Game Boy Prototype: Early Pokémon Red Cartridge Faces $25,000 Auction
PSA analysts found a rare technical anomaly in the 1998 development unit, which is currently listed with a single high-value bid.
By Lina Lewis ·
A prototype version of Pokémon Red for the Nintendo Game Boy is currently listed for auction. As of October 23, 2026, the listing has received one bid of $25,000. The item was first identified by the outlet Retro Dodo, which characterized the hardware as incredibly rare.
Specialists at PSA authenticated the cartridge before it was listed by the auction house Goldin. They could not perform a complete data read of the internal chip. However, they successfully read the first 32KB of the contents. PSA described this partial result as technically unique. The organization stated that the readable data is completely identical to the U.S. retail version. They expressed confidence that the unreadable remainder matches the standard release as well.
The PSA report identified two specific differences in the ROM header data. Neither difference changes how the game plays. One variation appears at offset 0x014C, which denotes the Mask ROM version. This value is set to 55 instead of the expected 00. This change alters the calculated header checksum at offset 0x014D, which reads CB rather than 20.
Physical examination of the cartridge reveals a sticker labeled DMB-MBC-16M-FLASH. The part number is listed as DMG-(F)KGDB-01. PSA interprets DMB as Dot Matrix Game, the original internal codename for the Game Boy. The abbreviation MBC likely stands for Memory Bank Controller, a custom chip that allowed games to exceed the 32KB ROM limit. The 16M designation probably indicates 16 megabits of flash-writable memory. The cartridge is physically longer than a standard Game Boy unit.
The auction materials describe the board as a previously undocumented development board. However, the specific part number appears in the Rare Gaming Dump wiki. That database lists the same number for a development cartridge from 2000. Both units used a 16-megabit Sharp flash chip. Close-up images in the current listing show a design nearly identical to the wiki entry, though the sticker on the older unit reads DMG-MBC3-16M-FLASH.
Pokémon Red launched in 1998 alongside Green and Blue. These titles helped establish the global Pokémon franchise. Combined, Red and Blue are reported to have sold more than 31 million copies. Several days remain before the current auction closes. The final price may increase before bidding ends. A reader comment on the original report suggests this specific copy is a master unit that powers on and plays normally. These details have not been independently verified.
