PrestoDeck is Fatih Ak’s MicroPython project for turning a Pimoroni Presto into a touchscreen Spotify controller. It displays album art, track and artist details, and touch controls for playback, skipping, shuffle, and repeat. You’ll need a Presto, a Spotify developer app, Wi-Fi, Thonny, and a USB-C connection to set it up.
What PrestoDeck does
PrestoDeck uses Spotify’s Web API to show the currently playing track on the Presto’s 4-inch, 480 × 480 capacitive touchscreen. The interface presents full-color album artwork alongside the track name and artist. Touch controls let you play or pause, skip tracks, and change shuffle and repeat settings. It polls Spotify for playback information and sends control commands back through the API.
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The project is designed specifically for Pimoroni Presto, an assembled RP2350B-based board with Wi-Fi connectivity. Pimoroni’s Presto product page lists its display, wireless hardware, and other specifications. PrestoDeck itself is a community project, not a Pimoroni-supported product.
What you need
- A Pimoroni Presto board.
- A computer with Thonny installed.
- A USB-C cable for connecting Presto to the computer. PrestoDeck’s README lists a right-angle USB-C cable as an optional accessory.
- A Wi-Fi network and its credentials.
- A Spotify account and a Spotify developer app with Web API access enabled.
How to install and connect PrestoDeck
- Install Thonny on your computer.
- Clone the project repository: https://github.com/fatihak/PrestoDeck.git.
- Create a Spotify developer app. Set its redirect URI to
http://127.0.0.1:8080and enable the Web API. - From the project directory, run
bash adhoc/generate_token.sh. Enter the Spotify client ID, client secret, and redirect URI when prompted, then authorize the app in your browser and select a default Spotify device. - Connect Presto to your computer using USB-C.
- In Thonny, select the MicroPython (Raspberry Pi Pico) interpreter, then upload the project files to Presto.
- Add your Wi-Fi credentials and the generated
SPOTIFY_CREDENTIALS={...}line tosecrets.py. - Run
main.pyon Presto.
Limitations to know before using it
Quick taps may not register
Developer Fatih Ak told Hackster that frequent Spotify API calls can sometimes cause quick screen taps to be missed. A tap that does not appear to trigger a control may therefore reflect the project’s interaction timing rather than a failed touchscreen.
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- 2 Pieces
Some international characters are removed
Ak also said the graphics library does not support non-ASCII text, so PrestoDeck strips those characters from track and artist names. Metadata containing accented or other non-ASCII characters may consequently appear incomplete.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Support and firmware context
Pimoroni’s firmware repository lists PrestoDeck as a community resource, while noting that community examples have not been written or tested by Pimoroni and are unsupported by the company. Pimoroni documents installing its UF2 firmware through bootloader mode and Thonny; that firmware guidance is separate from PrestoDeck’s project setup.
Quick Recap
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