Game Boy:FunnyPlaying IPS Screen

The FunnyPlaying GBC 2.0 Q5 IPS Laminated Backlight Kit is a replacement screen for the Game Boy Color. It provides a much clearer image than the stock screen and does 4x integer scaling, various pixel display effects, brightness options, and adds the ability to change the color of the "GAME BOY COLOR" logo text.

It's highly recommended to use a custom shell that is built for IPS screens, otherwise you will need to do a lot of trimming of the original shell which will not be covered here.

Note that the FunnyPlaying GBC Button LED kit offers new pads for Start and Select, so if you are planning on using that kit, you should perform that mod first and use the new pads for Start/Select for installing the IPS screen. It should be noted that the labels on the flex may be swapped, so you should test continuity for the Start and Select pads at the top of the flex board and the Start and Select pins at the bottom of the flex board.

Motherboard Prep

Trim the cartridge port pins to be as flat as possible using flush cutters, then place a piece of kapton tape over it to prevent any possibility of a short.

Testing the Screen

Before installing the new screen, you will need to test it to make sure that it is functional, as your manufacturers warranty is void once you use the adhesive on the screen.

To do this:

1. Disassemble your Game Boy and remove the motherboard from the shell.
2. Plug the screen's ribbon cable into the LCD ribbon connector. You will want to orientate it so the Nintendo logo on the white part of the motherboard is facing up and the STA and SEL pads on the flex ribbon are facing down.
3. Add solder to the C pin on the power switch and solder the provided short wire to it and the other side to the PWR pad on the flex ribbon cable.
4. Insert the power plug or put the back of the shell on and add batteries and power on the Game Boy. Examine the screen for any oddities such as dead pixels. If you notice anything wrong, contact the vendor.

Installation

Front of screen with sticker strip applied to the bottom.

Back of screen with sticker applied.

1. Carefully desolder the flex cable end of the PWR wire you had soldered for testing and disconnect the screen from the large flex ribbon cable after having tested it.
2. If there is adhesive sticking the middle of the flex cable to the back of the screen, remove it.
3. The kit should have come with a flat black sticker sheet with one large sticker and one strip sticker. Peel off the strip sticker and place it over the copper colored area on the front side of the screen. Peel off the large sticker and cover the back of the screen and the copper colored area.
4. Practice inserting the screen into the shell. From the front of the shell, you will want to carefully insert the ribbon cable through to the back of the shell and stick the bottom of the screen through the hole and hinge it into place. Avoid creasing the ribbon cable or catching the back part of the screen on the bottom lip. It should sit flat in the shell. When confident you have it correct, hinge the screen forward, remove the adhesive strip on the sides of the screen on the back, and stick it back into place using very light pressure to stick the adhesive to the shell. The screen is rather fragile, so avoid bending any part of it.
5. If you have a FunnyPlaying GBC Button LED kit installed, lay the motherboard onto the front shell shell with the screen facing down and the Nintendo logo on the motherboard facing up, then:
   • Due to a manufacturing defect of the Button LED kit, the Start and Select pads on the flex PCB may be switched. Test continuity between those pads and the actual start and select pins toward the bottom of the motherboard to verify if they are indeed switched.
   • Solder a wire from the SEL pad on the flex ribbon cable to the Select pad on the LED kit's flex PCB.
   • Solder a wire from the STA pad on the flex ribbon cable to the Start pad on the LED kit's flex PCB.
6. If you do not have a FunnyPlaying GBC Button LED kit installed, lay the motherboard onto the front shell shell with the screen facing down and the Nintendo logo on the motherboard facing up, then:
   • Solder a provided wire to the SEL pad on the flex ribbon cable and the other end to the right-most via of the group of 5 vias within the large silkscreen rectangle on the motherboard.
   • Solder a provided wire to the STA pad on the flex ribbon cable and the other end to the left-most via of the group of 3 vias within the large silkscreen rectangle on the motherboard.
7. Clip the large flex ribbon cable onto the ribbon cable sticking out of the back of the screen. Do not press on the back of the screen — only press on the ribbon cables to snap them together.
8. Place the motherboard fully into the front shell, taking care to fold the flex ribbon cable without creasing it. The small piece of flex cable sticking out is the touch sensor which should be tucked up under the top of the shell.
9. Solder the PWR wire back onto the flex cable.
10. Reassemble the shell. If using a IPS-compatible shell, use the screws provided with the kit as they are a different than the original screws. Two short screws will be used on the motherboard, but the screw that would normally go in the battery compartment will be omitted as it is not needed and risks cracking the front of the shell. The remaining 7 long screws will be used for the case assembly.

• If you have installed your screen (thus likely voiding your vendor warranty) and notice you have dead pixels, they may clear up after some use.

Usage

• Tap the touch sensor area to toggle between 7 different brightness levels.
• Hold the touch sensor for 3 seconds to change between 5 different pixel display modes.
• Hold Start+Select and the "GAME BOY COLOR" text will change to the screen editing mode, from which you can tap the touch sensor to highlight a different section of the text and change between the following modes:
  • GAME: This mode will allow you to move the screen up/down by pressing Start or Select to vertically center it.
  • BOY: This mode will allow you to move the screen left/right by pressing Start or Select to horizontally center it.
  • COLOR: This mode will allow you to change the color of the "GAME BOY COLOR" text by pressing Start or Select to cycle through colors.
  • Hold Start+Select again to exit.
• Holding the touch sensor or Start+Select for 10 seconds will factory reset the screen in case you run into issues.