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Game Boy Screen Replacement

Introduction

How to access and replace the black and white LCD screen in your original Game Boy. This is an advanced repair. You'll need to know how to solder to complete this repair, so be sure to check out iFixit's soldering technique guide.

Note: If your Game Boy’s display has the classic “vertical lines” problem, it’s actually easier to fix the old screen than to replace it with a new one. Follow this guide for help repairing the old screen.

What you need

  1. Game Boy Screen Replacement, Batteries: step 1, image 1 of 2 Game Boy Screen Replacement, Batteries: step 1, image 2 of 2

    • Switch your Game Boy off and remove the cartridge.

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  2. Game Boy Screen Replacement: step 2, image 1 of 3 Game Boy Screen Replacement: step 2, image 2 of 3 Game Boy Screen Replacement: step 2, image 3 of 3

    • Use a fingernail (or small coin) to push down on the battery door latch and remove the battery door.

    • The release latch is a plastic spring clip. If your Game Boy is getting on in years, be careful as the plastic may be brittle.

    • When you're replacing the cover, be sure to get its two plastic tabs into the slots in the bottom of the battery compartment before pushing the cover back in place.

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  3. Game Boy Screen Replacement: step 3, image 1 of 2 Game Boy Screen Replacement: step 3, image 2 of 2

    • Use a fingernail to pry each battery outward from the positive (+) terminal to remove them.

    • Dispose of used batteries properly!

    • Remove the batteries from your Game Boy before storing it for more than a month or so.

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  4. Game Boy Screen Replacement, Outer Case: step 4, image 1 of 1

    • Remove the six Triwing screws from the back of the device.

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  6. Game Boy Screen Replacement: step 5, image 1 of 1

    • Gently separate the device's front casing from the back casing after you remove the screws.

    • Be careful not to completely separate the casing halves, as they are still joined by a large ribbon cable that may be damaged.

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  7. Game Boy Screen Replacement: step 6, image 1 of 1

    • Slide the front side of the casing down to expose the ribbon cable connector.

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  8. Game Boy Screen Replacement: step 7, image 1 of 1

    • Grip the ribbon connector with your thumb and forefinger. Pull down gently until the connector, not the ribbon itself, comes out of its socket.

    • Separate the front and back casings.

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  9. Game Boy Screen Replacement, Screen: step 8, image 1 of 1

    • Remove the ten screws that connect the circuit board to the outer case.

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  10. Game Boy Screen Replacement: step 9, image 1 of 2 Game Boy Screen Replacement: step 9, image 2 of 2

    • Remove the circuit board from the outer case using a plastic opening tool.

    • Take care to gently pry around the entire outside edge of the circuit board until you can easily remove the board without force.

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  11. Game Boy Screen Replacement: step 10, image 1 of 1

    • Disengage the the three plastic clips that secure the screen to the circuit board.

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  12. Game Boy Screen Replacement: step 11, image 1 of 3 Game Boy Screen Replacement: step 11, image 2 of 3 Game Boy Screen Replacement: step 11, image 3 of 3

    • Flip the circuit board over revealing the device screen.

    • Remove the two screws connecting the screen and the circuit board.

    Edit

    • Follow the video instructions to desolder the display connectors and replace your screen.

    Edit
Conclusion

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

45 other people completed this guide.

Author

with 15 other contributors

Andrew Tramposch

Member since: 06/24/10

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Team

Cal Poly, Team 3-2, Johann Summer 2010 Member of Cal Poly, Team 3-2, Johann Summer 2010

CPSU-JOHANN-R10S3G2

3 Members

34 Guides authored

11 Comments

What kind of lcd screen or where can I find one that isn't off of another dmg-01 gameboy?

Floyd Odom - Reply

I was wondering the same. Maybe ebay or Amazon.

Joshua Graham -

What about the new display? Where to get it?

No spare part necessary should be replaced with a link where to buy a new one.

Helmut Kohli - Reply

You can’t buy a new replacement screen unfortunately. Not only is it very difficult to remove the screen, it’s impossible to buy a replacement. They’d be better showing us how to fix a screen. There’s plenty of videos on YT showing how to fix blank vertical line but hardly any on how to fix horizontal lines, and the ones that do don’t work very well.

Firegoose - Reply

Where do I buy a replacement screen for a 1989 game boy?

Nathan Thurston - Reply

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