Inventor of ZX Spectrum’s Nephew Creates Gift Card-Sized Handheld Raspberry Pi Gaming Console with 4-Inch IPS Screen and Preloaded Arcade Games

The whole retro gaming thing—I mean, it’s kind of crazy how it’s making a comeback, right? All these gadgets popping up like mushrooms after rain. Some are actual devices you can hold, and others are just software to relive those pixelated dreams. And here comes this new contraption, courtesy of Grant Sinclair. It’s some sort of ultra-portable handheld that—get this—fits into your wallet like a regular-sized gift card. Wild, huh?

So, if you’re not clued in, this Grant guy is the nephew of Sir Clive Sinclair. The dude who basically turned anyone with a ZX Spectrum into a computer whiz overnight. Feels like Grant’s kind of hanging in his uncle’s digital shadow, but, you know, maybe that was the plan all along. Anyway—they’ve cooked up something called the GamerCard®. Imagine a Raspberry Pi running the show, and with this glossy 4″ screen that’s so sharp, it’s basically eye candy. And those buttons? They’re like these little snap-dome things, eight of them, giving it that retro arcade vibe right off the bat.

And then, bam! You get this launcher in the thing that’s got all these big icons for games and emulators. Recalbox, RetroPie—you name it. It’s like a retro buffet in there. Oh, and if you’re a fan of pixel stuff, they’ve thrown in two indie games that jumped ship from the Nintendo Switch: Bloo Kid 2 and AstroBlaze DX. Basically, if your heart beats for old-school gaming, this thing’s a ticket to nostalgia town.

Okay, sidebar: The GamerCard’s flatter than your average pancake at 6.5 mm thick. Marketing geniuses, I tell you—actually hung it on shop counters like an ordinary gift card. It’s all about perception with tech these days, right? They scrapped the usual casing, and you’re just holding the glory straight up, game controller style.

But, wait—let’s not get lost here. Under its sleek hood, the GamerCard is kind of a big deal because it’s based on a Raspberry Pi Zero 2W. A tiny powerhouse, really, with a quad-core processor, and it packs 128GB storage plus a hefty 1600mAh battery. Oh, and get this: it’s got this Qwiic connector for hooking up everything from sensors to small displays, no screwdriver required.

And of course, you have the USB-C and HDMI ports on the side as if it suddenly wants to moonlight as your desktop PC. Though, if you’re thinking of it as a super-pricey Raspberry Pi decked out in gaming glam, you’re spot-on.

But, about the price—let me just hit the brakes here for a sec. They’re asking £125, or about 170 bucks if you live on this side of the pond. Compare that to sticking to something like the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro at $149, or even some cheaper Anbernic gadgets under $100. Or if you crave something quirky, there’s that whole clamshell handheld craze kicking off too.

Not to throw shade, but seriously, when does being inventive become impractical? It’s like, could you even justify splurging on this unless you dream in 8-bit? Unless you’ve got this undying devotion to retro tech (or gift cards, oddly enough), the GamerCard is a tough sell. Yet, there’s something brilliantly unpractical about it that insists on being noticed. Special, yes, but you might need nostalgia goggles to see its charm properly.