A 3D-Printed Game Boy Prototype That Plays PC Games On The Go

I may not have been lucky enough to get across the Atlantic last week for the World Maker Faire in New York City (although I will be at the Maker Faire in Rome next week!!) yet from across the pond one particular gadget still managed to catch my eye on social media.   

It was the creation of a New York architect (that’s right, architect! I love the maker community) called Anthony Campusano. He was displaying a gaming system that he had developed himself, using Intel Core M to power the device, Teensy based controls and status lights/battery levels which are run from an Arduino.

The self-taught electronics and gaming enthusiast has created a Game Boy inspired handheld, although without the classic block shape from Nintendo. Instead he has produced a system more reminiscent of a SEGA Game Gear. But whilst this seems like just another retro gaming system, that is where the similarities end.

He wasn’t just looking for a system that could play old games, he wanted to produce a portable PC for Windows and Microsoft compatible games. Basically he wanted to enable himself to game on his PC and continue where he left off, anytime and anyplace on a handheld device without impacting on the quality of the graphics or game performance.

Despite having the appearance of a long lost cousin of the Game Boy, Campusano’s system is made from Shapeways’ White Strong and Flexible material and features a high-resolution display, SD card port and USB jack.

The key feature that puts this on a different level however is that it runs Windows 10 with Steam in big picture mode, providing the ability to truly play PC games on the go. The battery life is currently around 3 hours, depending on the game being played.

Speaking on his Facebook page Specialization Is Overrated about the system Anthony said: “About 8 years ago I got it into my head that I wanted to make a portable Microsoft Windows PC to play games on.

“At first I tried using full mini-itx boards with half height graphics cards, and while it ran, it weighed 5lbs and ran for about 15mins on batteries. Over the years I've revisited the project, I'll buy some hardware, but I can never get the runtime or the weight or the capacity I'm looking for.

“When the PS Vita was released I had hoped that it would fill this niche but it never really did.

“About a month ago a friend of mine sent me that concept image of a modern Game Boy that had been produced by Florian Renner and it made me want to revive the old project.

“A month later this is a working prototype for a handheld steam machine based on his design. Version 2 should be thinner and have better feeling controls but this is the closest I've come to making the device I wanted to make almost a decade ago.”

You can follow his work on his Instagram account, specializationisoverrated and Facebook page Specialization Is Overrated.

Don't forget that the European Maker Faire takes place in Rome from 14-16 October 2016. RS Components are holding a press conference with Arduino co-founder Massimo Banzi on Friday 14th October to announce something very exciting. For more details click the below image.