Gameboy Advance SP Price (How Much Is It Worth?)

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The Gameboy Advance SP is still a popular console despite coming out in 2003. Since this console is still quite popular it is also still quite expensive. But how much can you expect to pay for a Gameboy Advance SP?

How much is the Gameboy Advance SP currently worth?

• A used Gameboy Advance SP console has a current price of between $50-$100.
• A brand new Gameboy Advance SP console that is still in the box is worth between $600-$800.
• A used Gameboy Advance SP console with a few games will typically sell between $100-$150

Those prices are for the regular Gameboy Advance SP. The prices for the Gameboy Advance SP AGS-101 (with the backlit screen) will be higher.

The Gameboy Advance SP AGS-101 is currently worth:

• A used Gameboy Advance SP AGS-101 console has a current price of between $100-$150
• A brand new Gameboy Advance SP AGS-101 console that is still in the box is worth between $600-$1,700 (yes, a sealed model sold for $1,700 recently on eBay).
• A used Gameboy Advance SP AGS-101 console with a few games will typically sell between $150-$300 (depending on the games included).

The exact price of a Gameboy Advance SP will be determined by a few factors including it’s condition, whether it still works, if it comes with games, and the current demand of the console. Nintendo’s consoles typically have demand stay quite high as does the demand for first-party Nintendo games.

The prices for the Gameboy Advance SP that I gave above are what you could expect to pay when buying but also what those consoles are worth when sold online through places like eBay. If you sell your Gameboy Advance SP on Amazon it might be worth a little more while selling it locally could bring you slightly less than the prices above.

If you want to see the current prices for a variety of different SP models you can find them by clicking here.

If you want to know more about the Gameboy Advance SP and why they are expensive, you will want to keep reading. You can also watch this video below as well.

Are you a huge Nintendo fan? Then you have to check out the Mario and Nintendo gear that you can get. Whether you want a Mario wallet, a Nintendo sweatshirt, or a classic NES hat there are plenty of choices to choose from. You can find them all by clicking here.

https://youtu.be/nMPib5DI3Ys

Why Is The Gameboy Advance SP So Expensive?

Have you recently gone to purchase the Gameboy Advance SP and found out it was way more expensive than you thought it would be? While some people try to get good deals on older gaming equipment, sometimes it only goes up in price which is confusing to a lot of people.

So why is the Gameboy Advance SP so expensive? 

Because the demand for the Gameboy Advance SP far outnumbers the supply, the price stays relatively high. The Gameboy Advance SP came out in 2003, but there are still many people who want to play it today as well but there are not many available on the market.

This is a common thing with many different Nintendo consoles as well as all of them hold their value quite well especially as they age and people start to get a little nostalgic about the way that games used to be and how much simpler the consoles were then. Because of this and the popularity of many of Nintendo’s games the Gameboy Advance SP’s price is still quite high and will likely not go down anytime soon if ever.  

Reasons The Gameboy Advance SP Is Still Expensive

Backlit SPs are typically more expensive than the front-lit screen option. The AGS-101 version of the SP is a rare model and needs no modding to work with the backlit screen.

Gameboy Advance SPs are also expensive because of how popular the different Game Boy games are. The only way you can currently play these Gameboy Advance games is actually on a Gameboy Advance that also has kept the Gameboy Advance console prices high.

When Nintendo’s games from the Gameboy and Gameboy Advance (Super Mario, Pokemon games, etc.) start to be added onto their Switch Online platform (or their next console’s platform) that will likely bring some of the demand for the Gameboy Advance down quite a bit.

Another reason for the SP being so expensive is the massive demand for this console. It’s very portable while also being functional and has a bigger screen size when compared to the DS.

The biggest reason for the high prices for this console is that people love their Nintendo consoles and keep them for a long long time. For example, I have 4 different Nintendo consoles in my house that I have had since I was a kid/young adult!

Since many people keep their consoles there are fewer of them on the open market which keeps the prices for used models quite high.

In this article, we will let you know what is so special about the Gameboy Advance SP as well as its value vs other Gameboys.

In today’s era, where many people barely think about the Gameboy, it’s still a rare console and many people pick them up to resell or enjoy themselves.

Nostalgia is a big factor too since some people still love to explore the older consoles and games that bring back memories of a simpler time or of their childhood. The Gameboy Advance SP cost $100 when it was released in the United States and still today you would still have to pay $80-$100 for a used one on eBay and refurbished ones on places like Amazon can even be more expensive!

You can check out the current prices for this handheld console by clicking here.

What Is Special About The Gameboy Advance SP?

Not only was this handheld console special when it was released, but it is also still special even today. This console featured a distinctive black and green LCD screen and the players can easily insert game cartridges into the back of the device.

The biggest difference between the Gameboy Advance and the Gameboy Advance SP (Special) was the fact that this handheld console flipped open and closed and also had a backlit screen. Nowadays a backlit screen doesn’t seem like a big deal but if you ever tried to play on a Gameboy at night during a car trip and tried to keep playing while only being able to see the screen by using the street lights then you know how big it was on release!

Since it was much smaller than the original Gameboy Advance it was also well-received because of how different it was.

Most people today are smart though and actually know and value these older games. Some people are even selling these consoles on eBay and earning a good amount of money. They will go to yard sales and thrift stores and purchase them from people who don’t know the value and sell them on eBay. Some people even make a living by doing this exact thing! 

