Handheld One

Could a team of engineers design and build a handheld gaming device in just four weeks?

At PHYTEC, we wanted to test our own claim that our modules accelerate product development. That's why our team created the Handheld One project.

In February 2026, we set out to find out. The project began on February 2nd, and just over a month later, the finished device was brought to Embedded World 2026 on March 10th. Attendees were able to try it live on the show floor.

The result was a complete handheld gaming device powered by our new phyFLEX AM62Px SOM. And yes, the games are OpenSource.

Project Overview

The handheld console includes:

• phyFLEX-AM62P on a custom carrier board
• Joystick and button controls using an MSPM0 microcontroller
• 5 inch MIPI DSI display
• Embedded Linux using a Yocto based BSP
• Weston based user interface with 3D visualization
• Games including SuperTuxKart, Freedoom, and Neverball
• Custom enclosure

Concept and Planning

Every project starts with defining the idea.

We chose a handheld gaming console because it is interactive, familiar, and something engineers would genuinely enjoy using. It is also perfect for passing time on long ferry commutes around Seattle.

Early mockups helped define the layout of the device, including screen size, button placement, joystick controls, and overall form factor.

Concept work may seem simple, but it is where creativity meets real world constraints.

Hardware Design in KiCad

To accelerate development, we started with the pre-made phyFLEX SOM FPSC symbol, which handled the processor, memory, and power management. For other circuits, we reused proven designs from our development kit, following our Dev Kit to Done approach. This lets engineers focus on new functionality rather than reinventing what already works.

While one hardware engineer worked on schematics for common and new circuits, the software team validated them in parallel. This included testing the

• AM62P SoC’s graphics capabilities
• The MSPM0 microcontroller with joystick and buttons
• The 5-inch MIPI DSI display

This early validation gave the hardware engineer confidence to incorporate these circuits efficiently.

Once the schematics were ready, two hardware engineers collaborated on the PCB layout in KiCad. Again, this process was sped up with PHYTEC's premade phyFLEX-AM62P FPSC footprint.

For those who want to explore or customize the design, we have included the KiCad project files. You can use them as a foundation to adapt the handheld, experiment with alternative peripherals, or extend the layout for your own applications.

Please share a picture if you do!

Board Assembly

Once the PCB layout was finalized, we moved on to assembly. For this project, we chose to assemble and prep the boards in-house in Seattle. This let us iterate quickly, double-check components, and ensure everything worked exactly as expected. It also gave us flexibility to handle any last-minute tweaks. Like when a component doesn't arrive when expected, we've all been there.

As part of assembly, we applied solder paste using a stencil, placed components, and reflowed the boards. After reflow, we inspected the assemblies to make sure everything was solid before moving on to integration.

That said, this step doesn’t have to be a bottleneck. You can also order PCBs pre-assembled from most board houses, which can simplify production. Whether you assemble yourself or outsource, the process is essentially the same: make sure the components are correctly placed, soldered, and ready to integrate into your handheld.

Software Development

One of the advantages of starting with a proven development platform is that much of the software can be created or validated before the handheld even exists. That was exactly our approach.

The team started by validating the 3D view app on development kits, which helped us confirm the SoC’s graphics capabilities. At the same time, drivers and code were written to integrate the MSPM0 microcontroller with the joystick and button system.

The app launcher and open-source games were also prototyped and tested on a a PHYTEC development kit. This let the software team work out most of the functionality and iron out bugs well in advance.

When the handheld was finally assembled, porting the software to the phyFLEX-AM62P was straightforward. Everything we had validated on the development kits worked with some minor changes. Allowing the team to focus on fine-tuning in the final few days.

Final push, the software team integrated the prototypes into a full application environment. They created a custom launcher interface that included the 2D and 3D viewer, a GPU performance score using glmark2, and a video player.

Of course, no handheld would be complete without games. The team added several titles, with three visible in the default launcher: SuperTuxKart, Freedoom (of course it runs doom!), and Neverball.

Mechanical Design

To turn the electronics into a handheld device, we designed a custom enclosure using 3D printing and CNC machining. The rear housing was left transparent so people could see the hardware inside—a nod to the classic transparent electronics from Texas Instruments.

The enclosure needed to fit the PCB, display, joystick, and custom-made buttons, all while staying comfortable to hold. We carefully arranged the components so everything would be easy to assemble, durable, and well-ventilated.

As often happens with prototypes, we ran into a few real-world challenges. Different 3D printers had slightly different tolerances, so we had to adjust the LCD holder to make the 5-inch display fit just right. We also tweaked the cross-button posts, making them more concave so the buttons would move smoothly. Finally, figuring out how to mate the 3D printed front with the CNC-machined back took a few tries.

It wasn’t always perfect on the first attempt, but iterating like this let us make an enclosure that worked reliably, felt good in the hand, and really showcased the hardware inside.

Live Testing!

At Embedded World 2026, attendees were given the handheld to try for themselves. Having hundreds of engineers test the device live provided the ultimate measure of its design and functionality, allowing the team to see firsthand how the system performed under real-world conditions.

The project also demonstrates the power of teamwork, creative problem solving, parallel development, and a willingness to learn quickly when challenges arise. This project shows that when you have an idea, you can bring it to life with Real Solutions. With the right platform and starting point, great ideas can move quickly from Dev Kit to Done, turning concepts into working products faster than ever.

But who are we kidding, it was actually really fun.

Tell us if you use the meta-layers or KiCAD project as a jumpstart to your project. We'd love to see your applications!