Clockwork Pi's uConsole Shrinks the DevTerm, Targets "Fantasy Console" Developers and Gamers

Clockwork Pi, creator of the open-hardware DevTerm retro-style portable computer, has announced a new device: the uConsole, targeting "fantasy console" users and boasting a range of modules from single-core RISC-V to high-end six-core Arm in a compact metal housing.

Clockwork Pi's latest gadget is based on the company's earlier DevTerm, which in turn took inspiration from the TRS-80 Model 100 — albeit in considerably shrunken form. The heart of the uConsole is an updated version of the ClockworkPi Mainboard v3.14, dubbed Revision 5, which accepts all the same system-on-module (SOM) boards as the DevTerm: The entry-level A04, top-end A06, a Raspberry Pi Compute Module 3 or Compute Module 4 in adapter, or an "experimental" RISC-V SOM built atop Allwinner's D1 single-core 64-bit chip.

There are changes beyond the shrunken form-factor, though. The uConsole boasts a backlit keyboard, a feature not present in the original DevTerm, and the company's second expansion board design: An optional 4G cellular modem, to work alongside the integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. The plastic chassis has also been replaced by metal, both to provide a more robust device and to work around issues experienced by DevTerm users with the CPUs hitting thermal throttle during heavy load.

Technically speaking, the uConsole is compatible with any software you can run under Linux on an Arm or RISC-V processor — but Clockwork Pi has a particular use-case in mind: fantasy consoles. "uConsole supports various fantasy consoles and indie game engines," the company explains, referring to projects like TIC-80 that emulate resource-constrained games consoles inspired by history but which never existed in the flesh. "No need to be limited to a specific tool. Focus on your ideas with your favorite programming language and development environment."

Above the keyboard is a game pad plus an oddly off-center mini-trackball, followed by a 5" color LED 1280×720 display — a more traditional shape than the ultra-wide of the DevTerm. As with the DevTerm, the whole gadget is powered by two 18650 lithium-ion batteries — and, also like the DevTerm, these are not supplied with the bundle. Unlike the DevTerm the uConsole has no built-in thermal printer, making use of the expansion port for the optional cellular modem instead.

Clockwork Pi has opened pre-orders for the uConsole, which is supplied as a simple do-it-yourself kit, ahead of shipping in 60-90 days time. Pricing starts at $139 for the R-01 with single-core RISC-V chip and hits $209 for the top end six-core A-06 model; the cellular modem is available as an optional extra for any model at $50.