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You can build a Game Boy-inspired handheld, but first decide what you want it to run. A Pico console for original, simple games, a microcontroller running Game Boy emulation, and a Raspberry Pi computer in a handheld case are different projects—not interchangeable versions of one build. Match the board, display, controls, software, and enclosure to that goal; the look alone does not make a homemade console an authentic Nintendo product or make it play commercial cartridges.
Choose what you want the handheld to play
The software goal determines the hardware and setup. A programmable Pico handheld can run games made for its framework; a Game Boy emulator attempts to run Game Boy software; a Raspberry Pi build is a small computer running an operating system and emulator front end. Decide between those targets before buying parts.
| Build path | What it runs | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Programmable Pico handheld | Original games made for a framework such as MakeCode Arcade | A focused microcontroller project. The documented ST7789 design uses an RP2040 Pico, a specific display, buttons, buzzer, custom PCB, and printed case. Its parts and firmware are specific to that project. Project documentation. |
| Pico-GB emulator | Game Boy software through emulator firmware | Requires a display-specific firmware build and suitable controls, display, and often storage and audio hardware. Its maintainer describes the emulator as experimental, with incomplete compatibility. Project documentation. |
| Raspberry Pi computer in a handheld case | An operating system and emulator front end, such as RetroPie in the cited guide | More like assembling a small computer into a case: expect OS imaging, case-specific display and battery installation, and wireless configuration. The guide’s parts and steps apply to its named case systems, not generic Pico builds. Raspberry Pi Official Magazine guide. |
| PicoBoy kit or prebuilt | A Pico-based handheld project | Offers project software and case resources, with kit and prebuilt options described by its repository. Verify current availability and read the repository’s hardware support and code-use terms before adapting or distributing it. Project documentation. |
These routes differ in more than screen size. Consider the target software, exact board and display compatibility, custom PCB or wiring needs, case fabrication, power design, firmware setup, and your comfort with soldering, coding, and troubleshooting. Do not compare frame-rate claims across these unrelated builds as if they came from equivalent tests.
Plan parts around one documented design
Start with a project’s own bill of materials and pinout rather than combining parts from different builds. A display that looks suitable may use the wrong interface, and a board from the same product family may have different pins or firmware expectations.
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For a programmable Pico console
The documented Raspberry Pi Pico GameBoy project specifies a Raspberry Pi Pico with RP2040, an ST7789V3 1.69-inch display, seven tactile switches, a buzzer, a custom PCB, and a 3D-printed PLA case. The repository provides case models, a PCB archive, a schematic, and firmware instructions, including UF2-based flashing. Its maintainer explicitly says other Pico versions are incompatible with this design because of pin and firmware differences. Check the project README and files before sourcing parts.
For the Pico-GB emulator
The Pico-GB README recommends a Pico 2, while noting that a Pico 1 may work for limited targets. Its example parts include an LCD—one example is a 2.8-inch, 320×240 ILI9341 display—a microSD reader if the display does not include one, a FAT32 microSD card, a MAX98357A amplifier, a 2W 8-ohm speaker, eight tactile buttons, and a PCB or breadboard with jumper wires. These are recommendations and examples for that project, not universal requirements for every handheld.
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Display choice affects performance and wiring. Pico-GB warns that SPI screens can be slow at larger sizes; parallel displays can be faster but use more GPIO pins. The README also notes possible screen tearing in a particular wiring configuration. Check the project’s display guidance and pin assignments for your exact setup. Pico-GB documentation.
For a Raspberry Pi computer build
Expect a case-specific combination of computer, display, battery, connectors, cooling, and microSD image rather than a drop-in Pico parts list. The Raspberry Pi Official Magazine guide walks through two particular handheld case configurations, including image setup and wireless configuration. Follow the instructions for the case and hardware you select. Read the guide.
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Plan power as part of the design
A battery-powered console needs a power circuit suited to its board and display; a cell is not automatically a safe or suitable direct supply. As one separate example, Raspberry Pi describes a Pico 2 Snake console using a 64×32 LED matrix and an 18650 lithium-ion cell with power-management circuitry that boosts the cell’s nominal 3.7V supply to stable 5V for the Pico and matrix. That is an example of a complete power design, not a drop-in circuit for the other projects. Raspberry Pi’s project article.
Build and configure in a project-specific order
- Choose the software target. Decide whether you want to make homebrew or MakeCode Arcade games, emulate Game Boy software, or install a Raspberry Pi operating system and emulator front end.
- Select a documented project. Use its exact board, screen interface, pinout, and firmware. For example, the ST7789 Pico GameBoy repository specifies RP2040 and warns that other Pico variants are incompatible. See its compatibility notes.
- Make a complete parts list. Check whether the display includes an SD reader, whether you need to fabricate or source a custom PCB, which buttons and audio components are specified, and what power-management parts the design requires. Do not assume components from another route will fit.
- Assemble and check the electronics before closing the case. Use the chosen project’s schematic and pin assignments. The available documentation does not establish one validated assembly sequence for every build, so follow the design’s own guidance rather than treating this as a universal wiring procedure.
- Install the software for that project. The Pico GameBoy documentation describes drag-and-drop UF2 flashing. Pico-GB requires configuring a display-specific build with PlatformIO and flashing it; its README does not provide a precompiled binary. The Raspberry Pi case guide uses microSD imaging and RetroPie setup. Pico GameBoy, Pico-GB, and the case guide.
- Load only game files you are entitled to use. Pico-GB says it does not include copyrighted games and asks users to use ROMs they legally own. It does not provide a basis for downloading commercial game files from unofficial sources. Read the project’s ROM guidance.
Know the limitations before committing
Emulation is not guaranteed compatibility
Pico-GB’s maintainers call it experimental and warn that some games may fail or behave unexpectedly. The documentation also distinguishes original Game Boy and Game Boy Color scope across versions, so check the current README for the specific firmware version and target rather than assuming broad compatibility. These are maintainer-documented limits, not independent test results. Pico-GB documentation.
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Performance choices bring trade-offs
On Pico-GB, a larger SPI display can be slow, while a parallel display uses more GPIO pins. The maintainer also warns about overclocking and hardware stress. Treat display throughput, tearing, and overclocking as design considerations described by that project, not as tested performance guarantees for every build.
Effort depends on the route
A packaged kit or prebuilt option can reduce fabrication work, while other projects involve custom PCB work, soldering, wiring, firmware configuration, and a printed enclosure. A Raspberry Pi computer build adds operating-system imaging and case-specific integration. PicoBoy describes its kit as a soldering-learning project; its repository limits official support to V1/V2 products and sets non-commercial and non-competitive limits on code use. Check the repository’s current terms if you plan to adapt or share its code. PicoBoy project documentation.
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