Lyra Raspberry Pi Retro Gaming Handheld

We’ve all seen game emulation done with the various flavors of Raspberry Pi, and while there have been some very clever setups, making an excellent all-in-one handheld if no trivial matter. If you’d like to ‘warp’ directly to the software installation and gaming step, then Lyra from Creoqode presents a very interesting option.

The device is now funding on Kickstarter with an estimated December (2019) delivery, and comes in a DIY package for ~$185 or a ready-to-go version for around $40 more. The Lyra features a Raspberry Pi Computer Module 3 Lite at its core, giving it the same characteristics of a Pi 3, but in a small snap-in form factor. This allows Lyra to “virtually emulate any game console of the classic era,” while still maintaining a rather slim body.

Lyra is dominated by a 5” TFT LCD screen with an 800 x 480 resolution, and includes a 16 GB microSD card (which can be upgraded as needed), a 3,000 mAh LiPo battery, and an integrated speaker and 3.5mm audio jack. It is also sports a DPI interface and HDMI if you’d like to take your gaming to the big screen, and a Micro USB 2.0 port for added controllers or other accessories. While the Pi enables it to run emulation software, it can be used as an actual computer as well, and GPIO pads are even broken out if you want to experiment further!