It’s a Raspberry Pi-based console, built on RetroArch, a Game simulator that simulates various retro consoles like Sega Megadrive, Super Nintendo, Game Boy Advance, The PlayStation, etc.

origin

I am a designer, engineer and game lover from Sweden.

I’ve been obsessed with games ever since I was a kid on the Sega Megadrive.

Also, I’ve always been interested in game hardware, especially consoles.

When I bought the PSP in 2008, I added some game simulators to the console for the first time, which allowed me to play all the classic games I hadn’t played in a long time.

However, the only minor issues with playing simulators on the PSP are that the screen is too small, the aspect ratio is incorrect, and it has black borders.

Ever since then, I’ve wanted to build my own console and solve these problems myself. By the end of 2018, I had an initial idea of how to start the project.

hardware

With the help of a 3D printer, a Raspberry Pi, a screen from the iPad Mini3, and a few other parts and circuit boards, I was able to build the prototype of the handheld I wanted.

My goal was to create a console with a large display that was both functional and beautiful.

CPU:

Reasons to choose Raspberry Pi:

It has great software support and is compatible with many different game simulators. It’s small and thin, good value for money, low power consumption, but still good enough to simulate most games.

LCD:

I used a 7.9-inch LG screen, the same model as the iPad Mini3.

I found a number of other screens that were exactly the size and aspect ratio I wanted. But I chose the LG because it is brighter than other monitors and has better color reproduction, even though it is more expensive

Audio:

To improve Raspberry Pi’s audio quality, I supplied a USB DAC (16 bits, 48 kHz). I also had to include an amplifier board to power the speakers.

Keys:

For buttons and cross keys, I used soft tactile switches to get the same feel that most game controllers have.

design

Design inspiration comes from many different sources, not just game hardware.

I tried to make it as small and thin as possible and comfortable to hold for a long time.

There are two buttons at the top, one to adjust the brightness of the screen and the other to shut it down.

There is also a power switch that completely shuts off power to the machine.

A 3.5mm headphone jack and micro-USB port for charging the battery are located at the bottom.

The power LED on the front is used to indicate low charge, charging and charged battery status.

There are other buttons, cross keys and volume knobs.

There is a hotkey button above the volume knob that can be combined with other buttons for things like save, load, reset and exit the main menu.

To avoid the heat inside the console, I installed a small silent fan on the back. It draws in air through an intake, then passes through a radiator on the Raspberry Pi, and then out again.

To replace the lithium battery and micro SD card, simply remove the back cover.

No screws, just slide it down to open it.

And I somehow designed the lid and the area around it to better hide the clasp.

Finally, let’s see how it works:

Video number: Embedded enthusiast

— The End —

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