Like other similar projects, the Arduboy sought financial help through crowdfunding to develop a portable console capable of reproducing the very essence of the consoles of yore, with the advantage of using open source hardware that is relatively easy to program. After some delays, Arduboy began shipping the first units, and if you want one, you can pre-order for just 39 dollars.
After seeing what some people ask for original classic consoles on certain online sales portals, anyone interested in getting "that pinch of nostalgia" should consider shortcuts like emulators and alternative hardware. That's where my insistence on carrying out projects similar to arcade clones based on the Raspberry Pi comes from. The investment is smaller, the option to emulate multiple consoles is very attractive, and the pride of building something like that with our own hands simply cannot be bought. Now, those who want to save time will find on the Web several initiatives that not only invoke the spirit of the old 8-bit portables, but also serve as an excellent environment to learn programming. A magical hybrid between console and development platform, with lots of free documentation, and enormous potential. That said, we present the Arduboy.
Specifications and Features
This little devil is based on Arduino hardware, has six dedicated buttons, a 1.3-inch black and white OLED screen, a case combining polycarbonate and aluminum, an ultra-thin LiPo battery (180 mAh to be more precise), and as if that were not enough, stereo sound. In total, the Arduboy has 32 kilobytes of storage and 2.5 kilobytes of RAM, so developers will have to be quite efficient, but if we remember the specifications of systems like the Atari 2600 (128 bytes of RAM and 4K per ROM), there is plenty of room to work. In other words, this is a console the size of a credit card, with eight hours of autonomy, and the possibility of taking on additional roles, including that of an 8-bit synthesizer and a drone controller.
Price and Availability
Users who participated in the original Kickstarter campaign managed to get the Arduboy at a price of $29, although the delivery date was pushed back more than seven months. The first units started shipping in these last days, and once those initial orders are fulfilled, interested parties will be able to get their own Arduboy for $39.
Official site: Arduboy
