diff --git a/vapor/compiler/compile.ts b/vapor/compiler/compile.ts
index 752e8e5cf..e6ae2674f 100644
--- a/vapor/compiler/compile.ts
+++ b/vapor/compiler/compile.ts
@@ -2386,7 +2386,7 @@ class AppCompiler {
       [...this.strLits.keys()].reduce((a, s) => a + s.length + 1, 0) + this.title.length + 1;
     const pairCount = this.styleTable.pairs.length;
     const fontBytes =
-      this.target.name === "esp32" || this.target.name === "playdate" ? 95 * 8 : 95 * 32;
+      this.target.name === "gba" || this.target.name === "nes" ? 95 * 32 : 95 * 8;
     const styleBytes =
       this.target.name === "gba"
         ? pairCount * 16 * 2 + pairCount + 3
@@ -2444,31 +2444,6 @@ function emitFont1bpp(): string {
   return `const u8 vp_font_tiles[] = { ${bytes.join(",")} };`;
 }
 
-/** DMG can't do per-tile palettes: styles are baked as glyph copies.
- * Style 0 = ink shade 3 on paper 0, style 1 = inverse. 2bpp interleaved. */
-function emitFontGb(): string {
-  const bytes: number[] = [];
-  for (const [ink, paper] of [
-    [3, 0],
-    [0, 3],
-  ]) {
-    for (let g = 0; g < 95; g++) {
-      const bitmap = FONT8[g];
-      for (let y = 0; y < 8; y++) {
-        let lo = 0;
-        let hi = 0;
-        for (let x = 0; x < 8; x++) {
-          const v = bitmap[y] & (0x80 >> x) ? ink : paper;
-          if (v & 1) lo |= 0x80 >> x;
-          if (v & 2) hi |= 0x80 >> x;
-        }
-        bytes.push(lo, hi);
-      }
-    }
-  }
-  return `const u8 vp_font_tiles[] = { ${bytes.join(",")} };`;
-}
-
 /** NES: same two styles, 2bpp planar (8 bytes plane 0, then plane 1).
  * Subpal color 1 = paper, 3 = ink. Exported: rom.ts bakes these into
  * CHR-ROM (tile 0 blank, then the 190 glyphs). */
@@ -2532,7 +2507,13 @@ function emitTargetData(target: VaporTarget, styles: StyleTable): string {
       );
     }
     case "gb":
-      return `${emitFontGb()}\n${styleTable}`;
+      /* DMG can't do per-tile palettes, so styles are baked as glyph copies:
+       * style 0 = ink shade 3 on paper 0, style 1 = inverse. The 2 x 95 x 16 B
+       * of 2bpp interleaved tile data holds no bit FONT8 does not — shade 3
+       * sets both planes and shade 0 clears both, so every row is `bits, bits`
+       * and style 1 is style 0 complemented. Ship 1bpp; upload_font in
+       * vapor/runtime/gb/vapor_gb.c expands it into VRAM. */
+      return `${emitFont1bpp()}\n${styleTable}`;
     case "nes":
       /* NES font ships as CHR-ROM (rom.ts); only the style map is C data. */
       return styleTable;
diff --git a/vapor/runtime/gb/vapor_gb.c b/vapor/runtime/gb/vapor_gb.c
index 67be92f7f..01ee374fb 100644
--- a/vapor/runtime/gb/vapor_gb.c
+++ b/vapor/runtime/gb/vapor_gb.c
@@ -122,10 +122,25 @@ static u8 read_keys(void) {
 }
 
 static void upload_font(void) {
-  /* 2 styles x 95 glyphs, 2bpp interleaved; tile 0 stays blank */
+  /* vp_font_tiles is 1bpp: 95 glyphs x 8 rows, MSB = leftmost pixel. DMG tiles
+   * are 2bpp interleaved (per row: plane 0 byte, then plane 1 byte), and the
+   * two baked styles are shade 3 on 0 and its inverse — so a set bit means
+   * shade 3 (both planes set) and a clear bit means shade 0 (both clear).
+   * Every row is therefore `bits, bits`, and style 1 is style 0 complemented.
+   * Expand here rather than shipping 3040 B of ROM holding 760 B of bits.
+   * Tile 0 stays blank; style 1 follows style 0's 95 tiles. */
   volatile u8 *d = VRAM8(0x8000 + 16);
+  volatile u8 *inv = VRAM8(0x8000 + 16 + 95 * 16);
+  const u8 *src = vp_font_tiles;
   u16 i;
-  for (i = 0; i < (u16)(2 * 95 * 16); i++) d[i] = vp_font_tiles[i];
+  for (i = 0; i < (u16)(95 * 8); i++) {
+    u8 bits = src[i];
+    *d++ = bits;
+    *d++ = bits;
+    bits = (u8)~bits;
+    *inv++ = bits;
+    *inv++ = bits;
+  }
 }
 
