB3 (2 × 8 KiB)
ScreenLCD 4.7 × 4.3 cmLCD 4.8 × 4.4 cmCRT TVTFT 4.4 × 4 cm
Resolution160 × 144160 × 144 within 256 × 224 border160 × 144
OBJ ("sprites")8 × 8 or 8 × 16 ; max 40 per screen, 10 per line
PalettesBG: 1 × 4, OBJ: 2 × 3BG/OBJ: 1 + 4 × 3, border: 4 × 15BG: 8 × 4, OBJ: 8 × 33
Colors4 shades of green4 shades of gray32768 colors (15-bit RGB)
Horizontal sync9.198 KHzComplicated49.198 KHz
Vertical sync59.73 HzComplicated459.73 Hz
Sound4 channels with stereo output4 GB channels + SNES audio4 channels with stereo output
PowerDC 6V, 0.7 WDC 3V, 0.7 WPowered by SNESDC 3V, 0.6 W

  1. SGB1 cartridges derive the GB CPU clock from the SNES’ clock, yielding a clock speed a bit higher, which differs slightly between NTSC and PAL systems. SGB2 instead uses a clock internal to the cartridge, and so has the same speed as the handhelds.