How Nintendo's Game Boy beat technically superior colour rivals from Atari, Sega and NEC between 1989 and 1991, and what battery life, price and games taught the industry.
Between 1989 and 1991, four companies launched handheld consoles that defined portable gaming for a decade. On paper, the Game Boy was the weakest: a green-tinted monochrome screen against colour, backlit rivals. Yet it outsold them all by a huge margin. The story of why is a lesson in what players actually value.
The contenders
Nintendo Game Boy (1989)
Launched in Japan in April 1989, North America that summer and Europe in 1990. It had a small reflective monochrome screen with no backlight, ran on four AA batteries, and cost noticeably less than its rivals. In the West it came bundled with Tetris, one of the most effective pack-in games ever.
Atari Lynx (1989)
Designed by a team originally at Epyx, the Lynx was the first handheld with a colour, backlit screen. It had impressive hardware sprite scaling and could be flipped for left-handed play. But it was large, expensive, and needed six AA batteries that lasted only a few hours.
Sega Game Gear (1990)
Launched in Japan in 1990 and in the West in 1991, the Game Gear was effectively a portable Master System with a colour backlit screen. Its library could draw on Sega's existing games, and an optional TV tuner turned it into a pocket television. It also used six AA batteries, again lasting only a few hours.
NEC TurboExpress (1990)
A portable PC Engine (TurboGrafx-16) that played the same HuCard games as the home console. Technically remarkable, but very expensive, and with a limited audience outside Japan.
Why the Game Boy won?
- Battery life: without a backlight, the Game Boy could run for many hours on four AA batteries, compared with a few hours on six for the colour machines. For players, batteries were a real running cost.
- Price: it was cheaper to buy, and cheaper to run.
- Durability: the Game Boy's reputation for surviving drops became legendary.
- Size: it fitted in a large pocket; the Lynx and Game Gear were much bulkier.
- Games: Tetris appealed to adults and children alike, and Nintendo's own titles, from Super Mario Land to later Pokémon, sustained it for years.
- Third-party support: a large installed base attracted developers, which attracted more buyers.
How the rivals fared?
The Game Gear was the most successful challenger, selling around ten million units, helped by Sega's marketing and familiar franchises such as Sonic the Hedgehog. The Lynx sold in far smaller numbers despite a redesigned, smaller Lynx II in 1991. The TurboExpress remained a niche product. The Game Boy family, including the Game Boy Colour, went on to sell over 118 million units.
The lessons
- Specs aren't everything. Practical factors such as battery life, price and portability mattered more than screen technology.
- A killer game matters. Tetris made the Game Boy essential.
- Ecosystems compound. More players meant more games, which meant more players.
The same pattern repeated in later handheld generations, and arguably still shapes portable gaming today.
Collecting these machines today
- Game Boy: widely available and durable. Screens can develop lines due to failing ribbon connections; check before buying.
- Game Gear: original capacitors commonly fail, causing sound and screen problems. Many units need recapping.
- Lynx: early models can have screen and capacitor issues; the Lynx II is generally more reliable.
- TurboExpress: rare and often expensive; screens and audio may need repair.
Be careful with old battery compartments, which may be corroded by leaked batteries, and use reputable repairers for modifications such as backlight screens.
Frequently asked questions
Was the Game Boy the first handheld console?
No. Earlier handhelds with interchangeable games existed, such as the Microvision (1979), and Nintendo's own Game & Watch was hugely popular, but the Game Boy popularised the format.
Which is the best to play today?
For a large affordable library, the Game Boy. For colour, a recapped Game Gear.
Sources and further reading
Facts checked on 20 October 2026. Spotted an error? Tell us and we will correct it.