 void main(void) {
diff --git a/vapor/runtime/vapor.h b/vapor/runtime/vapor.h
index a37c758a9..6c73ab8d7 100644
--- a/vapor/runtime/vapor.h
+++ b/vapor/runtime/vapor.h
@@ -108,7 +108,8 @@ u16 app_debug_state(volatile u8 *out); /* mirror reactive state; returns bytes *
 
 /* generated data the runtime uploads at boot (per-target encodings):
  *   GBA: vp_font_tiles 95x32B 4bpp, vp_palettes/vp_palette_count/vp_backdrop
- *   GB:  vp_font_tiles (2 styles x 95) x 16B 2bpp interleaved
+ *   GB:  vp_font_tiles 95x8B 1bpp; upload_font expands to 2 styles x 95
+ *        tiles of 2bpp interleaved VRAM (style 1 = style 0 inverted)
  *   NES: vp_font_tiles (2 styles x 95) x 16B 2bpp planar
  *   ESP32: vp_font_tiles 95x8B 1bpp, direct RGB565 ink/paper tables
  *   Playdate: vp_font_tiles 95x8B 1bpp, vp_pal_style maps pair -> normal/inverse
diff --git a/vapor/tests/compiler.test.ts b/vapor/tests/compiler.test.ts
index cb2f1a155..ab2e99d49 100644
--- a/vapor/tests/compiler.test.ts
+++ b/vapor/tests/compiler.test.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,13 @@ import { esp32BuildId } from "../compiler/esp32.ts";
 import { FONT8 } from "../compiler/font.gen.ts";
 
 const ENTRY = join(import.meta.dir, "..", "examples", "todo", "todo.tsx");
+const SIX_BUTTON = join(
+  import.meta.dir,
+  "..",
+  "examples",
+  "playdate-six-button",
+  "playdate-six-button.tsx",
+);
 
 const HEADER = `
 import { computed, ref } from "vue";
@@ -52,6 +59,51 @@ describe("pocket vapor compiler", () => {
     expect(a.plan).toContain("pools");
   });
 
