The Game Boy Advance SP was a revelation of it’s time with a novel clamshell design and a front-lit screen. Finally, people everywhere could play a Game Boy in the dark. However, the screen was only front-lit. A couple of years later, a version of the console was released with an actual backlight. This version is known as the AGS-101. The new version retained the same design as the original Game Boy Advance SP, except with the AGS-101, where the screen was improved massively. In 2025, there’s a blossoming Game Boy homebrew and modding scene. This community has spurred on the development of backlight kits for many systems, including the Game Boy, Game Boy Pocket, Game Boy Advance, Sega Game Gear, and even the Game Boy Advance SP. This means that now, we can replace the front light of the original Game Boy Advance with a real backlight. Here, I review the HISPEEDIDO IPS screen kit for the Game Boy Advance SP (can be used with both the AGS -001 and AGS- 101).

Aesthetics and Assembly

The kit arrived in a nicely packed, sealed plastic case. Basically it would have been impossible to have been crushed in the delivery process. Inside the case was the screen with a sole ribbon cable pre-attached. This is different from the RetroSix GBA SP IPS screen kit. That screen kit had multiple ribbon cables and possible ways to insert the cables, making the chance of inserting a ribbon cable the wrong way around much higher. With the HISPEEDIDO kit, installation is as simple as inserting the screen into the housing, routing the ribbon cable through the case (which requires curling it), and inserting it into the motherboard (gold side up). I would say the GBA SP mods are some of the most difficult out of all the Game Boy mods, primarily because of the hinge of the SP. Nonetheless, the screen mod is a beginner/ intermediate level mod (in my opinion). The screen has optional wires that can be soldered to control screen settings. I chose the solderless option with no issue.

Performance

After playing the NES version of Tetris on an emulator, on my everdrive screen, elements from that game reappeared when I next booted up the console. The black screen background of the everdrive menu was full of what looked like glitched graphics. This continued when I booted up the Pokemon ROM hack, Pokemon Liquid Crystal. Whether the glitched graphics were due to the HISPEEDIDO IPS display, the software, or the console hardware, I do not know. Apart from that issue, all my comments on the screen’s performance are positive. The screen is bright and clear, and it’s notably brighter than the RetroSix IPS display for the GBA SP. The HISPEEDIDO screen kit lacks lights that turn on when in use, which was a nice feature of the RetroSix version (obviously only noticeable when using a translucent shell). The HISPEEDIDO screen kit looks great, whether you are playing Game Boy, Game Boy Color, NES, Game Gear, or Game Boy Advance games.

Conclusion

The original version of the Game Boy Advance SP has a front light that did a great job in 2002 of allowing us to play Zelda, Mario, and Pokemon on our Game Boys in the dark. In 2025, the front light isn’t as impressive as it once was. HISPEEDIDO are offering a great upgrade in the form of their IPS screen kit for the GBA SP. It can be a great project for you and your family to undertake. The hinge of the GBA SP makes it a more difficult mod in comparison with installing screen kits on a Game Boy Color. However, don’t let that put you off. Take your time with the mod and start with a clear workspace, and it can be a cool and interesting project. There are no real downsides to modding your SP with this mod. The screen is bright, clear, and better than other competing kits. At around £65, the kit isn’t cheap, but when installed, your set up will rival the Analogue Pocket in terms of the screen quality, the games available, and the pick-up-and-play element of the Game Boy Advance SP. HISPEEDIDO has created a great mod with this screen kit.

BongoBongo123

BongoBongo123 is an avid Zelda fan who also likes the odd game of Smash. His interests in gaming are broad but he loves a good Metroidvania or action RPGs.