Game Boy Advance: Bluetooth HID Gamepad

Description

This simple circuit allows you to connect an ESP32 to the Link Cable port of the Game Boy Advance or Game Boy Advance SP, giving it bluetooth connectivity and turning it into a Human Interface Device (HID) so it can be used as a bluetooth gamepad and connected to a computer or phone to control games from the GBA.

INCLUDED

• Nothing, it’s a downloadable product.

REQUIRED (NOT INCLUDED)

• 1x Game Boy Advance Wireless Adapter (shell & connector)
• 1x PCB (Download the Gerber files and order it yourself, PCB Thickness: 1mm)
• 1x ESP-WROOM-32 ESP32-WROOM-NARROW
• 1x Resistor 0603 1K
• 2x Resistor 0603 10K
• 1x LED 0603
• 2x Switch bottom 4.6*2.8mm
• 1x USB UART-CP2102 ⁽¹⁾

(1) This USB UART adapter can be connected directly to the board without the need for cables or soldering. Just connect it and keep both boards at a 45-degree angle so all the pins make electrical contact. Hold them together with a rubber band and, after programming the code, disconnect the boards.

NOTES

I had a lot of difficulties in 2020 trying to flash the code onto the ESP32, and I eventually gave up without succeeding. Now, in 2026, I gave it another try and finally managed to do it, but it is still quite complicated for anyone not familiar with ESP32 development tools.

Shyri Villar’s code needs to be compiled to generate the .bin file, and once you have it, it must be flashed onto the ESP32. To simplify the process, I uploaded the already compiled .bin file to my repository, so the only remaining step is flashing it onto the ESP32. I also uploaded instructions to help with that task.

ATTRIBUTIONS

The original idea is not mine, but Shyri Villar’s, who designed it for a GBA to NGC cable and developed the software. I only adapted it to work with the GBA wireless adapter.
BoltofThoron fork with some improvements.

DOCUMENTATION

• GitHub repository (board and precompiled flash image)
• GitHub repository (code by Shyri Villar)

• Another similar project to this one by Spectre.