The Game Boy Player is region free, meaning the units will function on any GameCube system regardless of region. The Wii has a substantially different footprint, making direct compatibility too complicated to be included. The Wii lacks the hi-speed port of the GameCube into which the Game Boy Player fits in addition, the Game Boy Player matches the GameCube's footprint. Unlike some GameCube accessories, including the Advance Game Port, Game Boy Player is not compatible with the Wii directly. Game Boy and Game Boy Color games stick out from the unit, as with the Game Boy Advance and Game Boy Advance SP, so they can easily be taken out when the system is off or 'Change Cartridge' has been selected from the menu. All Game Boy Players have screws on the bottom to secure it to the bottom of the GameCube and also have an eject button on the right side of the unit for removing Game Boy Advance games.

A special Game Boy Player for the Panasonic Q (SH-GB10-H) was released because the Q's legs are oriented differently from the original GameCube's.

The Game Boy Player is available in Indigo, Black, Spice, or Platinum in Japan Black in North America and Europe and Black and Indigo in Australia. This developer tool was later turned into the Game Boy Player and sold to consumers. Before the Game Boy Player, Nintendo's partner Intelligent Systems made the Wide Boy 64 AGB, a Game Boy Advance player that worked through an N64.

Japanese gamecube gba player