PSA Certified Prototype of Pokemon Red Hits Auction at $25,000

As of October 23, 2026, a prototype version of Pokemon Red for the Nintendo Game Boy has attracted a $25,000 bid at auction. The listing, which was first identified by the collector community outlet Retro Dodo, describes the item as incredibly rare. While the current bid stands at that amount, the auction remains open, and the final price could increase before bidding concludes.

The item has undergone authentication by specialists at PSA, who provided a detailed technical report. The experts noted that a complete data read was not possible, but they successfully accessed the first 32KB of the file. This partial read was deemed technically unique by the authentication body. The remaining game data was found to be completely identical to the standard U.S. retail release, leading PSA to express confidence that the unreadable portions match the commercial version as well.

The PSA report highlights two specific discrepancies in the ROM header data. Neither difference impacts the actual gameplay. The first occurs at offset 0x014C, which indicates the Mask ROM version. This value is incorrectly set to 55 instead of the standard 00. This alteration consequently changes the calculated header checksum at offset 0x014D, which reads as CB rather than the expected 20. These minor coding variances are typical of development hardware that was not finalized for mass production.

Physical examination of the cartridge reveals a sticker labeled DMB-MBC-16M-FLASH with the part number DMG-(F)KGDB-01. The report suggests DMB likely refers to Dot Matrix Game, the original internal codename for the Game Boy, while MBC stands for Memory Bank Controller. This custom chip allowed games to exceed the standard 32KB ROM limit. The 16M designation likely indicates 16 megabits of flash-writable memory. Retro Dodo also observed that the cartridge is physically longer than a standard Game Boy unit.

The auction listing describes the board as previously undocumented, although the specific part number has appeared in other records. The Rare Gaming Dump wiki lists the same number for a 2000 development cartridge that utilized a 16-megabit Sharp flash chip. Close-up images in the current listing show an almost identical design, though the wiki entry displays a slightly different sticker reading DMG-MBC3-16M-FLASH. This suggests a lineage of development hardware used during the franchise's early years.

The commercial success of the original titles provides context for the high valuation. Pokemon Red, released alongside Green and Blue, helped launch the global franchise in the 1990s. The combined sales of Red and Blue are reported to have exceeded 31 million copies. Such high-profile titles often drive significant interest in prototype items among collectors.

Commenters on the original report provided additional context regarding the provenance of such items. One user noted that a Nintendo Age member sold a batch of demo cartridges in 2015 that originated from an employee who kept them instead of destroying them. This commenter also claimed the current copy is a master copy that functions normally. These details, however, come from a reader comment and have not been independently verified.