PEOPLE, something is happening. A real-life gamer-James Bond gadget is being created to satiate our childhood dreams! All the games you could want, right on your wrist, in the form of a time-telling wristwatch even 007 himself (or herself, we don’t discriminate around here) would be jealous of. What’s more, the design is inspired by the classic bivalve look of the GBA SP. What am I talking about, you ask? A new Kickstarter project known as the Retro Gaming Watch. It is an ambitious project that looks to combine the ease and access of a common watch with the gaming capabilities of something akin to the retro handhelds we all know and love. The idea is dripping with potential, but is it TOO ambitious? Is it…..too good to be true?

Retro Gaming Watch – Face

One thing I want to say right off the bat, as to temper your expectations, is that this thing is FAR from available. It is not planned to be in production until Q3 of 2024. Some prototypes and whatnot may go out earlier than that, and development boards will go out to certain higher-level backers, but the retail units are planning to start shipping next November. Hell, even some of the info in this article might change by next year. The makers definitely seem to be taking their time to get things as right as possible. I for one am thankful for that. Now, onto the juicy deets!

The Idea

The first thing I thought of when I saw the mock-ups for the Retro Gaming Watch was the Funkey S. I mean, I legitimately thought is WAS a Funkey, just strapped to a watch. And I suppose in many ways, it is very similar. The overall goal for both devices seems to be the same: make retro gaming ultra-portable and still very potent, to pack as much power in as little area as possible. The Watch, however, looks to take things further by adding in something that very few retro handhelds seem to. This miniature device will integrate with your phone, allowing you to send and receive messages, download and update apps, and interact with them as well.

Gaming will be at the forefront, boasting 8 and 16-bit system FPGA emulation and the ability to develop games right on the Watch itself. Let us not forget, the outer screen will also be…well you know…used to tell time. Think of a watch like your cell phone but with only a clock app. Blending the three key features together will be challenging, but hopefully the planning and execution put into this thing will result in a wonderful, harmonious gadget.

Retro Gaming Watch – Gamepad

The Details

The particulars of the hardware are where things get mighty juicy. It will sport a custom 60Hz 320×320 internal LCD screen measuring at 1.54 inches, a Renesas / Dialog DA14706 CPU alongside an ARM-M33 application processor, 1.5MB+8MB of RAM, a 2D graphics processor, an accelerometer, a mono-speaker, vibration, a light sensor…and that may not be it! Unreal how much seems to be packed into this tiny little treasure.

The shell is in progress, being 3D printed for now, but plans for injection molding and even machined steel are on the table. It does seem to be one of the main points of focus going forward, as the challenge of fitting all these parts into a tiny package is continuing to push the designers to work out some kinks.

The Process

As of now, the software side of things is looking promising, the hardware is pretty solid, and the case design is coming along. If you would like to keep track of this marvelous, miniature marvel, make sure to check out the Kickstarter and hang around our site and Discord to see some more discussion about it! The release date is pretty far off, so we all have plenty of time to speculate. If you were a kid dreamed of a unique and capable gaming wristwatch (mighty specific of you, kid) then the Retro Gaming Watch may just be the one to wear!

Price

The current Kickstarter packages that include the Watch itself start at $179 and are able to be shipped anywhere in the world. If this project is something you feel passionate about, think about backing it!

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