Picture credit score: There Oughta Be
The LEGO 72046 Sport Boy set was launched earlier this month, and lots of builders have been happy with merely snapping collectively the 1,073 items to create a lifelike handheld. The system retains the clunky attraction of the 1989 unique, proper right down to the d-pad and A/B buttons, and options lenticular inserts that resemble a flickering display from video games like Tetris. However Sebastian L., the tinkerer behind the web site There Oughta Be, wished his LEGO Sport Boy to play actual video games with a luminous display within the 6×6-stud window.
Sebastian’s design is impressed by his earlier handcrafted wood Sport Boy, which has a crisp IPS display that casts new gentle on classic video games. When LEGO introduced the set months in the past, he instantly pre-ordered, visualizing the 2 aspect by aspect. Nonetheless, as meeting day arrived, the distinction gnawed at him: the wood mannequin’s dazzling brilliance would outshine the Lego model’s printed phantasm. However for Sebastian’s construct, these inserts appeared extra like a whisper than a roar. A precise display would even the rating, permitting the Lego masterpiece to face out whereas remaining devoted to the product.
Preparation started with measurements taken from the LEGO promotional images. Sebastian demonstrated that the show cutout is 6 studs sq. by raiding his boys’ brick bin for a alternative body. He then appeared by way of the advertisements for a small LCD that wouldn’t take up a lot house. His advice: a 2-inch, 320×240-pixel Seengreat panel linked by way of SPI to a ST7789V controller. It’s a generic module that prices lower than $10, and the important specs are the identical: it’s tiny sufficient to slot in the window and has solderable pin headers. It’s linked to the Raspberry Pi RP2350-Zero, a CPU the dimensions of a thumbnail with a USB-C port for charging and updating. The entire price is roughly 25 euros when you’ve got fundamental instruments like a soldering iron. No 3D printer required, although Sebastian whipped up a printable body to middle the display.
Meeting follows LEGO directions with precision, besides as an alternative of plastic, solder is used. Begin with the total 72046 construct intact—Sebastian skips that in his video and goes straight to the mod. Take away the lenticular holder, a number of clips and the bricks that hand over with out a combat. The LCD’s 8 pins should be fastidiously wired to the RP2350: floor to floor, 3.3-volt energy to energy and the remainder to versatile GPIO traces for information. Sebastian bends the display’s current headers up and stacks the microcontroller on prime of them for six direct solder joints; quick jumper wires join the facility pair. It’s a clear construct with minimal wiring however requires a gradual hand—one bent pin in his footage is a sensible warning. Slide the display into the adapter body which passes the ribbon cable by way of a notch for clearance. Nest the entire thing into the window and route a USB cable out. Sebastian places his into the mannequin’s faux AC adapter slot, a nod to the unique’s energy inlet, although thicker plugs could snag. The leftover house contained in the chassis swallows the entire setup complete leaving the outside untouched.
Sebastian avoids video loops for authenticity, as an alternative counting on a full Sport Boy emulator constructed into the RP2350 firmware. His journey begins with Peanut-GB, an open-source core that was tailored to Raspberry Pi processors and forked by builders similar to deltabeard, YouMakeTech, and tobigun. The newest model enhances show compatibility, together with the ST7789V panel. Sebastian’s patch removes button inputs, relocates them to an unused GPIO, and transforms colours to grayscale to match the unique monochrome show.
Energy is now by way of USB however the setup begs for growth. The emulator handles audio output and GPIO controls so battery packs and button contacts are included within the bricks. Making dependable switches from LEGO nubs can be a problem for anybody—Sebastian says it’s tough however doable for individuals who desire a playable handheld.