+  test("gb emits the font 1bpp and leaves the other targets' encodings alone", async () => {
+    const source = await Bun.file(ENTRY).text();
+    const fontOf = (target: "gb" | "gba" | "nes" | "esp32") => {
+      const c = compileVaporApp(ENTRY, source, "VAPOR TODO", target).c;
+      const m = c.match(/const u8 vp_font_tiles\[\] = \{ ([^}]*) \};/);
+      return m === null ? null : m[1].split(",").map(Number);
+    };
+
+    // GB ships FONT8 itself; vapor_gb.c's upload_font builds the 2 styles x
+    // 95 x 16 B of 2bpp VRAM from it (proven byte-for-byte in gb-font.test.ts).
+    const gb = fontOf("gb");
+    expect(gb).toHaveLength(95 * 8);
+    expect(gb).toEqual(FONT8.flat());
+    const gbC = compileVaporApp(ENTRY, source, "VAPOR TODO", "gb").c;
+    expect(gbC).toContain("const u8 vp_pal_style[");
+    expect(gbC).not.toContain("vp_palettes");
+    expect(compileVaporApp(ENTRY, source, "VAPOR TODO", "gb").c).toBe(gbC);
+
+    // GBA stays 4bpp, 95 x 32 B, pixels drawn from ink(1)/paper(2) only.
+    const gba = fontOf("gba")!;
+    expect(gba).toHaveLength(95 * 32);
+    expect([...new Set(gba.flatMap((b) => [b & 0xf, b >> 4]))].sort()).toEqual([1, 2]);
+
+    // NES ships its font as CHR-ROM, so it has no C font table at all.
+    expect(fontOf("nes")).toBeNull();
+    // esp32 and playdate were already 1bpp and must be untouched. (todo.tsx
+    // has no playdate input mapping, so that target reads the six-button one.)
+    expect(fontOf("esp32")).toEqual(FONT8.flat());
+    const pdSource = await Bun.file(SIX_BUTTON).text();
+    const pd = compileVaporApp(SIX_BUTTON, pdSource, "PLAYDATE SIX", "playdate").c.match(
+      /const u8 vp_font_tiles\[\] = \{ ([^}]*) \};/,
+    );
+    expect(pd![1].split(",").map(Number)).toEqual(FONT8.flat());
+  });
+
+  test("the memory plan prices the gb font at its emitted 760 B", async () => {
+    const source = await Bun.file(ENTRY).text();
+    const planFont = (target: "gb" | "gba" | "nes") =>
+      compileVaporApp(ENTRY, source, "VAPOR TODO", target).plan.match(/(\d+) B font/)![1];
+    expect(planFont("gb")).toBe("760");
+    // 4bpp GBA and CHR-ROM NES still carry the 3040 B figure.
+    expect(planFont("gba")).toBe("3040");
+    expect(planFont("nes")).toBe("3040");
+  });
+
   test("esp32 uses its 20x18 display grid and emits 1bpp RGB565 data", () => {
     expect(VAPOR_TARGETS.esp32).toEqual({
       name: "esp32",
diff --git a/vapor/tests/gb-font.test.ts b/vapor/tests/gb-font.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2f9061739
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vapor/tests/gb-font.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,128 @@
+// vapor/tests/gb-font.test.ts — the bytes the GB font actually puts in VRAM.
+//
+// The compiler emits FONT8 as 1bpp and vapor_gb.c's upload_font() expands it to
+// the DMG's 2bpp interleaved tile format, twice: style 0 = ink shade 3 on paper
+// 0, style 1 = the inverse. This test does not trust either side. It boots a
+// real todo.gb in headless libmgba, reads all 3040 B of tile data the runtime
+// wrote at 0x8010, and compares it byte for byte against a reference expansion
+// built here from FONT8 and the DMG pixel-format rule alone.
+//
+// Any bit the expansion drops, duplicates, or inverts wrongly shows up as a
+// byte mismatch with its glyph, style, row and plane named.
+
+import { beforeAll, expect, test } from "bun:test";
+import { existsSync } from "node:fs";
+import { join } from "node:path";
+import { $ } from "bun";
+import { compileVaporApp } from "../compiler/compile.ts";
+import { buildRom } from "../compiler/rom.ts";
+import { FONT8 } from "../compiler/font.gen.ts";
+
+const HERE = import.meta.dir;
+const ENTRY = join(HERE, "..", "examples", "todo", "todo.tsx");
+const OUT = join(HERE, "..", "..", "dist", "vapor");
+const MGBA_RUNNER = join(HERE, "harness", "mgba_runner");
+
+const GLYPHS = 95;
+const TILE_BYTES = 16; // 8 rows x 2 planes
+const FONT_VRAM = 0x8010; // tile 0 stays blank
+const FONT_BYTES = 2 * GLYPHS * TILE_BYTES; // 3040
+
+/** DMG 2bpp interleaved, from FONT8 and the hardware rule only: per row,
+ * byte 0 holds bit 0 of every pixel and byte 1 holds bit 1, MSB leftmost.
