The DSpi is a cleverly named, fully 3D‑printable, dual‑screen Linux handheld built around the Raspberry Pi CM5, and pitched as a DS‑focused emulation machine with enough hardware headroom to do a lot more.

Creator borpendy describes it as a dual‑screen handheld designed primarily for DS emulation, but the button array and hardware puts it in closer competition with the Anbernic RG DS. Inside the clamshell, a custom carrier board turns the CM5 into a purpose‑built handheld brain. The DSpi has two 800×480 IPS panels, a pair of Analog Devices amps for the speakers, while headphones get their own Texas Instruments DAC, and a separate microcontroller takes care of the Xbox‑inspired control setup. It is overkill in a very intentional, very fun way.

What makes DSpi more interesting than a one‑off mod is that it is framed as the first piece of a whole ecosystem. Borpendy is already working on a modular CM5 carrier that can plug into different daughterboards, including a DSpi successor, a larger dual‑7‑inch handheld, a controller‑sized PC with HDMI out, and a laptop‑style cyberdeck.

All of the current design files, 3D models, and firmware are on GitHub, with OS images promised later, but the project is still labeled “mostly experimental,” especially on the software and UX side. In other words, this is not a polished commercial rival to a Switch or Steam Deck. It is a very nerdy ode to the DS form factor, rebuilt around a modern Pi, and left open for anyone else who wants to tinker with the idea.

Source: hackster.io

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