Play full-color video games on this straightforward Arduino Nano ESP32-based handheld console

There’s a thriving Arduino gaming group, with many homebrew video video games developed to run on Arduino improvement boards. Arduboy, for instance, produces customized handheld consoles with video games that may additionally run on Arduino {hardware}. Nonetheless, many boards have microcontrollers with restricted processing energy and reminiscence, which implies the graphics need to be easy. However Volos Initiatives took benefit of the brand new Nano ESP32 to construct a conveyable gaming gadget with full-color graphics.

Because the title suggests, the Nano ESP32 makes use of the favored Espressif ESP32. That has extra processing energy and reminiscence than most different MCUs, in addition to built-in Wi-Fi® and Bluetooth® adapters. On this case, the ESP32’s spectacular energy was sufficient to generate colourful online game graphics at a good decision.

As an illustration, Volos Initiatives put collectively a easy handheld system on a breadboard. Aside from the Arduino, this solely required a 1.28″ spherical GC9A01-driven TFT LCD, some jumper wires, and some buttons. These are two-pin momentary push buttons, that are good as a result of they remove wiring confusion. Volos Initiatives then programmed a fundamental side-scrolling area shooter recreation to run on this {hardware}.

That recreation seems enjoyable and it is a nice strategy to illustrate what you may obtain with the Nano ESP32!