The handcrafted Pixel Vision is a retro must-have for portable gamers

This handmade game emulator is one of the most beautiful portable consoles we've seen so far, sporting a wooden box that is actually a portable gaming console made entirely by hand and also by only one person - and it's currently available on Kickstarter in very limited numbers.

The Pixel Vision is a handmade pocket-sized videogame emulator made from solid walnut wood. The design language is inspired by the Game Boy Advance SP from Nintendo. It can emulate games from classic consoles, including the NES, Atari 2600, and Game Boy. The device measures 95 x 95 x 45mm when closed (by comparison, a Game Boy Advance SP is 84 x 82 x 61 mm), and the 2,000mAh battery it gives it eight hours of play time with a 3.5-inch LCD dis play. The games are powered using a Raspberry Pi A+ computer chip, and it runs on a RetroArch user interface.

Besides the six games that come pre-loaded on the Pixel Vision, it can carry up to 8GB of games with its built-in internal storage, loaded in via its USB port. The device can also be charged via USB or with a 5V AD/DC adapter. Every Pixel Vision will also come with a protective soft case for safekeeping.

The creator of the Pixel Vision, Love Hulten, is a Swedish-based craftsman who loves video gaming. His previous handcrafted works also include a full-sized arcade wooden cabinet and a portable wooden fight stick, with only 50 units made for the former, and 50 units per colour for the latter. Only 500 Pixel Vision units will be crafted - Hulten said that the scarcity and price (about S$650) of each device is attributed to the time and effort taken to handcraft every single unit by his hand, without compromising his standards for quality.

Hulten is also making limited edition "Pearl" versions (about S$1130) of the Pixel Vision, and these units have solid brass D-pad and buttons, a matte-black panel (instead of the cream coloured shade found in the standard set), and veneer made from mother-of-pearl shell. Each of these 20 sets are signed and numbered for authenticity, and they come with a collector's certificate.

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At the time of writing, there are currently 445 standard sets and 16 "Pearl" sets available for pre-order via the Kickstarter page here. You can also check out more works by the same video-gaming-craftsman at his site, or his Facebook page. The campaign ends in less than two weeks, and first shipment is expected to deliver from February 2016 onwards.

Source: The Verge

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