Meet Byte 90, a Mini Retro Computer Toy

As reported by Seeed Studio, “In an era where technology often prioritizes utility over charm, Byte 90 stands out as a delightful fusion of nostalgia and innovation.” Alex Vong of ALXV Labs designed the Byte 90 as a miniature homage to computing devices of the past, with a nice beige 3D-printed shell, miniature screen, and even a tiny representation of the floppy drive that would load software onto such a device.

There is no keyboard for user interaction, but it instead features an onboard accelerometer as its main user interface. It can detect taps, double-taps, and other movements, reacting with short animations as micro-interactions.

It does have a single button on the bottom. This toggles communication mode, which lets it interact with other nearby Byte 90 devices over Wi-Fi. A double-click puts it to sleep to save on battery power.

Inside, the Byte 90 is equipped with a XIAO ESP32-S3 development board. This enables wireless communication and battery management, while a custom add-on accelerometer board senses movement. Its screen is a 1.5”, 128 x 128 color OLED, allowing it to display a range of vibrant colors and true blacks. Its integrated 1200mAh battery gives it up to two days of battery life.

If you'd like one (or more) for yourself, the Byte 90 is available for purchase on ALXV Labs. Alex shows off the design in the video below, while explaining the design choices that went into building such an awesome little interactive toy.