Pi Boy Gaming Handheld

Features

The software runs on a RPi 3b. The handheld features a 3.5″ 320×240 px TFT-LCD screen that I salvaged from a car rear view monitor but via the RPi’s onboard HDMI interface, it can also be connected to a larger monitor. On the front of the device, there are eleven buttons with four additional ones on the back. The backlit metal button on the side is the console’s power switch which is connected to the “PowerBoost 1000C” charge controller with an integrated 5.1 V boost converter from Adafruit.

Parts List

• Raspberry Pi 3b
• Analog rear view camera screen
• Adafruit PowerBoost 1000C
• LiPo battery
• Rugged Metal On/Off Switch with White LED Ring – 16mm White On/Off
• Adafruit Mono 2.5W Class D Audio Amplifier – PAM8302
• Mini Metal Speaker w/ Wires – 8 ohm 0.5W
• Soft Tactile Button (8mm) x 10
• Perfboard

Case

The .stl files of the case and button caps are from Rasmus Hauschild.

Screen

The display has a 5V regulator on board, it has to be removed and the 5 V from the display connected to the 5 V rail of the PowerBoost 5 V output. Leaving the regulator on board and only bridging the 5 V rail leads to excessive noise in the image. The composite video (yellow wire) is connected to the test pad on the underside of the RPi 3b.

The protective plastic glass is glued into the top shell of the printed case.

Buttons

Four buttons are located on the back and eleven more on the front, of which four make up the direction cross. All of the buttons are soldered to perfboard which is screwed to the case.

Software

The Pi runs RetroPie. Additionally, an emulation software, that unfortunately I can’t remember the name of, has been used to emulate a game controller.