Auspicious Machine launches as new Raspberry Pi gaming handheld with a BlackBerry twist

The Auspicious Machine is a modular Linux computer, although it could be confused with a classic BlackBerry at first glance. According to Auspicious, the device measures 137 x 84 x 12.6 mm and weighs approximately 300 g, in part because of its aluminium frame. Its carbon back panel helps minimise weight, which is handy because of its physical keyboard.

As Auspicious' marketing images show, the Auspicious Machine offers a backlit QWERTY keyboard. Theoretically, the keyboard should be quicker to type on than a virtual keyboard, but its keys are closely spaced. Auspicious plans to offer the device with a Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4, an SoM based on the Broadcom BCM2711 with four ARM Cortex-A72 CPU cores, up to 8 GB of LPDDR4 RAM and 32 GB of eMMC flash storage.

Alternatively, the Auspicious Machine supports single-board computers (SBCs) from the likes of Banana Pi and Radxa, such as the BPI-CM4 and Radxa CM3. Auspicious markets the device as a gaming handheld, with a 3.5-inch, 4:3 and 640 x 480 display perfect for emulating older games. The Auspicious Machine lacks shoulder buttons and analogue sticks though, which makes it less versatile than many modern gaming handhelds. Currently, Auspicious plans to start selling the Auspicious Machine in June 2023 for CNY 1,656 (~US$239). The company has not commented on global availability or pricing yet.

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