iFixit - Answers With Device "Nintendo Game Boy Advance SP"

Nintendo Game Boy Advance SP: Charge light goes on then off

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 20:19:11 -0700

I plug in my charger and the charging light flashes on for about a second before it turns off. I'm pretty sure it's not the charger because it works with another GBA SP, though that one is a slightly different model.

The model that isn't working is the newer one, with the brighter screen. I don't know if that has anything to do with the problem. It's also not the battery because it works in my other GBA SP, the older model.

⟐ Commented February 23, 2026 at 20:19 MST

Nintendo Game Boy Advance SP: Why will my Gameboy Advanced SP will not charge or turn on?

Fri, 18 Apr 2025 07:20:58 -0700

I got a GBA SP from my friends and I tried turning it on but it would not turn on. I then plugged it in to the charger. It flashed orange really quickly and then would stop charging. (Note: My OTHER friend said that the battery swells up on those things and it looks like that might be the case but I don't know how to fix that either.) If someone could help me figure that out I would be pretty happy!

⟐ Answered April 18, 2025 at 7:20 MST

Nintendo Game Boy Advance SP: How can I fix a gameboy if the screen is blank?

Sat, 16 Apr 2016 12:51:44 -0700

The screen does not show anything on it how do i fix it?

⟐ Commented April 16, 2016 at 12:51 MST

Nintendo Game Boy Advance SP: It stays on a white screen after the gameboy advance screen appears

Thu, 12 Dec 2024 13:54:33 -0700

My gameboy usually calls but does not enter the game.

It stays on a white screen after the gameboy advance screen appears

help me

⟐ Answered December 12, 2024 at 13:54 MST

Nintendo Game Boy Advance SP: Nintendo Gameboy Advance SP Not Charging

Sat, 05 Mar 2022 19:06:02 -0700

I have the same problem. I check the output of the charger and I got 6.2 volts (the charger says the output is 5.2v). I remove the back panel and check again the charging port with the charger attached and there's a 6.2 v reading, but when I checked the battery terminals, there is no measurement at all.

Based on the test that I made, I conclude that the problem lies in the circuitry between the charging port and the battery terminals. I think the best solution to our problems is to bring our GBA SP unit to nintendo authorized dealer for repairs (if it's worth the cost).

@ oldturkey03:I didn't clean the battery contacts since there is a resistance on it. I didn't see any fuse inside of the unit.

⟐ Commented March 05, 2022 at 19:06 MST

Nintendo Game Boy Advance SP: Why wont it get off of the "gameboy" screen?

Wed, 19 Jun 2024 06:53:23 -0700

My gameboy is charged, and turns on and it goes to the 'gameboy' screen but it wont leave that screen. HELP!! what do i do? how can i get it so i can play games on it?

⟐ Commented June 19, 2024 at 6:53 MST

Nintendo Game Boy Advance SP: Gameboy turned on once but won't turn on anymore, what's wrong?

Mon, 25 Sep 2023 12:13:17 -0700

I have an old Gameboy Advance SP that won't turn on. We thought it was a battery issue, so we replaced the battery and the Gameboy turned on successfully, but only once! After we turned it off, it doesn't turn back on again even though the battery is fully charged. I'm very confused about why it would only work one time. Any help is much appreciated.

⟐ Answered September 25, 2023 at 12:13 MST

Nintendo Game Boy Advance SP: Black screen / delay on startup with the FunnyPlaying IPS kit (random)

Mon, 19 Sep 2022 05:41:03 -0700

So I’m having a rather unique issue with my GBA SP. I installed the FunnyPlaying IPS V2 kit in a custom shell, and even after taking it all apart twice my problem persists.

Upon startup, I get a black screen. The sound works, the game works, but the screen will be black - sometimes it comes on after just a second, sometimes it will take 30+ seconds for the screen to kick on. Other times, there is no delay and it will start right up! Everything else works fine, and once the screen is on, my game works and plays great.

I have checked all connections multiple times, the ribbon cable is definitely seated properly. The only things I can imagine left would be my soldering on the brightness control wire or perhaps the foam insert? This is happening completely randomly, no variables are changing in between startups yet it is completely inconsistent. If anybody has any wisdom for me it would be highly appreciated!

⟐ Answered September 19, 2022 at 5:41 MST

Nintendo Game Boy Advance SP: Big problem with my Gameboy Advance SP

Sat, 24 Dec 2022 23:01:26 -0700

I have a GBASP and i haven’t used it for about a year.

