Nintendo Switch makers should beware, as a custom do-it-yourself version of the handheld console is now available.
The device, however, is not exactly a Nintendo Switch. It instead is a Raspberry Pi, a compact and affordable computer that people can use to learn to programme. Tim Lindquist, the innovator behind the makeshift Switch, simply made a 3D printed case for the Raspberry Pi and designed it specifically to mimic the size and shape of the Switch console. The device is called Nintimdo RP, after the maker's first name.
The Nintimdo RP was specifically made to provide a portable gaming system that could also double as a portable computer that is dedicated to classic games. The Nintimdo RP is now in its third revision, and Lindquist is just waiting for more prints of the 3D model, which he made on his Autodesk Inventor using his knowledge of 3D modeling. He essentially created a Switch-based functional housing for the Raspberry Pi circuit board.
Lindquist took advantage of the Raspberry Pi's capable Broadcom BCM287 processor with Advanced RISC Machines (ARM) architecture. Like an Android smartphone, the Nintimdo RP's software and user-interface (UI) were based on a light version of the Linux operating system, along with emulators for other games that the actual Nintendo handheld console cannot play.
The major difference seen in the Nintimdo RP is that it uses a 7-inch screen compared the Switch's 6.2-inch screen. The Switch clone also comes with its own universal bus interface (USB) port for external serial communications, meaning users will be able to play with a mouse, a keyboard, or additional controllers, expanding the multiplayer options and control range, things that even the Switch had difficulty with.
Lindquist wasn't exactly keen on revealing which games the Nintimdo RP can or cannot play, so interested users may want to check out his website for the device first. The device is also free, and the software can be downloaded on Github while the 3D models are available on Lindquist's website.
