mintyPico Gaming System
Portable game console fits inside an Altoids Smalls tin.
You may have heard of the mintyPi from sudomod, which fits a RetroPie system inside of an Altoids tin. It’s an impressive feat, but what about fitting a game system into the much smaller Altoids Smalls form factor? It’s a challenge for sure, but as shown in the video below on Kayden’s Channel, it’s possible using the Raspberry Pi RP2040.
The device uses a modified version of the Raspberry Pi Pico called the Pimoroni Pico LiPo, which includes battery charging capabilities built-in, as well as a USB-C connector. It displays games on a small 1.3-inch OLED 128x64 pixel screen, which is actually cut down to fit the design. Interface is via four directional buttons, along with two other buttons that start the game and put it into low-power mode. These are held in place by a custom PCB.
A number of tricks were used to create this device, including using a 3D-printed jig to help mark the necessary drill holes. The Pico LiPo was soldered to the custom PCB by threading solder into each board's through holes and melting the sides. The system also features a 3D-printed structure to hold things together.
Naturally, this tiny game system can’t run the full RetroPie system. However, Kayden has several games available for a quick distraction, and you probably wouldn’t want to play many titles on such a small screen anyway. The video outlines how to put one of these together, and more details are on GitHub.