NX specs (Benimo 12 edition)(Hopefully the final iteration) (LowRes NX)

Benimo12 2024-11-26 10:22

From last time about a year or two ago, I made an attempt of what I wanted a physical version of the NX to be but since then, I’ve learned a lot more and a lot of technology has improved and thus, so has the project.

For starters, the project is run on an 8gb Raspberry Pi 5 as opposed to a 1gb Raspberry Pi 3. This decision has come with its own ups and downs as I have faster speeds and can do genuinely a lot more but at the cost of no touchscreen capabilities. (Every attempt made corrupts the OS in one way or another). It runs both the 64-bit version of Raspberry Pi OS and Android (via Lineage OS and Waydroid) simultaneously. This makes for longer boot times but, flagship tier performance. The reason for putting Android on the system was so that I could run Fancade which I felt is a nice way to have a “3D LowRes NX” (It even has the same Sprite Size Limitations and Color Limitations) and also run TIC 80. The system can run .nx files without hassle (like all other iterations, only smoother) as well as run .json files with QuadPlay. With the Raspberry Pi 5 comes the ability to have a dual-display mode. The default screen is a 3.5” LCD HDMI display which has a lightweight build with the help of couplers. The screen is powered by the use of GPIO pins. There’s no native sound system for the device as any attempt to install speakers made the device itself too bulky so, the speaker I use is an old speaker I found in the trash which plays both AUX and Bluetooth reliably well. The device has a both metal heat sinks and a cooling fan to ensure that it never overheats, even when playing higher-end games (yes, it’s possible).

In terms of its design, I tried to stay as true as possible to the LowRes NX design featured on the website while still putting my own spin on things. This part of the process was a lot pricier than I’d like to admit. For starters, I realized that having a screen-sliding mechanism wasn’t exactly feasible due to the hardware limitations I imposed upon myself so, I use a hinge/rest mechanism which to me, gets the job done. The hinge is removable and is attached semi-securely to a Saitake Bluetooth Split-controller which also houses the keyboard which is a Rii Bluetooth mini-keyboard. (I used renders and renditions off the internet to ensure that this design choice was as accurate as possible). The raspberry pi-screen combo rests on the hinge-controller-keyboard combo and can then function like a handheld. The handheld functionality is limited by the fact that the device uses a very bulky 10,000 mAH battery which I am still undecided on where to attach it to. The “native” mini keyboard lacks a cursor (as was dictated by @Timo ‘s design) so, I have a Rii Keyboard/Controller which I use for all things cursor related. However, if @Timo allows for some leeway, I could use the alternative version of the “native” keyboard which in fact, has a cursor/touchpad.