Even though people still love and adore the second-hand Gameboy Advance SP, people are selling their sealed boxes that have never been played with and earning vast amounts of money.

How Much Is A Gameboy Advance SP Worth?

If the gaming console is unopened, and still in the original box from the store, then your Gameboy Advance SP is currently worth $500 to $800. If it has never been opened and you have not used this game at all, then you will definitely want to keep it that way as used open ones are selling for around $100 or less.

This is true of most Nintendo consoles today if they are unopened, they are normally worth 2-3x more money when they are resold than the open ones. 

How Much Is A Gameboy Advance Worth?

If you have the original Game Boy Advance console of course it is worth money. But exactly how much is it worth?

A used Gameboy Advance console is currently worth approximately $60-$75. However, a factory-sealed Gameboy Advance console recently sold for $1,100 on eBay while a new open-box Gameboy Advance sold for around $300.

So if you happen to have a factory-sealed Gameboy Advance please whatever you do, don’t open it!

How Much Does A Gameboy Advance Cost?

If you love the original Gameboy Advance console and the GBA games then you might be considering picking one up. But how much does a Gameboy Advance currently cost?

A used Gameboy Advance console in working condition will cost you between $60-$75. However, that is just the cost of the console.

Gameboy Advance games can run from five dollars each up to thousands of dollars depending on the titles, condition, rarity, grading, etc. If you get actual first-party Nintendo games (like Donkey Kong, Super Mario World, etc.) you can expect to pay $20-$25 per game.

How Much Does A Gameboy Advance SP Cost?

So we have already looked at how much you can expect to pay for the original Gameboy Advance but what about the Gameboy Advance SP? How much will it cost?

The Gameboy Advance SP will cost you between $60-$80 in good used condition. The Gameboy Advance SP AGS-101 model has recent sales between $100-$120 on eBay.

You will typically have to spend a bit more to get the AGS-101 model. Both of these SP models have the portability that you want however the AGS-101 model has a backlit screen. That means you can easily play on that Gameboy Advance SP in the dark whereas the other model… you can’t.

Gameboy Advance SP History

The Gameboy Advance SP is an updated version of the Gameboy that was released back in 2002. It featured a front-lit screen and a foldable design, which were the primary reasons for this console’s popularity.

The Gameboy Advance SP was not similar to any other game consoles of the time as no other Nintendo consoles that were released around the world (besides the Gameboy Light) had a lit screen so you could easily play in the dark. This console was later released in September 2005 with a brighter backlit screen.

This updated version of this console was the third Nintendo handheld to have a backlit display. The other two are the Nintendo DS in 2004 and the Gameboy Light in 1998.

Gameboy Advance SP Features

This game console had many new features when compared with the original Gameboy Advance. The Gameboy Advance SP was the most in-demand game console of its time. Its notable features of the front-lit screen were very criticized by the other players who had the normal Gameboy Advance.

Its rechargeable battery and clamshell design were different from any other console made by Nintendo, but sadly, it was the last Gameboy to support Gameboy and Gameboy Color games.

There was a slider for the volume on the left side of the console, and on the right side of this console, there was a power switch, and the power and charging lights.

The 90’s era was enjoyable mainly because of Nintendo. They made the best handheld consoles ever and developed spectacular games to go on them as well. The Game Boy Advance SP was really quite revolutionary for the handheld gaming market.

Specs Of The Gameboy Advance SP 

CPU: 32-Bit ARM with embedded memory

Memory: 32 KB with 96 KB VRAM (in CPU), 256 KB WRAM (external of CPU)

Screen: 2.9-inch reflective TFT color LCD

Display Size: 1.6 by 2.4 inches (40.8 by 61.2 mm)

Resolution: 240 x 160 pixels in a wide-screen aspect ratio

Colors: 511 simultaneous colors from a palette of 32,768

Software: Fully compatible with Gameboy and Gameboy Color game

Light Source: Front light integrated with LCD

Size (closed): 3.3 by 3.23 by .96 inch

Weight: Approximately 5 ounces

Power Supply: Rechargeable lithium-ion battery

Battery Life: 10 hours continuous play with light on; 18 hours with light off; 3 hours recharging

Is The Special Edition Of The Gameboy Light More Valuable Than The Previous Models?

The Gameboy Light was a backlit and updated version of the Gameboy Pocket (normally just known as a Gameboy). The Gameboy Light was specially released in Japan on April 14, 1998, because the number of gamers there was so high but it was never released anywhere else in the world

This console typically looks different than the other one because the Gameboy Pocket was taller than the Gameboy Light

The Gameboy Light uses two AA batteries but the Gameboy Pocket uses AAA batteries The Gameboy Light was the only official Nintendo console that was released with a backlit screen until the backlit version of the Gameboy Advance SP was released in 2005.

eBay has a massive market for the buyers of Gameboy but especially the rare Gameboy Light. The sellers on eBay are selling the Gameboy Light consoles for more than $600.

Conclusion

Now that you know why the Gameboy Advance SP  and other Nintendo consoles are so expensive you can decide if you want to purchase one. If you are looking to purchase one, you can get one here either used or refurbished depending on which you prefer.

No matter what game you prefer to play on the Gameboy Advance SP, if you are playing on a Nintendo, you are bound to have fun!