Why does bright light make it harder to see a backlit cellphone screen, but easier to see an old Gameboy or GBA screen? What’s different about the screens?

Question

Why does bright light make it harder to see a backlit cellphone screen, but easier to see an old Gameboy or GBA screen? What’s different about the screens?

In: Technology

Answer 1

The old gameboy screens don’t give off any light, so you can only see them with the surrounding light. They also used single colour LCD’s. Modern colour LCD’s would technically let you do the same thing but of course they’re designed not to, as to avoid a lot of the problems like glare. So essentially it they are the same basic thing but one reflects light and the other tries not to reflect much light but has one shining through it.