PocketSprite Is a Small Handheld Video Game Console That Packs a Big Punch

There is a growing trend towards ultra-portable video game consoles, and it’s certainly a fad we can get behind. You get all of the benefits of a true handheld: real tactile buttons, long battery life, and actual games, with none of the downsides of playing on an emulator on your smartphone—an endeavor which is pretty much all downsides. Adding their hat into that handheld ring is PocketSprite, and their offering looks very enticing.

At first glance, the PocketSprite looks like some of the other mini handhelds on the market, but even from the processor it stands out. Most similar devices are built on Arduinos, but the PocketSprite is running on an ESP32 and has a 240MHz dual-core processor. And with 520KB of RAM, it’s got more than 10 times the processing speed and memory of the most powerful competitor.

The ESP32 is paired with a full-color OLED display that has a resolution of 96 x 64 pixels. With the processing power on hand, the PocketSprite can run that at 60+ frames per second. It has an internal mono speaker, and a lithium-ion battery that can handle hours of gameplay and months on standby.

That’s all packed inside of an injection-molded ABS case, and Crowd Supply backers can purchase it either assembled or in a hacker-friendly kit form. Out of the box, it’s designed to run emulators for the Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Sega Master System, and Game Gear. And, ROMs can be easily transferred to the PocketSprite via WiFi. Early birds can grab one for a mere $45, which should be delivered in April.