Nintendo Game Boy Advance vs Nintendo Game Boy Advance SP
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| NintendoGame Boy Advance | NintendoGame Boy Advance SP | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | June 2001 | March 2003 |
| Performance | ||
| Type | Handheld | Handheld |
| CPU | ARM7TDMI (32-bit), 16.78 MHz | 32-bit ARM with embedded memory |
| GPU | Nintendo CPU AGB (built-in 2D graphics) | – |
| Memory | 384 KB | 384 KB |
| Disc drive | No | No |
| CPU | ARM7TDMI (32-bit) at 16.78 MHz, plus an integrated 8-bit CPU for Game Boy and Game Boy Color games (Nintendo programming manual) | 32-bit ARM with embedded memory (Nintendo) |
| GPU | 2D graphics built into the AGB chip, with tile, sprite and bitmap modes (Nintendo programming manual) | – |
| Memory detail | 32 KB internal work RAM and 256 KB external work RAM, plus 96 KB video RAM, 1 KB object attribute memory and 1 KB palette RAM (Nintendo programming manual) | 32 KB internal memory, 96 KB video RAM and 256 KB external work RAM (Nintendo) |
| Storage detail | Game Boy Advance Game Paks (cartridges); saves on the cartridge | Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Color and Game Boy Game Paks; saves on the cartridge |
| Display and video | ||
| Built-in screen | 2.9″ LCD, 240 × 160 | 2.9″ LCD, 240 × 160 |
| Built-in screen | 2.9-inch reflective TFT colour LCD, no backlight; 240 × 160 (3:2); 32,768 colours (Nintendo) | 2.9-inch reflective TFT LCD with switchable front light; 240 × 160 pixels and 32,768 possible colours (Nintendo's original model) |
| Audio | Two 8-bit Direct Sound channels plus four Game Boy sound channels; mono speaker and stereo headphone jack (Nintendo) | Mono built-in speaker; stereo headphones require an adapter for the EXT 2 connector |
| Design and power | ||
| Battery life (maker's claim) | Up to 15 hours | Up to 10 hours |
| Weight | 140 g (better) | 143 g |
| Battery life detail | 2 × AA batteries, up to 15 hours (Nintendo) | Rechargeable lithium-ion battery; up to 10 hours with the screen light on or 18 hours with it off, with about 3 hours to recharge (Nintendo) |
| Size | – | 82 × 84.6 × 24.3 mm (width × height × depth), closed |
| Colours | – | Silver, blue and pink among the European finishes; special editions also sold |
| Connections | ||
| Ports | Game Link Cable port, Game Pak slot, headphone jack (Nintendo) | Game Pak slot, EXT 1 link connector and EXT 2 power/headphone-adapter connector |
| Controller | Built-in D-pad, A, B, L, R, Start and Select buttons | Built-in D-pad, A, B, L, R, Start and Select buttons, plus a screen-light switch |
| Backward compatibility | Game Boy and Game Boy Color games | Game Boy Advance games and almost all Game Boy and Game Boy Color games; some older cartridges may have display or sound issues |
More comparisons
- Nintendo DS Lite vs Nintendo Game Boy Advance
- Nintendo DS Lite vs Nintendo Game Boy Advance SP
- Nintendo Game Boy Advance SP vs Nintendo Game Boy Micro
- Nintendo Game Boy Advance vs Nintendo Game Boy Micro
- Nintendo Game Boy vs Nintendo Game Boy Advance SP
- Nintendo Game Boy Advance vs Nintendo Game Boy Color

