The Tool Desk
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What a Pico ZX Spectrum emulator includes
A Raspberry Pi Pico is an RP2040-based microcontroller board, not a complete handheld computer. An emulator build also needs a display, input method, power and the electrical and mechanical integration to connect them. The implementation determines whether that means a few external components or a purpose-built enclosure and custom circuit boards.
Raspberry Pi lists Pico 1 with a dual-core Arm Cortex-M0+ processor clocked up to 133 MHz, 264 kB of on-chip SRAM and 2 MB of onboard QSPI flash. The manufacturer’s product page states a $4 starting price for Pico-series boards; that is not a guaranteed local retail price. Raspberry Pi says Pico 1 is expected to remain in production until at least January 2036. See Raspberry Pi’s Pico specifications.
Three distinct approaches
| Project | Display and input | Software and documented features | Build considerations |
|---|---|---|---|
| ZX2040 | Targets ST77xx TFT displays; interface designed for small displays and few buttons. | A Pico port of an emulator by Andre Weissflog. Hackaday reports real-time image scaling to accommodate displays unlike the Spectrum’s 256×192 resolution, and says the Pico is overclocked. | Adaptable small-screen approach. The overclocking and scaling details are reported by Hackaday, not comparative benchmark results. Read the Hackaday report. |
| PicoZX handheld | 2.8-inch IPS display, 50 tactile switches forming a miniature QWERTY keyboard, and joystick use. | Raspberry Pi’s article says the build runs Fruit-Bat’s ZX Spectrum emulator and M.CU.M.E.; the latter supports other systems, including Commodore 64, Atari 2600 and ColecoVision. | Custom PCBs, with the Pico and most components soldered to a main board. This is a more integrated handheld build. See the PicoZX handheld build. |
| virgesmith/pico-zxspectrum | README describes a 5 cm, 320×240 TFT and a keyboard connected through a USB serial client. | Documents Z80 and SNA image loading, Z80 image saving, and PNG screenshots over USB serial. | Requires a rudimentary Python keyboard client using pyserial and pynput, plus the documented Pico SDK, TinyUSB and Pimoroni Pico libraries. Check the repository README. |
How to choose a project
Choose ZX2040 for a small TFT-oriented port
ZX2040 is the project directly covered by Hackaday’s April 27, 2024 report titled “Pi Pico Gets A ZX Spectrum Emulator.” Its interface was designed around small screens and a limited number of buttons. The report describes overclocking and real-time scaling, but does not establish how its performance compares with the other projects.
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#1 Best Overall
- RP2040 microcontroller chip designed by Raspberry Pi in the United Kingdom
- Dual-core Arm Cortex M0+ processor, flexible clock running up to 133 MHz
- 264KB of SRAM, and 2MB of on-board Flash memory
- Castellated module allows soldering direct to carrier boards
- 26 × multi-function GPIO pins
Choose PicoZX for an integrated handheld
The Raspberry Pi article says Peter Misenko (Bobricius)’s PicoZX design inspired maker Ken St. Cyr’s handheld. That build combines a 2.8-inch IPS display, custom PCBs and a miniature tactile keyboard, with joystick use also described. It is a hardware assembly project, rather than simply attaching a screen to a Pico.
The article links a maker listing, but its current availability, contents, price and seller terms are not established here. Check the live listing before treating it as a purchasable kit.
Rank #2
- The Raspberry Pi Pico is a beginner-friendly microcontroller board that uses MicroPython to give you a taste of the Internet of Things and microcontrollers. The RP2040 is a well-designed microprocessor that can be utilized in almost any Internet of Things project. It has enough power to complete the task quickly.
- 【Raspberry Pi RP2040 Microcontroller】Raspberry Pi Pico features Dual-core ARM Cortex M0+ processor, flexible clock running up to 133 MHz. With 264KB of SRAM, and 2MB of on-board Flash memory.Supports up to 16 MB of off chip flash memory via a dedicated QSPI bus
- 【Multiple Software Support】Pico has rich and complete software support, it comes with a complete Rasberry Pi official C/C++ SDK, Micropython SDK.The programming and burning of Pico need to be carried out on the computer. Supported operating systems and computers include:Raspberry Pie with Raspberry Pi OS,Other platforms equipped with Debian based Linux system Computer with MacOS, Computers with Windows, etc.
- 【Rich Hardware Interface】Raspberry Pi Pico has 30 GPIO pins, 4 pins for analog signal input and 26 × multi-function GPIO pins, 2 × SPI, 2 × I2C, 2 × UART, 3 × 12-bit ADC, 16 × controllable PWM channels.USB 1.1 supported by host and device, The installation mode can be flexibly selected by users to facilitate welding with other development boards.
