The world’s smallest handheld games console — which is about the size of a postage stamp, but plays just like a full-size device — has been developed by US engineers.
The ‘Thumby’ console from Ohio-based TinyCircuits comes with five retro games pre-installed, including tiny takes on classics like Tetris, Space Invaders and Snake.
Users can even create their own games using the MicroPython programming language and play multiplayer games with others, by means of a linking cable.
The console is being sold from £14 ($19) for a basic grey model, with other colours and additional accessories like linking cables also available at higher prices.
Each Thumby sports a working battery, buzzer, gameplay buttons, power switch, screen and a micro-USB port to charge the console and update its software.
The screen is an OLED display and a loop on the bottom-right corner of each tiny, Game Boy-like console allows it to be attached to a keychain just like a keyring.
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The world’s smallest handheld games console (pictured) — which is about the size of a postage stamp, but plays just like a full-size device — has been developed by US engineers
The ‘Thumby’ console from Ohio-based TinyCircuits comes with five retro games pre-installed, including tiny takes on classics like Tetris , Space Invaders and Snake. Pictured: the Thumby console, at just 0.7 inches (18 millimetres) across, is about the size of a bee
Users can even create their own games using the MicroPython programming language and play multiplayer games with others, by means of a linking cable (pictured)
The console is being sold from £14 ($19) for a basic grey model (pictured), with other colours and additional accessories like linking cables also available at higher prices
The diminutive handheld recently won ‘Best in Show: Most Innovative Product’ at the GDex Conference in Columbus, Ohio, where the design was praised in particular for how it can help introduce beginners to coding in a fun way
‘My goal with Thumby was to make the smallest game console,’ said Thumby’s principal engineer, Ben Rose.
‘When people see tiny, they think cheap. We designed a high-quality product with a powerful processor that defies its size.
‘Thumby started out as my personal project, but as we saw people’s reactions to the prototype, we knew we wanted to make it into a new TinyCircuits product.
This, he added, will allow ‘more people can put it on their keychain, enjoy playing it, or even create their own games.’
The diminutive handheld recently won ‘Best in Show: Most Innovative Product’ at the GDex Conference in Columbus, Ohio, where the design was praised in particular for how it can help introduce beginners to coding in a fun way.
‘The Thumby is really tiny, and is just the size of a person’s thumb — hence the name,’ said TinyCircuits president Ken Burns.
‘Compared to other game consoles, the entire Thumby is smaller than the typical D-Pad of the controller.
‘I think this is the world’s smallest game console, I haven’t been able to find anything even remotely close to this size.
‘Thumby came from our nostalgia for ’90s retro games.
‘We have a collection of game cartridges and an arcade in our office.
‘We thought it would be cool to have a well-crafted, meticulously made small keychain that is actually playable and programmable.’
Each Thumby console (pictured) sports a working battery, buzzer, gameplay buttons, power switch, screen and a micro-USB port to charge the console and update its software
‘My goal with Thumby was to make the smallest game console,’ said Thumby’s principal engineer, Ben Rose. Pictured: a child plays with the Thumby device
The screen is an OLED display and a loop on the bottom-right corner of each tiny, Game Boy -like console allows it to be attached to a keychain just like a keyring
‘The Thumby is really tiny, and is just the size of a person’s thumb — hence the name,’ said TinyCircuits president Ken Burns
TinyCircuits is — as its name suggests — no stranger to producing small version of existing electronic products.
Their first product in 2012 was TinyDuino, a miniature open-source electronics platform based on Arduino.
They have since followed up with tiny DIY collectable kits — including a teeny television, Arcade console and violin — as well as minuscule circuit boards and e-textile applications.
More information on Thumby can be found on the TinyCircuits website, as well as well as the console’s Kickstarter page.
‘Compared to other game consoles, the entire Thumby is smaller than the typical D-Pad of the controller,’ Mr Burns added
‘Thumby came from our nostalgia for ’90s retro games,’ said Mr Burns. ‘We have a collection of game cartridges and an arcade in our office. We thought it would be cool to have a well-crafted, meticulously made small keychain that is actually playable and programmable.’
TinyCircuits is — as its name suggests — no stranger to producing small version of existing electronic products. Their first product in 2012 was TinyDuino, a miniature open-source electronics platform based on Arduino. They have since followed up with tiny DIY collectable kits — including a teeny television, Arcade console and violin — as well as tiny circuit boards