You can now play Game Boy cartridges on your smartphone

It’s not difficult to grab a Game Boy emulator and enjoy classic titles on your smartphone — but it’s not strictly legal, either. Fortunately, there’s now a way to avoid ROM downloads and plug original cartridges into your phone.

Hyperkin teased us all last year with a smartphone accessory that lets you plug original Game Boy games into a phone. Now the company is making its prank a reality with the Smart Boy Developer Kit.

Available to pre-order now for $60, the Smart Boy accepts PAL and NTSC Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges. It will be available on December 1, and it’s compatible with 5- to 6-inch smartphones running Android.

But there is a catch. The Developer Kit is not the final “retail-ready” model, Hyperkin says. “Included in the kit is an open source serial app and firmware, which will enable developers of all kinds to advance Hyperkin’s current build.”

In other words, Hyperkin is looking for developers who can help improve the Smart Boy’s firmware and make it suitable for all — even those who aren’t interesting in tinkering with its software themselves.

Don’t expect to get a seamless experience out of the box with the Smart Boy, then. If you’re not into improving the device, it’s probably best to wait for now.