This Raspberry Pi handheld console fits in an Altoids tin, and it's seriously adorable

While you can make anything you can imagine with a Raspberry Pi, we do often see people revisit the same concept with a different take. One such concept is the handheld gaming console, which we’ve seen tons of Raspberry Pi projects make their own take on. However, have you ever seen a console so small that it can fit inside an Altoids tin? That’s exactly what the charmingly-named Pi Tin can do.

The Pi Tin is a console that fits in your pocket

As spotted by Hackster.io, this excellent project was brought to life by Alley Cat Engineering. The website features instructions on how to make your own, but there’s also an option to purchase a kit instead. At the time of writing, it seems the kits are out of stock

Here’s what Alley Cat Engineering has to say about their project:

Pi Tin is an open source retro gaming device designed around the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W and a 2.8” 320×240 TFT display, the largest readily available size that will fit into an Altoids tin. The Pi Zero 2 W is capable of emulating most SNES, GBA, PS1, Genesis/Megadrive, and even some N64 games.

Alley Cat Engineering goes on to mention that the Pi Tin’s gamepad “uses the exact same Alps tactile switches and elastomer membrane design used in the Gameboy Advance SP and DSi” for a really authentic feel. And while you can create the console housing by removing all the mints from an Altoids tin (don’t eat them all at once), Alley Cat Engineering also provides a 3D-printable shell you can put it in instead.

Before you go off and buy a tin of mints, Alley Cat Engineering warns everyone that this project is at an intermediate level. It’d be a good idea to check out the build instructions first and ensure that you’re up to the task of performing everything listed. If things look a little too complex for your liking, don’t fret; try one of these Raspberry Pi beginner projects to gain some confidence before you jump in. Otherwise, this looks to be an amazingly unique project that’s bound to wow people.