If Nintendo 3D-Printed a Modern Game Boy, it Would Look Like the Zeroboy XP

Photo credit: Federal-Reception394
Retro gaming handhelds used to be the excitement of the hunt, with people scouring store shelves to discover which new models were available. People nowadays have taken it a step further by designing their own from the ground up, printing cases at home and assembling parts that can be simply obtained online. The Zeroboy XP is one such project that stands out because to its incredibly clean design.

Federal-Reception394 recently shared this construct, citing it as an important electronics project for them. It resembles a reimagined Game Boy, but with incredibly smooth contours and a luxury finish that suggests Nintendo stole a page from the high-end consumer electronics playbook. He created the entire enclosure on his 3D printer, meticulously designing it in Autodesk Fusion.

He picked ABS filament for the main body since it is durable and easy to finish. After printing, he vapor smoothed the layers to remove the telltale layer lines before applying a coat of primer and paint to make it shine. To cap it all off, a few decals with extra accents and emblems. To his astonishment, the final shell felt solid in his fingers, with no rough edges to be seen.

Inside is a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W, a small but powerful board for emulation. He’s using RetroPie software, which is a dream to use. He has experienced no problems with Game Boy Color or Game Boy Advance games; they all run smoothly and without any slowdowns on the titles he has tested.

The Raspberry Pi Pico board handles the control inputs, which are quite reliable to say the least. You have the typical directional pad, A and B buttons, as well as start, select, and menu options. What’s interesting is that he didn’t have to order any custom circuit boards; instead, he just printed a polycarbonate substrate, inserted some copper rivets, and soldered on some tactile switches. It’s extremely clean and all in one piece.

To ensure safety, a lithium-ion battery is used in conjunction with a charging module to provide power. There is also an LCD screen on board, which is perfectly sized to fit the ergonomically built housing. Finally, the speakers are quite decent. If you’re up for the challenge, all you need is a 3D printer, a soldering iron, and some standard components from electronics wholesalers to build your own Zeroboy XP.
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