It’s not every day that a new handheld like the PiBoy XRS is revealed to the world, especially under such mysterious circumstances. So, imagine our surprise when not one but two new handhelds came to our attention – we feel like kids in a candy store!
The PiBoy XRS has leaked into the retro gaming world alongside another new handheld, the PiBoy CM4X. That’s two new consoles for the price of one today, readers. Retro Dodo really is the gift that keeps on giving!
Correspondence from an unknown recipient named only as ‘DarkPi’ containing images of the two consoles has made its way onto the web.
Who DarkPi is remains a mystery, but the images of both consoles contain the ExperimentalPi logo, which is huge news!
Let’s go into detail after a quick title break; it’ll give you a chance to calm down before we continue!
Everything We Know About The PiBoy XRS!
Here it is in all it’s glory! For those of you that haven’t got a clue about anything I’ve said so far, let me fill you in.
The PiBoy DMG is one of our favourite retropie handhelds and a firm contender for the best retro handhelds of all time.
It bears a strong resemblance to the original DMG Gameboy, hence the name, and features extra buttons and functions to allow gamers to play all of their favourite retro games from yesteryear.
The PiBoy DMG came from the brilliant minds over at ExperimentalPi, and it seems that the PiBoy XRS and the PiBoy CMX4 are two new consoles that the company is currently working on.
Now, we want to stress that we don’t know who this DarkPi is or if they work for ExperimentalPi. One thing remains clear, however; no one in their right mind would go to all of the trouble of designing two consoles to such a high degree before adding on a company logo if they weren’t real…
…right?
DarkPi has us convinced that these consoles are in fact real, and here’s everything we know about the PiBoy XRS.
PiBoy XRS Design Features
One of the things that I loved the most about the original PiBoy DMG was the fact that it added a modern touch to such a classic and iconic handheld.
While the PiBoy XRS uses a horizontal design, it still looks very familiar…
… try turning your laptop of phone 90 degrees. Yep; it looks like a DMG tilted on its side.
How cool is that! The lines from the original console all appear where they should, but the DMG looks as though it has been stretched out and given multi-button super powers.
Where do I sign up?!
Key Features
I much prefer using horizontal handhelds. Don’t get me wrong, the Gameboy Color and consoles like the Gameboy 1Up are great, but the GBA changed everything for me.
The PiBoy XRS makes the most of its horizontal design by using two analog sticks, a common feature on pretty much every modern home console controller and one that every handheld mimics after the success of the Nintendo Switch.
The handheld has four shoulder buttons up on the top of the device and four face buttons. This should give plenty of functionality for playing games up to N64 and Dreamcast. And with a full Raspberry Pi 4 computer housed away inside it, you know that this thing is going to be able to handle anything we throw at it!
Ports
So, we know it has a Raspberry Pi 4 tucked away within the casing. We can also see from the vents on the back that the PiBoy XRS comes equipped with heat sync and a fan to keep everything cool. Raspberry Pi 4 modules kick out some heat, but it won’t be anything to worry about with this setup.
As it’s a Raspberry Pi product, there are more ports than you can shake a stick at in this thing. Four USB ports and a full-size ethernet port can be found on the op of the console, while a HDMI out sits nestled neatly beside a USB-C charging port on the bottom of the console.
Already we can see that this is a console that can be used either in handheld mode or connected up to a TV or monitor, a little like the Creqode Lyra.
PiBoy XRS Specifications
- Raspberry Pi 4
- Built-in heatsink and cooling fan
- USB-C charging
- 4000mAh battery
- Dual Analog Joystick
- HDMI Out
- 640×480 IPS 3.5″ LCD tempered glass screen
- 4x shoulder buttons
- Ethernet port
I know this is the bit that everyone has been waiting for, so here goes.
The PiBoy XRS comes equipped with a Raspberry Pi 4 computer. That’s the bit that makes everything happen behind the scenes.
The console houses a 4000mAh battery which should be great for gaming on the go, and the USB-C port means fast charging and no waiting around.
The PiBoy XRS uses a 640×480 IPS 3.5″ LCD screen. I know what you’re thinking; it would have been better if this screen was a little bigger. Still, 3.5″ is plenty for gaming on the go, and don’t forget that these could be early prototypes of the consoles.
To put that screen size into perspective for any newbies to the retropie world, it’s 2″ smaller than the Nintendo Switch Lite screen.
We can safely say that the PiBoy XRS could ship in 2GB, 4GB, and 8GB models based on other handhelds of a similar style. Obviously, we’ll keep this article up to date as and when we get more information.
That’s a lot of information to pack into one article! We’re super excited about both handhelds, but I just can’t get enough of that altered DMG design. ExperimentalPi always manages to create handhelds that pay homage to the past in the most stunning ways, and we can’t wait to get our hands on both the PiBoy XRS and the CMX4!
DarkPi, whoever and wherever you are, we want to thank you for passing these images onto ETA Prime. Let’s hope that 2021 sees these two handhelds coming to the fold. We’re keeping everything crossed!
What do you think of the PiBoy XRS and that amazing DMG inspired design? Join the conversation over on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!
