Nephew of ZX Spectrum Creator Develops Credit Card-Sized Raspberry Pi Gaming Console – GamerCard Boasts 4-Inch IPS Screen and Pre-Loaded Arcade Classics

Oh man, retro gaming, right? It’s like we’ve all taken a detour back to the golden era of pixels and beeps. I mean, who knew the stuff we geeked out over as kids would suddenly be all the rage again? Crazy times we live in, huh? Anyway, get this: Grant Sinclair—yeah, that name probably rings a bell ’cause he’s Sir Clive Sinclair’s nephew—has whipped up this groovy little gadget. It looks just like a retail gift card. Yep, you heard right—a gaming device the size of a flippin’ gift card. Who thinks up this stuff?

So the whole thing fits in your palm. Handy! The GamerCard, they call it. It’s got all these arcade games already loaded. Instant nostalgia trip. And hey, if you’re wondering who made it—Sinclair’s uncle was the guy behind the ZX Spectrum. Suddenly makes sense, right? There’s that famous family legacy. But I won’t bore you with a history lesson.

What’s it got? A 4-inch IPS screen, showing off a crisp picture with these teeny-tiny pixels. Plus, the controls are these two circular pads. Sounds like fun, but I’ve got to see it to believe it, you know? The tech world is buzzing with excitement over this grab-and-go idea, and honestly, who has the patience for anything slow these days?

Now Sinclair’s also tossed in a special launcher, loaded with not just games but also emulators like RetroPie and Lakka. It’s like they crammed the whole retro gaming universe into this card-sized contraption. And oh, it can play PICO-8 games and even lets you dabble in programming with MicroPython and whatnot. A mini computer in disguise? Kinda cool.

Oh, speaking of games, there are two indie ones — Bloo Kid 2 and AstroBlaze DX. They were only on Nintendo Switch before, you know? Now on this mini thing. It’s like pixel art heaven! Imagine a tiny screen filled with blasting spaceships and bouncing platform heroes.

And the GamerCard is thin. Like super thin! Only 6.5 mm and weighing 100 grams. That’s lighter than some of the snack bars I’ve got stashed in my desk. And those tech photos, showing it almost floating next to cash registers? Quite the marketing gimmick.

Underneath, it’s got the brains of a Raspberry Pi Zero 2W, with a quad-core processor. The storage? A whopping 128GB. Plus, you’ve got your USB-C and HDMI ports. Plug it into anything and it’ll do its PC thing. Wild, right? Although, if you’re shelling out the cash—it’s pretty steep at £125 ($170-ish)—you’re probably sticking to gaming.

Let’s compare, shall we? If you’re not hooked on this gimmick, there’s the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro or those slick Anbernic gadgets. And they won’t burn a hole in your pocket.

But hey, maybe I’m being too harsh. Let’s face it, Sinclair’s bringing a slice of innovative chaos to the table, even if it’s a pricey nostalgia trip. Because at the end of the day, it’s all about what floats your boat. Or your gaming device, in this case.