Don’t Have a 3D Printer? Then This Handheld Console Build Is for You

We seem to have entered into an age where conditions have become perfect for building your own handheld game console. Hardware like LCDs, buttons, and single-board computers (or microcontrollers) are all readily available and affordable. And, there are numerous software options for emulating classic games or for creating and playing new ones.

But, most of the builds we’ve featured in the past have utilized 3D printing to fabricate the enclosure that ties all of that hardware together. With the ubiquity of 3D printers, that’s not surprising. Even so, many people still don’t have access to a 3D printer. Luckily for people in that situation, a nice handheld console can still be built entirely from off-the-shelf parts.

dRaiser has a nice walkthrough of his project that does just that. It’s actually the second version he’s made, and the first one did use a 3D-printed case. But, he had a handful of problems with that design, and when he built the new version he decided to forego 3D printing entirely.

The new design uses a Bluetooth gamepad from Chinese company FlyDigiWee, and a large 5" LCD HDMI screen. The screen fit nicely in the gamepad, and from there is was just a matter of adding a Raspberry Pi 3 and battery pack. dRaiser attached those with a method that’s about as low-tech as it gets: using zip ties. The result may not win any industrial design contests, but it’s functional and can be built without needing a 3D printer.