PocketSprite Is A Tiny Open Source 'Game Boy' For Retro Games

A tiny palm-sized "Game Boy" called PocketSprite has appeared on a crowdfunding website where it has nearly hit its funding goal. PocketSprite is small enough to fit on a keychain, but is fully functional despite its tiny size. The miniature gaming console offers a variety of retro games and presents them all on a tiny high-contrast OLED display.

Sure, you can download an emulator and ROMs onto your smartphone. Anyone who has done that knows it's just not the same as holding something like a Game Boy or a SEGA Game Gear, though. There's nothing quite like a dedicated gaming device with physical, rather than touch, controls. That's where PocketSprite comes in.

Unlike the "pocket games" of old, which were preloaded with generic, unchangeable random games, PocketSprite lets users upload their own preferred content. According to the team behind the device — and as demonstrated in the video above — the unit supports games from Game Gear, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Master System, and more.

PocketSprite owners connect to the device wirelessly and then transfer the game files to the device. The games are then presented on a tiny, super bright OLED display at 60+ fps. The display has the correct ratio for displaying these older games, as well, so they should show up correctly.

The display is joined by the same type of physical controls you'd find on an old Game Boy, there's a USB-charged internal battery, integrated speaker for 8-bit audio, and built-in WiFi + Bluetooth. The device is currently available to back on Crowd Supply, where it has raised $14k of its $20k goal.

SOURCE: Crowd Supply