PSA: I just learned how many original Game Boys are still out there

I was watching a repair video from a shop in Toronto and the guy mentioned Nintendo made over 118 million of them. That number stuck with me, like, that's a huge pile of stuff that could just get thrown out. It made me think about the three I've fixed this month alone, just from people cleaning their attics. Has anyone else been surprised by how common a certain old piece of tech actually is?

3 comments

3 Comments

ross.river2mo ago

What if landfills are full of working Game Boys under the trash?

the_derek2mo ago

That idea about landfills full of working Game Boys is a real gut punch. I read an article once about how those old electronics just don't break down, so ross.river might be onto something. Makes you wonder what else is down there still kicking.

faithbaker6d ago

Hold on, wait, a gut punch is right. The working part is what gets me, because you know those things were just tossed out for the next shiny thing, not because they stopped working. It really makes you wonder what else is still ticking down there, like old Tamagotchis or even simpler calculators from the 80s. Honestly, that thought from @ross.river about them being under the trash hits different when you picture them all stacked up in some dark, wet landfill. Just the idea of all that plastic and metal just sitting there for centuries is a lot to take in. Your mileage may vary, but it really shifts how you see a pile of old gadgets.