Portable RetroPie Suitcase For Multiplayer On The Go!

Portable gaming — and gaming in general —  has come a long way since the days of the original Game Boy. With a mind towards portable multiplayer games, Redditor [dagcon] has assembled a RetroPie inside a suitcase — screen and all!

This portable console has almost everything you could need. Four controllers are nestled beside two speakers. Much of the power cabling is separated and contained by  foam inserts. The screen fits snugly into the lid with a sheet of rubber foam to protect it during transport.

Tucked behind the monitor rests the brains of this suitcase console: a Raspberry Pi and the associated boards. [Dagcon] resorted to using a dedicated sound card for the speakers, diverting the output from the HDMI port. An LCD screen controller was also necessary as the screen had been re-purposed from its previous life as a laptop screen. [Dagcon] offers some tips on how to go about accomplishing this yourself and a helpful Instructables link.

Additionally, two USB ports peek out from beneath the screen if a keyboard, mouse, or any other USB device is needed after the initial setup. At present, there are a few cooling issues that arose after a few hours of gaming. Not to worry though, [dagcon] is working on a solution for the problems.

The suitcase runs on external power, so that limits how truly portable this console is. Therein lies potential for a future upgrade. While the $350  price tag is on par with modern consoles — most of that cost is the four controllers, of which there are cheaper options. Even with that cost, the portability of this system and the bonding of couch co-op make it an easy pill to swallow.

Speaking of incredible things jammed inside a humble suitcase, you may have heard about this one, seen this one scuttling around, or maybe even this remarkable triple threat.

Filed under: Raspberry Pi

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