A Tetris Handheld with a Cyberpunk Soul

Building your own handheld gaming console isn’t especially difficult these days. It can be as easy as connecting a development board to a few off-the-shelf modules, then flashing it with open source emulation firmware. However, if you want something unique — not just another Game Boy or Game Boy Advance lookalike — it takes a lot more creativity.

Macro USB wanted to build a handheld Tetris game, but didn’t want it to look like every other DIY project out there. He designed it with a cyberpunk aesthetic and used a miniature LED matrix rather than a more commonly used LCD screen. It looks like it would be loads of fun for quick gaming sessions, and you won’t find anything else quite like it.

The pocket-sized console is powered by an Arduino Nano microcontroller, which was chosen largely because it is inexpensive, small, and easy to work with. The Nano handles everything from button input to game logic while also driving the tiny monochrome LED matrix display.

Instead of following the typical horizontal handheld layout, Macro USB designed the system for one-handed play. The LED matrix occupies one side of the front panel, while a cluster of four tactile buttons sits directly beside it in a pattern that allows a player’s thumb to comfortably reach every control. The compact layout required some clever stacking inside the case, with the button board mounted directly above the Arduino Nano to conserve space.

Power comes from a rechargeable LiPo battery paired with a USB-C charging module. One of the most interesting visual features is the oversized physical power switch mounted near the bottom of the shell. Rather than hiding the switch away, Macro USB selected a large, satisfying toggle to emphasize the retro-futuristic cyberpunk feel of the device.

The enclosure went through multiple redesigns before reaching the final version. Early prototypes featured a simple square shape, but later revisions added angled bevels and sweeping curves to improve ergonomics and visual appeal. An early orange print was abandoned because it clashed with the green LED display, leading to the cleaner matte white finish used in the completed build.

In addition to Tetris, the console also runs a simple avoidance game where players dodge falling particles. If you’d like to build your own, a circuit diagram, 3D models, and the bill of materials are all freely available.