5 Useful Raspberry Pi Projects For Your Hangout Space
Picking up a Raspberry Pi opens the door to all sorts of possibilities. If you're trying to liven up a hangout space or man cave, a Raspberry Pi is more than up to the task. Whether you're trying to relive your childhood through a retro game emulator or make something that can play music, you have your choice of projects. Raspberry Pi projects aren't always the easiest to take on, but if you're willing to sift through the various tutorials and follow step-by-step instructions, then you shouldn't run into too much trouble. You will need a specific set of tools to tinker around with, so keep that in mind.
Each project on this list will enhance any hangout space, and they could prove to be a major talking point at your next get-together. Many Raspberry Pi projects are inexpensive outside of buying the Pi itself, so it's a relatively affordable hobby for the most part. You'll see that some projects still require a high upfront investment, so those are better left for dedicated Pi users.
Retro gaming machine
A Raspberry Pi is a perfect way to avoid scouring eBay for older video consoles, as you can create a retro Pi-based console yourself. This is done through emulation, and the Raspberry Pi is a good option. The process itself isn't all too expensive, but you'll likely have to spend somewhere in the $100 to $200 range. You'll need to pick up the Pi board, a micro HDMI to HDMI cable, a power supply, a microSD card, and a controller. These are all things you might have lying around already, so you can save some cash if that's the case. You'll also want to remember that playing something like an SNES game on a modern 4K TV won't look the best, so check your nostalgia goggles at the door.
Another option is to use the 3.5mm composite video output minijack port that is present on several Raspberry Pi models. This will give a lower video quality output, that is more suited to retro-gaming — just make sure your TV has the necessary inputs.
Once you have everything put together, you'll need to load your Pi with a retro game emulator. RetroPie is a popular option, but there are plenty of alternatives if you want to try something else. RetroPie is a go-to option for people because it has many console emulators available, ranging from the Master System and Game Boy Color to the Atari 800 and NES.
Pi-powered smart screen
While something like a Google Nest Hub can provide this service for you, sometimes it's more fun to build a smart screen yourself. For this project, you'll need to grab a Pi and a display screen, as you won't be hooking this one up to a TV like you should with other devices. A 7-inch screen will work, but you can go larger or smaller depending on your preference. In Stanislav Khromov's guide, there's an entire breakdown of what you'll need to pull this project off. It's a little more involved than simply installing software and calling it a day, but beginners can do this without running into too many problems.
The result of the project is something that can act as a clock, a calendar, or even your electricity usage. It's a handy thing to have, and it'll always allow you to know what time it is. In a pinch, it can play music at a get-together if you have a screen with onboard speakers or connect some via Bluetooth.
Working ad blocker
Ads are becoming a bigger part of your daily life, and streaming services are making it harder to avoid them — adverts on Amazon Prime Video being an example that comes to mind. To create your own Raspberry Pi ad blocker, you'll have to pick up the board, an SD card, and a power supply. The name of the ad blocker is Pi-Hole, and a tutorial on how to get started can be found on its website. Everything's laid out simply enough to make it doable for everybody — whether they're a Pi veteran or not. You can save cash by going for a $10 Pi Zero as the Pi-Hole software doesn't require beefy hardware.
Linus Tech Tips uploaded a video showcasing how the project works if you want to see what the result is before you pick up everything and start building it yourself. If you come across a website or app that needs to use ads to work, you can whitelist it so you don't run into issues. It's a handy device that shouldn't cost too much to get put together.
Coffee table arcade machine
This Raspberry Pi project is not something for the faint-of-heart, as it's going to require tools for woodworking as well as knowledge of how to work with the Pi. If you're up to the task, you can build a Pi-powered arcade machine that'll fit directly into a coffee table. This will likely take most people longer than a day to get built, so consider mapping out the process and taking things slow. You can follow the instructions on Instructables.com, and make sure you pick up the long list of tools and materials you'll need before you begin.
Ultimately, this will be a more expensive project than many others unless you already have an extra speaker, coffee tables, and woodworking tools. On the bright side, you'll have a very nice conversation starter that'll be a hit during your next gathering. Even without company, you should get quite a lot out of a functioning coffee table arcade machine.
Mood lights
A cool way to liven up a living or hangout space is lighting. Your lighting picks will vary by room, but for a hangout room, you can opt for something less traditional, and perhaps mood lights are the way to go. The step-by-step instructions can be found on the Raspberry Pi website, and you can get a glimpse at the result of the build before you get started. This project is for the Raspberry Pi Pico specifically, so make sure you pick that model up if you plan on using this guide. The Pico acts as a microcontroller instead of a computer, so don't expect other projects from this list to run on it other than this one.
You need to pick up a few things that aren't household items, like jumper wires and resistors, so check out the parts list ahead of time because you'll likely need to do some shopping. Nothing's too difficult to track down if you're shopping online. If you're efficient with your time, this is a project you could complete in a day or something to poke around with over the weekend. When it's all finished, you'll have a cool lamp you can put in your room.