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ATtiny85

Credit Card ATtiny Game Console: How the DIY Build Works

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The Credit Card ATtiny Game Console is a homemade, card-sized handheld called “Gametiny,” not a retail console. Its design puts an ATtiny85 on a removable cartridge and combines it with a small OLED, six buttons, sound and a CR2032 battery. The frame can be an expired credit card, cardboard or plastic.

What the project is

Project author Billy Cheung describes the idea simply: “I built a game console on an expired credit card.” The thin card-like frame is the defining form factor; the electronics make it a functioning handheld. Cheung’s build adapts ideas from the ATtiny Joypad and ATtiny Arcade projects and uses a swappable ATtiny85 cartridge to change games.

The project is documented as a build guide, not a commercial product listing. Its page does not establish current availability, component prices, measured battery runtime or ongoing support for the software setup.

How the console is arranged

Main board

The main board carries the display, six controls, power components and the socket for the game cartridge. The design uses a 0.9-inch I²C monochrome OLED with an SSD1306 controller, a CR2032 cell and holder, a mini piezo sound unit, a switched 3.5 mm headphone jack, a 10K volume control and a slide power switch. The tutorial describes wiring and soldering the parts, then covering the back with a second card.

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Removable game cartridge

Each cartridge is an ATtiny85 in a SOD-8 package mounted on a small piece of perf board with an eight-pin header. The header fits the console’s cartridge socket and also serves as the connection point for a USBasp programmer when loading game code. Swapping cartridges is the project’s method for changing games.

Parts and fit to check before building

Cheung’s project page lists the components below. Match each chosen part to the schematic and confirm its package, pinout, voltage and physical dimensions before soldering; a part with a similar name may not fit electrically or inside the frame.

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GamePi13 Game Console Onboard 1.3inch LCD 240 × 240 Resolution for Raspberry Pi / RP2040-PiZero, with ST7789 Driver Chip SPI Interface 12 Customizable Buttons, Board Only (Retro Gaming)
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  • 【SPI Interface for Fast Communication】SPI interface communication is adopted, and the signal transmission is more stable and faster
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  • ATtiny85 microcontroller in SOD-8 package for each cartridge
  • 0.9-inch I²C monochrome OLED display with SSD1306 controller
  • CR2032 cell and holder
  • Mini piezo sound unit
  • Six silent buttons
  • Switched 3.5 mm headphone jack
  • 10K volume control
  • Slide power switch
  • Small perf board and fine insulated wire
  • USBasp programmer
  • Thin card-like frame material: an expired card, cardboard or plastic

The project does not provide controlled comparisons of those frame options or measured performance figures. For an adaptation, practical fit checks include frame thickness and workability, the OLED’s dimensions and I²C pinout, cartridge clearance for the ATtiny85 package, programmer compatibility, and room for the battery holder, buttons and sound parts.

Programming the ATtiny85

The older tutorial describes an Arduino IDE and USBasp workflow: install or select an ATtiny board definition, choose the ATtiny85 and a clock setting, burn the fuses, then compile and upload the game code. It links the schematics and source code from the project’s GitHub repository. Because these setup steps come from an older guide, verify that the board package, IDE version, programmer and code still work together before relying on them; current compatibility was not established by the project description.

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Rank #3
Synthrotek APC Handheld DIY Kit - Atari Punk Console
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  • Requires a 9V battery or a 2.1-2.5mm 9V center negative power supply of at least 50mA (not included)
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What the guide does—and does not—establish

The project page is useful as a design and build reference for a compact, cartridge-based ATtiny85 game console. It does not report a measured battery runtime, provide a verified present-day parts source, or establish current software-toolchain support. Treat component availability and setup compatibility as items to confirm for your own build rather than assumed guarantees.

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Synthrotek Atari Punk Console DIY Kit
  • The Atari Punk Console is one of the most famous and recognizable Lo-Fi synth circuits ever!
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  • Low part count = easy build for beginners!
  • 3 potentiometer controls - Pulse, Width, and Frequency.
  • Powered by 9V battery connector or DC Jack.

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