Link Cable

Connect Game Boy and GBA games together — with yourself or with a friend online.

Overview

Link Cable emulates the physical link cable that connected Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance consoles. This unlocks features that were originally only available by connecting two handhelds with a cable:

• Trade between games, battle friends, access exclusive areas
• Co-op gameplay
• Any game that supported the original link cable

Supported Platforms

Game Boy and Game Boy Color games are cross-compatible with each other. Game Boy Advance games can only link with other GBA games. Link cable only supports 2 players — 3 and 4 player link cable is not available.

Link with Yourself (Local)

Run two games on the same device and connect them together. Perfect for trading Pokemon with yourself or unlocking content that requires two players.

How to use

1. Open a supported game (Game Boy, GBC, or GBA)
2. Open the Game Menu
3. Go to the Link Cable tab
4. Select a compatible game from your library to link with
5. Both games run side-by-side in the emulator

Important save behavior

Save carefully

• Starting a link cable session restarts both games from their latest in-game save. Save in-game before starting!
• Save states are disabled during link cable sessions
• Save in-game before ending the session to keep your progress
• Ending the session restarts the game from the latest in-game save

Online Link Cable

Connect with a friend over the internet. Each player controls one side of the link cable from their own device.

How it works

Online Link Cable combines link cable emulation with online netplay:

1. The host runs both games locally using the dual-core subsystem
2. The client connects and controls the second game's screen and inputs
3. The host's device does all the emulation — the client's inputs are sent over the network

Starting a session

From a Link (recommended)

1. Both players join the same Link
2. One player starts playing a compatible game
3. The other player sees them in the Now Playing section
4. Click to send a Link Cable request
5. Select which game you want to use on your side
6. The host accepts the request
7. The session starts automatically

Setup flow

The link cable setup screen shows:

• Player 1 (Host) — The host's game, auto-selected
• Player 2 (Client) — The client selects a compatible game from their library
• Start button — Available once both players have selected games

Pre-selected games When sending a link cable request through a Link, you can pre-select your game. The host will see your choice and can start the session immediately.

During the session

• The host sees both games running (or just their screen, depending on settings)
• The client sees the second game's screen streamed from the host
• Both players control their respective game independently
• Saves are managed by the host for both games

Ending the session

The host can end the link cable session from the Link widget. When it ends:

• In-game saves for both games are saved to the cloud
• The host's game restarts in normal (non-link) mode
• The client is disconnected

Tips for Pokemon

• Save before trading — Always save in-game before starting a link cable session
• Both games need saves — Make sure you've played both games far enough to access the link cable feature (e.g., received a Pokedex in Pokemon)
• Compatible versions — GB and GBC games can link with each other. GBA games can only link with other GBA games
• Use in-game save — The link cable session uses in-game saves (not save states), so save in-game to keep your progress after the session ends