I really wish there was a modern, standardized handheld with an open-source OS and SDK for learning, tinkering, home-brew apps and indie games. The Switch form-factor with detachable controllers, but focusing on 2D graphics, would be perfect.
The harsh limitations of pico-8 are carefully chosen to be fun to work with,
encourage small but expressive designs give pico-8 cartridges their own
particular look and feel.
(But still not as great as my Pandora..)
http://www.thingiverse.com/search?q=pocketchip
Find one you like! :) I chose this:
http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1998427
Read this amazing thread:
https://bbs.nextthing.co/t/case-mod-customisation-decoration...
(It gets better towards the end..)
I tried ordering one before but the 3D printer operator said the design was unprintable.
Does it make the device easier to use? Is it comfortable to type and play on now?
Anyway, good luck! :)
PICO-8 is available for desktop platforms as well, it is not open-source, and there's a 3D version as well, called the Voxatron.
Both are really cool projects, but not open-source software.
Voxatron is a game (even though you can make expansions on the engine), and predates PICO-8
http://www.lexaloffle.com/bbs/?tid=28325
You can run PICO8 carts in Voxatron now. :)
So actually, such a thing has existed for a long time and has gone through a lot of iterations.
Have a look at this amazing repository of apps for the Pandora, for example of how vibrant and alive this scene is:
EDIT: And one more detail, the amazing scene behind the Pyra/Pandora handhelds: https://pyra-handheld.com/boards/
For years I followed the Open Pandora without knowing what Pandora (music) was. I remember being a little annoyed I couldn't just search "Pandora" without getting a bunch of results for "some music thing". I still don't really get what happened with the Pandora, the release history was long and complicated iirc
The manufacturing delays, the issues with the case .. the volcano! (Seriously, the project was delayed by the Iceland volcano in 2010 ..) The issues with the original team splitting up, and so on .. well, it still bloody shipped! And its an excellent device!
And the best part is that all those lessons were learned, and applied, to the new Pyra - which is the spiritual successor to the Pandora in many ways. I was lucky enough to have a Pyra prototype to play with a few months back, and its going to be a very special device for a lot of folks - open, accessible, hackable. A truly delightful Linux workstation! :)
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA3525789...
GPD Win Game Console is the World's First 5.5 Inch Handheld PC / Gaming Console Based on Windows 10 System. Equipped with a 5.5 inch capacitive touch display that supports 1280 x 720 pixels. Powered by Intel Atom X7 Z8700 64 bits Quad Core 1.6GHz(up to 2.4GHz) processor, and 16 units Intel HD Graphics. Besides, it has larger storage (4GB RAM and 64GB ROM) for your using, all features provide you wonderful gaming and using experience.
See http://bitboxconsole.tk / https://github.com/makapuf/bitbox
Not handheld but plugging a SPI TFT screen would be simple.
https://pyra-handheld.com/boards/pages/pandora/
Game kits sold by ic0nstrux?
http://www.ic0nstrux.com/game-console-starter-kit-2.0-self-s...
Failing that, you can always just grab an Android phone and convert it into an handheld.
Nintendo seems to have relaxed the entry barriers to developing for their systems.
Open source has its place, but you're asking for someone to selflessly give their entire life so you can "play" in a sandbox - and in 2D instead of 3D, as if that's viable anymore. Give me a break. If it's so easy, do it yourself.
They're asking for a million dollars or more to be invested by someone else, simply to be able to fool around with it. The very concept screams not understanding how much time and money it takes to produce such hardware and matching software. We're not talking about $5,000 and one month of development time from some indie developer; we're talking about more than $1 million and 2-3 years of development time from a serious shop... all for free and as open source? Not going to happen.
I can accept a million dollars but I did it for free (in fact for a cost. Of course you can say it's bad, or not a really "modern" in the sense of "powerful" but in the sense of "available with somewhat current plugs" and I was happy to see the GP comment, as in : there are other interested people, fine !
As I'm not the only one, I don't understand your angry comment.
Has happened: GP32, GP2X, GPH WIZ, CAANNOO, Open Pandora .. Pyra .. PocketCHIP.
There is a lot for you to catch up on. These are open machines, made by people who are quite content with contributing a great deal to the Open Source ethos you seem to think has no place in this market ..
If you're going to rage at things that aren't even there, at least try to not make yourself look like an idiot in the process.
> They're asking for a million dollars or more to be invested by someone else, simply to be able to fool around with it.
And they're presumably willing to pay some amount of money for the opportunity to do so. The groups that have successfully designed, built, and sold open gaming handhelds in the past (and present, actually) seem like good proof that a product like that is something that a lot of people want and are willing to pay for.
> all for free and as open source? Not going to happen.
"Free" as in "gratis"? Maybe for the software, especially if it's built as a hardware-specific SDK, on top of already-available open libraries, like SDL. I'd expect to pay for the hardware, and pay more than something that's subsidized by the subsequent game purchases (like Sony or Nintendo hardware).
The Open Pandora is a great little games machine, has decent 3D capabilities, and its successor - the Dragonbox Pyra - is going to be even more superb. Calm down a little, and take a look:
https://pyra-handheld.com/boards/pages/pyra/
(I'm a very content owner of two Open Pandora devices.. fantastic little machines, and I hope we see more like them in the years to come.)