- The ‘thumby’ console is developed by Ohio-based firm Tiny Circuits
- It comes with five pre-installed games, including a version of classics like Tetris
- However, users can program their games in the MicroPython language.
- The device can be attached to a keyring, and is being sold for £14 ($19).
The world’s smallest handheld game console has been developed by American engineers and is about the size of a postage stamp, but plays just like a full-sized device.
The ‘Thumby’ console from Ohio-based Tiny Circuits comes with five retro games pre-installed, including classics like Tetris, Space Invaders, and Snake.
Users can also create their own games using the MicroPython programming language and play multiplayer games with others via a linking cable.
The console is being sold on Kickstarter from £14 ($19) for the basic gray model, with other colors and additional accessories such as linking cables also available at higher prices.
Each Thumby sports a working battery, buzzer, gameplay button, power switch, screen, and a micro-USB port for charging the console and updating its software.
The screen is an OLED display and there’s a loop at the bottom-right corner of each small, Game Boy-like console to allow it to be attached to a keychain like a keyring.
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The world’s smallest handheld game console (pictured) – which is about the size of a postage stamp but runs like a full-sized device – has been developed by American engineers
The ‘Thumby’ console from Ohio-based Tiny Circuits comes with five retro games pre-installed, including classics like Tetris, Space Invaders, and Snake. Pictured: The Thambi console, only 0.7 inches (18 millimeters) across, is about the size of a beehive
Users can also create their own games using the MicroPython programming language and play multiplayer games with others via a linking cable (pictured).
The console is being sold from £14 ($19) for the basic gray model (pictured), with other colors and additional accessories such as linking cables also available at higher prices
The Come Handheld recently won ‘Best in Show: Most Innovative Product’ at the GDX conference in Columbus, Ohio, where the design was particularly praised for how it can help beginners with coding in a fun way.
Ben Rose, Thumby’s lead engineer, said, “With Thumby my goal was to make the smallest game console possible.
‘When people see small, they think cheap. We’ve built a high quality product with a powerful processor that challenges 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 Tiny Circuits product.’
This, he said, ‘more people can put it on their keychains, enjoy playing it, or even make up their own game.’
Diminutive handheld recently won the award for ‘Best in Show: Most Innovative Product’ gdx conference in Columbus, Ohio, where the design was particularly praised for how it can help beginners get into coding in a fun way.
Ken Burns, president of TinyCircuits, said, ‘The Thumby is really small, and it’s just the size of a person’s thumb – hence the name.
‘Compared to other game consoles, the overall thumb is smaller than the controller’s typical D-pad.
‘I think it’s the smallest game console in the world, I haven’t found anything even close to this size.
‘Thumby’ comes from our nostalgia for ’90s retro games.
‘We have a collection of game cartridges and arcades in our office.
‘We thought it would be nice to have a well crafted, carefully made little 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 for charging the console and updating its software.
Ben Rose, Thumby’s lead engineer, said, “With Thumby my goal was to make the smallest game console possible. Image: A child plays with a thumb device
The screen is an OLED display and has a loop at the bottom-right corner of each small, Game Boy-like console to allow it to be attached to a keychain like a keyring.
Ken Burns, president of TinyCircuits, said, ‘The Thambi is really small, and it’s just the size of a person’s thumb – hence the name.
As the name suggests, TinyCircuits is no stranger to producing smaller versions of existing electronic products.
Its first product in 2012 was TinyDuino, a miniature open-source electronics platform based on Arduino.
This has since been followed by small DIY collectible kits including a teeny television, arcade console and violin, as well as small circuit boards and e-textile applications.
More information about Thambi can be found here Tiny Circuits Website, as well as of the console kickstarter page.
“Compared to other game consoles, the overall thumbnail is smaller than the controller’s typical D-pad,” said Mr. Burns.
Mr. Burns said, ‘Thumby comes from our nostalgia for 90s retro games.’ ‘We have a collection of game cartridges and arcades in our office. We thought it would be nice to have a well crafted, meticulously designed little keychain that is actually playable and programmable.’
TinyCircuits is – as its name suggests – no stranger to producing smaller versions of existing electronic products. Their first product in 2012 was TinyDuino, a miniature open-source electronics platform based on Arduino. Since then they have pursued small DIY collectible kits -…
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