How many buttons do you need to play video games? The popular Flappy Bird game showed that it is possible to create addictive video games that only need one button to control.
A company called The Wrench has created a small, portable console with a single button.
It's not as small as the ridiculously tiny Thumby. comfortable to use. The relatively large 0.96-inch monochrome OLED screen doesn't strain your eyes as much. And since you only have to press one button, interacting with it is much easier. This, of course, limits the range of games it can support. But the remote is perfect for Flappy Bird clones and other one-button games.
The Wrench started by building a prototype console on a breadboard. This required a DFRobot Fermion display, a DFRobot Beetle ESP32-C6 board, and a button. The prototype allowed The Wrench to make sure all the hardware connections worked properly and gave them the opportunity to start developing the game. The Wrench's brother took care of that part, programming a Flappy Bird clone with simplified graphics that would run very smoothly on the ESP32-C6 microcontroller.
The Wrench also designed a custom PCB that ties the components together and serves as a structural frame. It also added a lithium battery for power and designed a 3D printed cap for the button.
It's not as small as the ridiculously tiny Thumby. comfortable to use. The relatively large 0.96-inch monochrome OLED screen doesn't strain your eyes as much. And since you only have to press one button, interacting with it is much easier. This, of course, limits the range of games it can support. But the remote is perfect for Flappy Bird clones and other one-button games.
The Wrench started by building a prototype console on a breadboard. This required a DFRobot Fermion display, a DFRobot Beetle ESP32-C6 board, and a button. The prototype allowed The Wrench to make sure all the hardware connections worked properly and gave them the opportunity to start developing the game. The Wrench's brother took care of that part, programming a Flappy Bird clone with simplified graphics that would run very smoothly on the ESP32-C6 microcontroller.
The Wrench also designed a custom PCB that ties the components together and serves as a structural frame. It also added a lithium battery for power and designed a 3D printed cap for the button.