I’m 11 and got it back in 2021 and it came with Pokémon FireRed(my favorite) and Pokémon Sapphire. But when i loaded both in. At some point it would glitch out. I can’t even progress without my Charmander turning into a “Bad egg” or the game freezing and messing up textures or the speakers making a horrible noise. The pins look fine. Note that we got this from Mercari, a second-hand site. It has a few scratches and the backlight and screen are fine. Please help as I want to use it!

Here are the images:

⟐ Commented December 24, 2022 at 23:01 MST

Nintendo Game Boy Advance SP: Why my game boy not charging?

Tue, 15 Nov 2016 13:04:47 -0700

So I had this game boy for along time but the ac adapter broke and after a lot of years a bought a new one but now the console is not charging at all... not even the red light goes on when I put the charger but the console still goes on and since the battery is dead it goes off right next

⟐ Answered November 15, 2016 at 13:04 MST

Nintendo Game Boy Advance SP: left and right bumpers/triggers

Wed, 01 Jun 2016 10:37:24 -0700

the left and right bumpers/triggers do not work, no how much i press them

⟐ Answer accepted June 01, 2016 at 10:37 MST

Nintendo Game Boy Advance SP: Why my gba screen turn white

Sat, 12 Nov 2016 06:50:45 -0700

When I switch on and off the gba many times, it turn white and no others colour, just only white. I open and close my gba because it cannot read my game. But the sound, screen brigthness is work properly.

⟐ Commented November 12, 2016 at 6:50 MST

Nintendo Game Boy Advance SP: Power turns on then off

Wed, 23 Apr 2025 05:31:38 -0700

When I turn my game boy on, the power comes on for a second and then shuts off. When I plug the charger cord in the green light comes on for a second and then shuts off.

⟐ Answered April 23, 2025 at 5:31 MST

Nintendo Game Boy Advance SP: The screen light does no turn on

Fri, 04 Jun 2021 18:58:47 -0700

the light does not turn on , but everything else work fine when i put the game and is only the light tanks

can you help me tohow to change the light on the game boy advance

⟐ Comment deleted June 04, 2021 at 18:58 MST

Nintendo Game Boy Advance SP: What is this bright white discoloration on the edge of the screen?

Sun, 03 Mar 2024 18:38:03 -0700

Here's the image of what it looks like.

That image (found in google) is exactly what is happening to my screen, though on a less severe degree. Not very noticeable when the screen has color on it, but in games like Pokemon, where you encounter a black backdrop within buildings often, it gets annoying.

Does anyone know what it is or how to fix it? Thank you~

⟐ Commented March 03, 2024 at 18:38 MST

Nintendo Game Boy Advance SP: How do I repair Screen hinge on Gameboy advance SP?

Sat, 18 Mar 2017 10:17:03 -0700

I have a Gameboy Advance SP and the hinge of the screen suddenly broke off, I was been trying to find a way to fix it but to no sucess, its able to play games but the screen soon comes off when I try to open it to play some game and now I am afraid to open it.

⟐ Answered March 18, 2017 at 10:17 MST

Nintendo Game Boy Advance SP: Two verticle green lines at the top of my gba so?

Wed, 21 Dec 2022 11:33:17 -0700

got it from Amazon renewed program and it came with these lines, should I send it back or fix it myself (I have been looking for a project, if it is somewhat cheap I’ll fix it) what is the problem?

⟐ Answered December 21, 2022 at 11:33 MST

Nintendo Game Boy Advance SP: Battery cover wont get stuck, it pops out!

Wed, 07 Mar 2018 21:25:14 -0700

What i can do if the back cover broke?!? They are still saying me its the screw that needs to be bigger or larger!!! I need help for this, quick! D:

⟐ Answered March 07, 2018 at 21:25 MST

Nintendo Game Boy Advance SP: Blank screen on my Gameboy?

Thu, 16 Jun 2016 04:27:39 -0700

So i dropped my gba one day and when i open it the screen just goes full blank,But i can hear the game sounds anyway..Any help how i could get rid of the white screen?

⟐ Answered June 16, 2016 at 4:27 MST

Nintendo Game Boy Advance SP: Why is there a black box instead of Nintendo when I turn on my GBA SP

Mon, 02 Dec 2024 14:49:28 -0700

When I turn on my Gameboy Advance Sp with Pokemon Gold inside, it doesn't go into the game it just stays at the start-up screen with a black box at the bottom instead of a Nintendo logo. I tried putting in another game (Tetris) and it worked fine, but whenever I put in Pokemon Gold it just freezes. Any way to fix it?

⟐ Commented December 02, 2024 at 14:49 MST