Inventor’s Nephew Develops a Credit Card-Sized Raspberry Pi Gaming Console with 4-Inch Screen and Pre-Loaded Arcade Games

Sure thing, let’s dive into this.

So, retro gaming. It’s back, like really back. We’re talking a whole new wave of gadgets and gizmos making these ancient games feel all brand new. It’s funny—everything old is new again, right? And now there’s this little marvel from Grant Sinclair, a handheld thingamajig that’s the size of—get this—a gift card. Yeah, let that sink in for a sec.

Oh, oh, and there’s a video too, somewhere on YouTube I think. Not that I watched it—maybe I did? Can’t quite remember. Might have just gotten lost in the thumbnail.

Grant Sinclair, by the way, is the nephew of Sir Clive Sinclair. That Sinclair. The ZX Spectrum dude. It’s like—how do I put this?—carrying the family torch but with more buttons. Maybe there’s a poetic legacy thing going on. Or maybe not. Who knows?

Anyway, this GamerCard® (yep, with a fancy ® and all) is like pocket-sized gaming magic. Runs on a Raspberry Pi, which I only half understand how it works, but people love these things. And the screen, oh boy, it’s nice. Fancy pixels or something. And these circular button pad things that snap when you press them—feels satisfying, like popping bubble wrap. Or so I’d imagine.

Now, here’s where it gets funky. There are emulators and stuff preloaded, which I think means you can play all sorts of games? I mean, I tried messing around with Recalbox once—total disaster, but moving on. Oh, did I mention you can code on this thing? Like, real coding with MicroPython or whatever. Not that I know how to code, but the option’s there.

And game-wise, they’ve got this Bloo Kid 2 and AstroBlaze DX. Both sound like a blast from the past with names that could’ve jumped straight out of the ‘90s arcade. Eye-catching pixel art—probably the kind my little brother used to doodle.

Oh, almost forgot—this thing is paper thin. Seriously. You’d expect it to snap in half, but no, it’s robust, somehow. I once saw something like it dangling at a cash counter and thought it was a new kind of gift card. Trippy, right?

Now, the technical stuff—128GB storage, whatever that means exactly in this context. Battery’s hefty but not sure what that translates to in gaming hours. But hey, it’s got ports. Plenty of ports. USB-C and HDMI. Makes me think you could set it up like a mini computer? I mean, laptops beware? But it’s pricey. That’s Raspberry Pi in style but with a price tag that’ll make your wallet wince.

Oh, oh, and the cost—£125 or about $170 if you’re counting in freedom dollars. Feels a bit steep? Especially when there are other devices under $100. Like, there’s this Retroid Pocket 4 Pro thing or those Anbernic handhelds. All this choice just makes my head spin.

Here’s the kicker though: Is it genius or just… over the top? It’s almost like a collector’s item for those with a deep nostalgic itch. But hey, I’m probably missing the point and kids these days will love it. Tapping into that retro chic. So, Sinclair’s onto something unique, whether I get it or not.