Game Bub is an open source, FPGA-based handheld with support for Game Boy, GBC, and GBA games (crowdfunding)

The Game Bub is an upcoming handheld game console designed to play Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance games. Like most modern handhelds it can handle ROM files. But you can also use cartridges, making this a modern device that functions a lot like the original hardware.

In fact, it even supports link cables for multiplayer gaming and special features that were only used by a handful of games thanks to rumble, accelerometer, gyroscope, and real-time clock functions. Developer Eli Lipsitz has open sourced everything about the Game Bub for anyone looking to inspect the code or build their own. But if you'd prefer to buy a pre-built unit, there's also an upcoming Crowd Supply crowdfunding campaign for that.

The handheld uses a Xilinx XC7A100T FPGA that works like the chips that powered the original Game Boy handhelds, theoretically offering performance that's closer to what you'd be able to get using software emulation only.

There's also an ESP32-S3 microcontroller for tasks like configuring the FPGA, rendering the user interface, and loading ROM files from a microSD card. There's also support for cartridge backup and restore functions.

While the Game Bub is designed for playing games that are decades old, there are a few modern touches including a rechargeable battery and USB-C cable as well as a backlit IPS LCD display, stereo speakers, support for 2.4 GHz WiFi and Bluetooth LE, and the aforementioned microSd card reader.

There's also support for a Game Bub Dock with USB and HDMI ports for controllers and video output. The dock also adds support for Bluetooth game controllers.

Since this an FPGA-based system with open source software, you're also not strictly limited to using it for Game Boy games. Lipsitz notes that you can also use it as a development platform to make "your own FPGA game cores, or use it to build other interactive FPGA experiences with its suite of I/O, peripherals, and features."

You can find out more about the inspiration and development of the Game Bub in a blog post, or see it in action at YouTube:

via Hackster

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