- 【Build Project in Tiny Size】Only 2.1cm*5.1cm ( as small as your thumb). Pico has been designed to use either soldered 0.1" pin-headers or can be used as a surface-mountable 'module'.
Choose the virgesmith repository if its documented serial workflow fits
This repository documents image loading and saving, screenshots, and a USB serial keyboard client. Its README’s setup details are specific to that build and may not reflect later dependency changes. In particular, it demonstrates a TinyUSB 0.14.0 symlink and reports a 96-byte RAM linker overflow with TinyUSB 0.15 or newer in the described setup. That is a repository-specific build warning, not evidence that newer TinyUSB versions are universally incompatible.
Plan the screen, controls and power together
Do not select a display by size alone. Confirm its controller, interface, resolution, wiring and power requirements against the emulator project. The documented projects use different TFT or IPS setups, and ZX2040’s scaling approach is described specifically for its target displays.
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- with pre-soldered header Raspberry Pi Pico. RP2040 microcontroller chip designed by Raspberry Pi in the United Kingdom
- Dual-core Arm Cortex M0+ processor, flexible clock running up to 133 MHz. 264KB of SRAM, and 2MB of on-board Flash memory.
- Castellated module allows soldering direct to carrier boards. USB 1.1 with device and host support. Low-power sleep and dormant modes. Drag-and-drop programming using mass storage over USB. 26 × multi-function GPIO pins.
- 2 × SPI, 2 × I2C, 2 × UART, 3 × 12-bit ADC, 16 × controllable PWM channels.Accurate clock and timer on-chip.Temperature sensor.
- Accelerated floating-point libraries on-chip.8 × Programmable I/O (PIO) state machines for custom peripheral support
- Display: Match the panel and controller to the selected project; check resolution and how the software handles the Spectrum’s 256×192 image.
- Input: Decide whether you want a few buttons, a USB/serial keyboard workflow, an integrated tactile keyboard or joystick support. These are not interchangeable features across projects.
- Power: Verify how the Pico and peripherals will be powered in the chosen wiring arrangement. A Raspberry Pi forum discussion from 2022 recommends an OTG adapter that also permits power delivery for a USB keyboard setup and warns that some cables carry power only. Confirm compatibility with your board and firmware before relying on that community guidance. Read the forum discussion.
- Assembly: A separate screen and input device may mean more wiring and software setup; the PicoZX approach involves soldering multiple custom boards and assembling an integrated handheld.
What is—and is not—established about performance
The available project descriptions do not provide comparable tests of emulation speed, Spectrum compatibility, timing accuracy, power consumption or total build cost. Hackaday reports that ZX2040 overclocks the Pico and performs real-time scaling; the virgesmith README documents file and screenshot functions; and Raspberry Pi describes the software and hardware in the handheld build. Those details help identify project differences, but they do not establish an overall “best” emulator.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Raspberry Pi Pico: A tiny, fast, and versatile board built using dual-core Arm Cortex-M0+ processor (Comes with pinout card and stickers)
- Detailed Tutorial: Provides step-by-step guide with MicroPython, C and Processing (Java) Code (The download link can be found on the product box) (No paper tutorial)
- Example Projects: Each project has schematics, wiring diagrams, complete code and detailed explanations (Need extra items)
- Easy to Use: Just connect the board to your computer (installed IDE) with the USB cable to program it
- Get Support: Our technical support team is always ready to answer your questions
Rank #4
- New Flexible Microcontroller Board --- Raspberry Pi Pico is a tiny, fast, and versatile board. It's based on RP2040 chip, which features a dual-core Arm Cortex-M0+ processor with 264KB internal RAM and support for up to 16MB of off-chip Flash, flexible clock running up to 133 MHz.
- Multi-Function GPIO Pins---It has 26 multifunction GPIO pins, including 3 analogue inputs, 2 × UART, 2 × SPI controllers, 2 × I2C controllers, 16 × PWM channels.
- Rich Peripheral Set---A wide range of flexible I/O options includes I2C, SPI, and — uniquely —8 × Programmable I/O (PIO) state machines for custom peripheral support.
- Multiple Software Support---Raspberry Pi Pico has rich and complete software support and community resources. Programmable in C and MicroPython. Drag-and-drop programming using mass storage over USB.
- Low-power sleep and dormant modes; Accurate on-chip clock; Temperature sensor; Accelerated integer and floating-point libraries on-chip
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