+ * Style 0 paints set pixels shade 3 on shade 0; style 1 swaps them. */
+function referenceFontVram(): number[] {
+  const out: number[] = [];
+  for (const [ink, paper] of [
+    [3, 0],
+    [0, 3],
+  ]) {
+    for (let g = 0; g < GLYPHS; g++) {
+      for (let y = 0; y < 8; y++) {
+        let plane0 = 0;
+        let plane1 = 0;
+        for (let x = 0; x < 8; x++) {
+          const shade = FONT8[g][y] & (0x80 >> x) ? ink : paper;
+          if (shade & 1) plane0 |= 0x80 >> x;
+          if (shade & 2) plane1 |= 0x80 >> x;
+        }
+        out.push(plane0, plane1);
+      }
+    }
+  }
+  return out;
+}
+
+/** Names a byte index inside the font region, so a failure reads as a place. */
+function locate(i: number): string {
+  const style = Math.floor(i / (GLYPHS * TILE_BYTES));
+  const within = i % (GLYPHS * TILE_BYTES);
+  const glyph = Math.floor(within / TILE_BYTES);
+  const row = Math.floor((within % TILE_BYTES) / 2);
+  const plane = i % 2;
+  const ch = String.fromCharCode(0x20 + glyph);
+  return `style ${style} glyph ${glyph} ('${ch}') row ${row} plane ${plane}`;
+}
+
+let vram: number[] = [];
+
+beforeAll(async () => {
+  if (!existsSync(MGBA_RUNNER)) await $`bun ${join(HERE, "harness", "build.ts")}`.quiet();
+  const source = await Bun.file(ENTRY).text();
+  const app = compileVaporApp(ENTRY, source, "VAPOR TODO", "gb");
+  const rom = join(OUT, "gb-font.gb");
+  await buildRom(app, "gb", rom);
+
+  // app_init alone spans ~26 video frames on the 1 MHz SM83; upload_font runs
+  // before it, but hold the same generous margin the parity rig uses.
+  const scenario = join(OUT, "gb-font-scenario.txt");
+  await Bun.write(scenario, `A 90\nD font 0x${FONT_VRAM.toString(16)} ${FONT_BYTES}\n`);
+  const out = await $`${MGBA_RUNNER} ${rom} ${scenario}`.text();
+  const parsed = JSON.parse(out) as { ok: boolean; reads: Record<string, string> };
+  expect(parsed.ok).toBe(true);
+  const hex = parsed.reads.font;
+  expect(hex).toHaveLength(FONT_BYTES * 2);
+  vram = Array.from({ length: FONT_BYTES }, (_, i) => parseInt(hex.slice(i * 2, i * 2 + 2), 16));
+}, 120000);
+
+test("gb: every font byte in real VRAM matches the reference 2bpp expansion", () => {
+  const want = referenceFontVram();
+  expect(want).toHaveLength(FONT_BYTES);
+  const mismatches = want
+    .map((b, i) => (b === vram[i] ? null : `${locate(i)}: got 0x${vram[i].toString(16)} want 0x${b.toString(16)}`))
+    .filter((m): m is string => m !== null);
+  expect(mismatches).toEqual([]);
+});
+
+test("gb: the uploaded font carries FONT8's bits, both planes and both styles", () => {
+  // Not a restatement of the reference: these are the three structural facts
+  // the 1bpp encoding relies on, read off the emulator's VRAM directly.
+  for (let g = 0; g < GLYPHS; g++) {
+    for (let y = 0; y < 8; y++) {
+      const at0 = (g * TILE_BYTES + y * 2) | 0;
+      const at1 = GLYPHS * TILE_BYTES + at0;
+      const ch = `glyph ${g} ('${String.fromCharCode(0x20 + g)}') row ${y}`;
+      // style 0: both planes equal the FONT8 row (shade 3 where a bit is set)
+      expect(`${ch} p0 ${vram[at0]}`).toBe(`${ch} p0 ${FONT8[g][y]}`);
+      expect(`${ch} p1 ${vram[at0 + 1]}`).toBe(`${ch} p1 ${FONT8[g][y]}`);
+      // style 1: the bitwise complement of style 0, in both planes
+      expect(`${ch} inv p0 ${vram[at1]}`).toBe(`${ch} inv p0 ${(~FONT8[g][y]) & 0xff}`);
+      expect(`${ch} inv p1 ${vram[at1 + 1]}`).toBe(`${ch} inv p1 ${(~FONT8[g][y]) & 0xff}`);
+    }
+  }
+});
+
+test("gb: tile 0 stays blank and the font region ends where the next tile begins", async () => {
+  const scenario = join(OUT, "gb-font-edges.txt");
+  await Bun.write(
+    scenario,
+    ["A 90", "D tile0 0x8000 16", `D after 0x${(FONT_VRAM + FONT_BYTES).toString(16)} 16`].join("\n") + "\n",
+  );
+  const rom = join(OUT, "gb-font.gb");
+  const out = await $`${MGBA_RUNNER} ${rom} ${scenario}`.text();
+  const parsed = JSON.parse(out) as { ok: boolean; reads: Record<string, string> };
+  expect(parsed.ok).toBe(true);
+  expect(parsed.reads.tile0).toBe("0".repeat(32));
+  // upload_font must not run past its 3040 bytes into the tile after the font.
+  expect(parsed.reads.after).toBe("0".repeat(32));
+});