ClockworkPi has made a new Linux-based gaming handheld that you can put together yourself. It is a very cool product with one major flaw.
Ever since the Nintendo Switch came into my life, I’ve played a lot more games. You would think I was already playing them all the time due to my job. And sure, I played a lot. But I spend most days writing about them. And in the evening, I dislike hiding away on my PC in the office or taking over the television to make everyone watch me get frustrated with a race in Forza. The Switch and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild made me realize that I am happy with handheld gaming. And now, all I can think about is getting more handheld devices to have access to games beyond the Nintendo eShop.
That’s where the GameShell from ClockworkPi comes in.
The GameShell is a do-it-yourself modular handheld kit that comes with everything you need to piece together your own portable console for $159 ($139 for students). ClockworkPi has built a Linux-based device that runs on a RetroPi-style micro computer. It comes with a screen, the buttons, a case, and everything else you need to assemble your own Game Boy-style device. And you do have to assemble it yourself.
But is that process friendly, and what about the quality of the end product? Well, the GameShell has a lot to love. But I also encountered at least one problem that is making it difficult for me to enjoy.
The GameShell comes as a collection of plastic parts and circuit boards (PCBs) that you piece together. This process is painless.
