🎮 GameBoy_nano

🔹 Origin

The idea came to me when I stumbled upon an open-source mini console project. I liked the concept, but between the obsolete components and the rough design, I wanted to start from scratch.
My goal: completely rethink the console, using up-to-date components, cleaner manufacturing, and a design that’s easier to reproduce. It was the perfect opportunity to apply my passion for design to a clear goal and develop the skills I was missing.

🔸 What the GameBoy_nano does

The console fits in the palm of a hand. It runs Raspberry Pi OS, features an emulator, and can launch retro games. Everything is enclosed in a 3D-printed case with precision down to the hundredth of a millimeter.
Inside you'll find:
- A 128x128 pixel color screen
- A 1200mAh rechargeable Li-ion battery
- A USB-C charging controller
- An ON/OFF switch
- A custom PCB with buttons
- A Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W with 2 micro-USB ports, 1 micro HDMI, and 1 SD card slot

🔹 What I did

✔ Mechanical design

- Full CAD modeling in Creo
- 3D-printed case optimized for ergonomics, compactness, and thermal dissipation
- Precise adjustments to ensure all components fit perfectly

✔ Electronics & Wiring

- PCB design in KiCAD for the buttons
- PCB fabricated at ENSMM
- Manual soldering, silicone wire routing, Kapton tape insulation
- Creation of all electronic schematics

✔ Software integration

- Configuration of Raspberry Pi OS to launch the emulator interface
- GPIO management for button inputs
- Screen programming (the most complex… and frustrating part)
- Learning embedded Linux, which I had never used before

💬 Personal comment

This project was a true mix of everything I love doing: designing, testing, solving problems.
I really got to push prototyping to its limits—in 3D printing, programming, and soldering. Every detail mattered, down to the wire gauge or the heat shrink tubing thickness in such a tight enclosure.
I also had to learn fast, especially to get a barely documented screen working under Linux…
In short, a passion project, but also an excellent learning experience.

🔸 What's left to do

- Add a startup script to automatically detect if an HDMI screen is connected
- Manage emulator menu resolution
- Integrate a speaker, if I find a suitable model
- Finalize a proper open-source tutorial to share the build

🧰 Skills Used

CAD (Creo), 3D Printing, Prototyping, Embedded Electronics, PCB Design (KiCAD), Manual Soldering, Linux (Raspberry Pi OS), Open Source Workflow, Debugging and Functional Testing

Related Projects