As any connoisseur of retro gaming will readily attest, there is no such thing as a substitute for unique {hardware}. Regardless of the platform could also be, there all the time appear to be some quirks that aren’t reproduced fairly proper by emulators. And except for the technical imperfections, there’s additionally one thing to be stated for having the true deal in your arms.
But when you will run an emulator, it is best to no less than do it with some fashion. That’s the aim of the ESP32 Rainbow — a ZX Spectrum-compatible single-board pc that will probably be launching quickly on Crowd Provide.
For the sad few that haven’t heard of it, the ZX Spectrum was a highly regarded 8-bit dwelling pc that was first launched in 1982. It could not have been an particularly highly effective pc, and even particularly usable, nevertheless it was very cheap. This made it in style with many individuals and because of this a big group shaped round it. That led to the event of various video games, and as they are saying, the remaining is historical past.
The built-in display screen is ideal for gaming on the go (📷: CMG Analysis)
Because the title of the ESP32 Rainbow implies, the pc is powered by an ESP32 microcontroller — a robust ESP32-S3 chip to be particular. However don’t get too bummed out that there is no such thing as a Z80 to be discovered, as a result of the ESP32 Rainbow comes loaded with a wonderful ZX Spectrum emulator. Or you may construct no matter ESP32-based initiatives you need on this superbly designed board.
Whereas the ESP32 Rainbow was meant to look paying homage to the pc it emulates, it isn’t a precise copy. It comes outfitted with a 320 x 280 16-bit colour TFT show built-in, for instance, so you may sport on the go. It additionally has a slot for a microSD card to make loading new software program simple, and a speaker, battery charging circuit, and even some accessible GPIO pins for growth or hacking.
The 40-key keyboard mimics the look of the unique ZX Spectrum, colour, markings, and all. On condition that the keys are capacitive contact sensors, the typing expertise might be nearly as horrible because the membrane keys of the ZX Spectrum itself. However hey, you probably did need an genuine expertise, proper?
Anybody that wishes to construct their very own initiatives on this very cool ZX Spectrum-esque single-board pc will probably be joyful to know that the whole system is open supply. {Hardware} schematics and the firmware have been made accessible on GitHub beneath a permissive GNU Common Public License.
There isn’t any phrase but on when this mission will formally launch or what it can value. However if you wish to be one of many first to get your arms on an ESP32 Rainbow, you may head over to Crowd Provide to join notifications.