This cool mod lets you play Game Boy cartridges on the ROG Xbox Ally

Summary
A modded GB Operator allows the ROG Ally to play Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance cartridges through Epilogue Playback.
The GB Operator dumps ROMs, so games run in Epilogue Playback and not directly from the cartridge.
alanpep, the Reddit user behind the mod, has 3D printed a shell to protect the GB Operator’s board, and plans to add USB-C brackets for a cleaner fit.
This is one of those things that’s kind of silly, but also incredibly cool at the same time. With the help of a clever accessory, Reddit user alanpep was able to get Game Boy cartridges to play directly on Microsoft and Asus’ ROG Xbox Ally.
In the post, alanpep showed how he used a $50 GB Operator, a save transfer and cartridge ROM dumping accessory, to make this surprisingly simple setup work. To get the GB Operator fit on the back of the ROG Xbox Ally X, alanpep took the device out of its plastic shell and reconfigured the layout of its components. Next, they downloaded the GB Operator’s Epilogue Playback software to the handheld, allowing games to be played directly from the adapter.
Check out the sytem in action below.
Game Boy games aren’t actually playing directly off the cartridge
That doesn’t make this any less neat, though
To be fair and to get a little technical, the GB Operator dumps ROMs off cartridges and then plays them in Epilogue Playback, so technically, titles aren’t actually being played directly from the Game Boy cartridge — but who cares, this is still really cool. I own an GB Operator, and it’s a well-designed, surprisingly high-quality feeling accessory that works reliably in my experience, though it unfortunately doesn’t recognize ModRetro’s modern Game Boy cartridges.
Along with Game Boy and Game Boy Color games, the GB Operator also works with Game Boy Advance cartridges. alanpep told Pure Xbox that they’ve “3D printed a shell” for the GB Operator in order to protect its boards when its attached to the back of the Xbox Ally. They also plan to “add a USB-C cable with an L bracket, so the cord doesn’t protrude out from the top as much.”
They even hooked a Game Boy camera up to the contraption, which looks undeniably hilarious. Plugging cartridges into the ROG Ally is totally unnecessary when you can just download a Game Boy emulator and ROMs from countless sources on the internet, but there’s sometimes to be said for how cool more authentic feeling retro gaming experiences like this can be.