Lenovo Discontinues Its Game Boy-Inspired Device Loaded with Pirated Games

In late May, an emulation site highlighted that Lenovo had released a Game Boy-style handheld device, the G02, priced at $60, which was being sold outside of China loaded with a plethora of copyrighted Nintendo and Sega games. After a few months of back-and-forth, Lenovo has now decided to discontinue the handheld entirely.

It’s not uncommon for budget emulation devices, often found on platforms like AliExpress or Amazon, to come pre-loaded with hundreds of copyrighted ROMs. Many gamers have purchased GBA-style handhelds that arrive with classics like Mario and Sonic ready to play. However, seeing a product like Lenovo’s G02 associated with a major brand raised some eyebrows.

Initially, Lenovo claimed that the G02 was never meant for international markets and that it wasn’t directly produced by them, despite the official branding on the device and packaging. They also stated that the version sold in China didn’t come pre-loaded with games, attributing that to third-party sellers on AliExpress. Nevertheless, the company still removed the product from AliExpress, seemingly putting the matter to rest.

However, by June 15, the G02 reappeared for sale under a new name, the Sunyao G02 Handheld. Interestingly, Sunyao appeared to be a Lenovo subsidiary. Oops indeed.

Now, following increased scrutiny, Lenovo has officially pulled the G02 from all sales channels. While searches for “Sunyao G02” on marketplaces like AliExpress still yield results, they now point to a variety of similar-looking emulators of questionable quality. We’ve reached out to Lenovo for their take on this situation.

For those still in the market for a handheld emulator packed with hundreds of copyrighted ROMs, options abound. Listings on Amazon often boast inflated numbers of included games, with one even claiming “100,000+” titles, which is quite a stretch. However, it raises questions about the involvement of major tech companies in this murky market, especially when they rake in billions in profits.