Can You Play Game Boy Games on a DSi? Emulation & Flashcart Options
No native cartridge support. DSi/DSi XL removed the GBA slot (Slot-2), eliminating the only hardware path for GB/GBC on the DS family.
Workarounds
Flashcart (Slot-1) + Emulator Homebrew: R4i Gold 3DS Plus / Ace3DS X / DSTWO → Run Goomba Color (GB/GBC) or GBARunner2 (GBA) from SD card. DSTWO has onboard CPU for better GBA performance.
DSiWare (Official, Delisted): ~10 GB/GBC titles were sold on DSi Shop (closed 2017). If previously purchased, redownload via Settings > Data Management. Titles: Mario's Picross, Link's Awakening DX, Wario Land, Dr. Mario, Tetris, Balloon Fight.
3DS Family (Best): 3DS/2DS/New 3DS play GB/GBC Virtual Console (eShop closed but installed titles work) + Open_AGB_Firm (native GBA) via CFW. Also play DS carts natively.
Legal Note
ROMs for emulators/flashcarts must be dumped from your own carts. Downloading = piracy.
