Sleek, Disc-less GameCube Handheld

sd_card_gamecube_handheld

Console hacker [techknott] has a skill set that is quite possibly second to none. We do love [Ben Heck] and think that his portable consoles are beyond awesome, but you’ve got to check out this portable GameCube [techknott] put together.

While the construction details are pretty sparse, the video below shows off the bulk of the portable ‘Cube’s best features. Far smaller than his Flip-Top GameCube or Dreamcast portables we’ve featured in the past, his new handheld sports a wider screen and is completely disc-less. While the legality of booting backup copies of games from an SD card is something we won’t delve into, we do like the concept.

The console itself is probably only about one and a half times the width of a standard GameCube controller, and while it doesn’t sport an internal battery pack, we wouldn’t turn one down. Besides, who wants to play GameCube outside? With one of these in hand, we are more than happy to keep our pasty selves indoors, thank you very much.

The only complaint we have here is the lack of build details. [techknott’s] handheld consoles are pretty amazing – we just wish that we could see how the magic was made!

Be sure to check out the video below to see the console in action.

[Thanks, Dave]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yesH8XIsDm4&w=470]

35 thoughts on “Sleek, Disc-less GameCube Handheld

  1. This is absolutely fantastic, one of the best hacks I’ve seen on HAD. no offense to Ben Heck but this blows away many of the portable consoles I’ve seen. Who cares about the legality of booting ROMs, I wouldn’t feel any worse about that than using an emulator on the PC. I don’t personally have any guilt as long as I own the original games (I know it’s technically illegal but still…).

  2. Cool I made hackaday again. Loving the new non-critical comments, nice change of pace. Actually jim, no tape, no hot glue or adhesive of any kind. Everythings either interlocked or screwed.

  3. Now he just needs a battery pack to power it so he can play on a plane or bus or train or in the back seat of his parents car to drown out his little brothers screaming “are we there yet?”…sorry, some repressed childhood wishes coming through there.

  4. @M4CGYV3R: I think a battery pack with an umbilical cord would be easy enough to add. Keeps the bulk off the handheld part but still remains portable. Maybe with a belt clip for super-geekiness!

  5. LOL. The aesthetics of this homebrew portable are better than either Sony or Nintendo have ever managed.
    Shame it’s so chunky. Not a criticism, I amazed he managed to shoehorn all that tech into such a small footprint.
    Now, where can I buy one?

  6. Awesome job! This is probably the best portable hack that I’ve seen!

    With respect to non critical comments… I am not trolling, but without any harsh critics in the audience we lose a lot of what made hackaday great. By allowing commenters to “speak harshly” of the hacks brought out TONS of information in the comments that is not coming out now that the comments are moderated.

    Criticism is the root of all progress. We need to act like adults and not let some stranger talking trash ruin our day…

  7. @bigbob,

    There is absolutely nothing wrong with criticism of a project – we agree that constructive criticism is responsible for a lot of progress here and in many other places. We have no problem with some constructive feedback, that is what the community thrives off of.

    Comments such as saying the console looks a bit chunky is totally fine, that is The Cageybee’s opinion, and a valid one at that.

    Had he made a huge stink and said that the console “looks like shit” or “this is overdone and there is nothing interesting to see”, we would probably take action. Things that are obvious trolling and do not add to the conversation in a constructive manner is what we are targeting.

    Perhaps some of our meaning was lost in the post regarding comments yesterday. We’re not slapping down every post that happens to be critical of a project – that would be ridiculous. In the same token, we’re not looking for an ass-kissing love fest. Show us how you could have done it better without being caustic and that benefits everyone.

    For instance, M4CGYV3R’s suggestion is absolutely the kind of feedback that drives innovation and progress.

    For a great example of constructive positive comments and the community moderating itself, check this post out:

    http://hackaday.com/2011/07/28/creating-halftone-pictures-with-a-cnc-machine/

    We’re interested in a positive environment, not an ass-kiss fest not some iron fisted regime. Moderation has been taking place forever, troublemakers have just been put on notice, that’s all.

    [side note: I’ve been informed that we just added threading and comment reporting too]

  8. Looks real nice and all. But I dunno. A portable which isn’t portable.. :/

    It’s definitely cool but if you’re gonna be plugged in then you might as well just play on the big screen..

    1. Some people would like to be able to kick back on the couch, or in bed, and play their games, but due to what ever circumstance (Odd positioning, wanting to recline further than they’d be able to with out breaking sight of the TV, ect), they just can’t do it comfortably. With this, one could game in what ever position they’d like.

      Plus, it really wouldn’t be hard to add an external battery with the ability to be plugged in to the current power jack. Either having it able to be harnessed on to the back (cliping over the top) with some plastic brackets, or as someone already mentioned; a belt-clipped pack with a cord. While that wouldn’t be as optimal as including a battery inside, it would allow it to become portable :)

    2. An example of what I mean by a ‘clip on’ style holster :
      http://i51.tinypic.com/k3x11u.png

      The red indicating the plastic clip and cord.

      Basically, the clip would fit the contour of the portable’s black portion, and consist of a single piece of molded plastic. The portions that make direct contact with the portable could be covered in a thin rubber to prevent scratches and scuffing. The holster could be easily removed when on the outlet, and just as easily placed back on while on the go – the same rubber that prevents damage would work to keep it from slipping around and falling off while out and about.

  9. Very nice job. For the folks out there complaining about the lack of a battery, I’m sure there are a variety of battery packs that could plug right into it. Just stick some velcro on the back of it. But, it doesn’t really matter. He built it to suit his needs, and he apparently doesn’t need a battery for it.

    I’d love one, battery or not. Always wanted to try building one of these handhelds, but they’re a bit beyond my skill level.

  10. 403.

    If this doesn’t have a built in battery it is NOT a portable. My reel to reel player player is portable by that definition. Velcro to the case? A joke. Umbilical cable to a battery? Also a joke. If anyone released a portable to the commercial market like this it’d not be called a portable.

  11. I feel it’s worth pointing out that now that wifi is reaching across the world, even McDonald’s has places to plug something in these days, and I don’t imagine it would be that difficult to stuff the entire thing into a pocket and bring it out or even just to a friends house, which is the beauty in it for me. Sure, you can do the same thing with a standard GameCube but it’d be a hell of a lot more clunky.

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