Pico-Pal: New Game Boy Color style retro gaming handheld launching soon

The Pico-Pal looks an awful lot like the classic Game Boy Color at first glance. The same could be said for quite a few retro gaming handhelds, though. For instance, Funnyplaying has been selling an FPGA-based option for a while, as has ModRetro with the Chromatic.

The Pico-Pal relies upon a much simpler chip than the FPGA chipset found in those alternatives. Specifically, the Pico-Pal pairs a Raspberry Pi RP2350B microcontroller (curr. $12.47 on Amazon) with an Espressif ESP32 that packs Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and 4 MB of flash memory. On top of that, the handheld leverages a 2.6-inch and 320 x 320-pixel IPS display with a 1:1 aspect ratio.

According to developer Peter Khouly, a 1,500 mAh Li-Po battery can also be found that supports 5 V/1.45 A charging via the Pico-Pal's USB Type-C port. As the video below shows, the Pico-Pal focuses on Game Boy Color emulation. Currently, it is unclear when the Pico-Pal will be available to purchase. Nonetheless, the project is set to 'launching soon' on Crowd Supply, where one can find out more details and device pictures. Alternatively, Khouly has detailed the handheld's development on a dedicated WordPress page.