ESP32 Emu Turbo
Handheld gaming console based on ESP32-S3 for retro game emulation — SNES (primary) and NES (secondary).
Goal
Build a portable battery-powered device with USB-C charging and an ILI9488 3.95" color LCD display, capable of loading and playing retro games from an SD card.
Development Phases
| Phase | Description | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Feasibility | Component analysis, schematics, budget | Completed |
| 2. Hardware Design | KiCad schematics, OpenSCAD enclosure, GPIO mapping | Completed |
| 3. Prototype | PCB fabrication, assembly, bring-up and rework | Completed — v4.9.0 first article passed every bring-up stage incl. battery (2026-09-11); Retro-Go runs, NES at 60 fps |
| 4. Software | Emulator cores at full speed, SNES optimization | In Progress — NES 60 fps measured; SNES 75–85% speed, PPU renderer is the target (status) |
| 5. Final version | Respin (R37 + silkscreen backlog, I2S amplifier in place of the PDM audio chain) + 3D-printed enclosure | Pending |
Key Requirements
| Component | Specification |
|---|---|
| MCU | ESP32-S3 N16R8 (16MB flash, 8MB Octal PSRAM) |
| Display | ILI9488 3.95" 320x480, bare panel + 40P FPC 0.5mm |
| Power | LiPo 3.7V, 3000mAh (103665) |
| Charging | USB-C (IP5306, charge-and-play) |
| Emulation | SNES (primary), NES (secondary) |
| Budget | ~$33-45 for the prototype parts (see BOM) |
Documentation
| Section | Content |
|---|---|
| Design | Schematics, components, PCB layout, GPIO mapping |
| Manufacturing | JLCPCB ordering, BOM, CPL, DFM verification |
| Software | ESP-IDF firmware, SNES optimization, audio profiles |
| Development | Agent & Skill Workflow Guide — how to use 46 skills and 6 agents |
| Tooling | Claude Code agents, JLCPCB integration, ecosystem |