DIY Nintendo Switch Plays Retro Games Not Found On The Real One

The Nintendo Switch might be one of the most revolutionary and highly sought after gaming products in the market right now, but this doesn’t mean it’s perfect. The hybrid console has a lot of problems attributed to it, including the limited library and the inability to play older games. Someone created a do-it-yourself (DIY) Switch to fix this problem thanks to Raspberry Pi.

The DIY Switch comes courtesy of Tim Lindquist, who is an expert at modding hardware as an electrical engineering student, The Verge reports. On his website, Lindquist shows off the unit, which looks strikingly similar to that of the official Nintendo Switch.

Powered by Raspberry Pi, which is an open source software that’s popular among emulators, the device can play retro titles created by Nintendo with relative ease. The device itself is called the “Nintimdo RP” and it is similar to the Switch in many ways.

For one thing, it’s a full-fledged portable device, so it can be used by gamers to play classic games on the go. The body of the unit is 3D-printed and comes equipped with custom buttons as well as a 10,000mAh battery. It can be recharged via MicroUSB, so accessibility is not a problem.

On the software side, it comes equipped with the RetroPie as its main engine. To give the interface a more polished look, Lindquist used EmulationStation.

As Hackaday notes, the RP looks incredibly professional and not just the hacked parts that can usually be expected from DIY hardware. The fact that it can be connected to a TV much like the Switch could make it an appealing prospect for those who failed to get their hands on either the NES or SNES Classic.

What really makes this case so interesting is how the Raspberry Pi software was used to emulate a current-gen hardware. Normally, the emulator resource is used for much older products.