Waveshare Game HAT Compatible with Raspberry Pi 4B/A+/B+/2B/3B/3B+/Zero W/Zero WH 3.5inch IPS Screen 480×320 Resolution Onboard Speaker and Earphone Jack

Retro Delight: A Review of the Waveshare Game HAT for Raspberry Pi 4
Calling all retro gaming enthusiasts and Raspberry Pi tinkerers! The Waveshare Game HAT is a fantastic way to transform your Raspberry Pi into a classic handheld gaming console. Here’s why it deserves a spot in your retro revival kit:**Classic Console Experience in a Modern Package:**The Game HAT boasts a gorgeous 3.5-inch IPS display with a crisp 480×320 resolution, ensuring smooth gameplay for your favorite retro titles. The integrated speaker and headphone jack deliver that familiar retro audio experience, completing the immersive feel.**Power and Play (with a Tiny Battery):**The Game HAT draws power directly from your Raspberry Pi, eliminating the need for an external power source. While the 18650 lithium battery (not included) enables some on-the-go gaming, keep in mind its capacity might limit extended unplugged sessions.**Easy Assembly, Endless Fun:**Setting up the Game HAT is a breeze. Simply connect it to your Raspberry Pi using the included GPIO pins, and you’re ready to load your favorite emulators and ROMs. The included buttons and joystick provide a comfortable and responsive control scheme, perfectly suited for classic arcade and console titles.**A Note on Software Setup:**While the hardware setup is straightforward, installing the necessary emulators and ROMs requires some technical know-how. Thankfully, there are many online tutorials and resources dedicated to setting up Raspberry Pi for retro gaming, making it easier to navigate the software side of things.**The Verdict: A Fun and Functional Retro Fix**The Waveshare Game HAT is a winning combination of classic console nostalgia and modern tech. The sharp display, comfortable controls, and ease of assembly make it a great option for gamers who want to relive their retro favorites on a portable platform. With a little software tinkering, you can have a treasure trove of classic games at your fingertips. Just remember to factor in the need for a separate battery and a bit of technical know-how for software setup.

It works as advertised (just don’t update the OS and you’re good to go)
SO… I bought one of these things because,, after exhausting all fo my other options, it seemed THE ONLY WAY to get a 3.5″ HDMI IPS LCD display at an ALMOST reasonable price (under $40).. And, while the screen is every bit as good as I’d hoped it would be; Waveshare had to go and use almost the ENTIRE GPIO HEADER for their buttons and knobs! Could they have accomplished the same with a 14 cent micro controller over USB like EVERYONE ELSE on the planet? YES!! Did they do that? NO!!! Why??? Because they wanted this thing to be an expose’ on how to make something functional (if not practical) out of one of those cheap electronics kits they sell on EBAY (and Amazon).So.. in order to access the remainig 5 unused GPIO pins, I have to do micro surgery on both the Pi AND the Game Hat. Do I possess the skills and/or equipment to pull that off? PROBABLY NOT!!! Oh.. and.. updating the operating system overwrites the driver for all of those fancy buttons and knobs (because no micro-controller)… which is what I did just before going to bed last night… YAY! .. Now I get to waste YET ANOTHER DAY installing Linux!!FWIW, if you purchase one of these to use solely as intended (gaming on RetroPi, without ever going on the internet), then I guess it’s a decent value for the money. I really can’t vouch for that, as I’m not a gamer, and I bought this purely out of frustration, after burning out much of my existing industrial overstock currently marketed as Raspberry Pi accessories.Note to any old-time techies: If you just happen to have a warehouse full of old 40-pin IDE hard drive cables (like we did, back in the day), you can sell them on Amazon as GPIO expansion cables.. Those go anywhere from $8 $16 a piece. That’s like a 30-60,000% markup! Say WHAT??? You shipped them all to China, just to get rid of them??!! That’ll teach ya!!

I LOVE IT!
I love this thing! It’s easy to assemble, and works exactly as expected. It’s a great little portable enclosure for your Pi. The buttons are a bit clicky, but they work well. You will need to download the drivers from their website to get the controls and the screen to work properly, but it’s easy. There are plenty of videos on YouTube showing you how to assemble this product, I recommend watching those before you attempt to assemble it. The manufactures website also has very good, easy to follow directions.

Sie Verarbeitung ist gut. Die Schrauben dürften aber einen Millimeter länger sein.Leider liegt kein Link oder eine kleine Anleitung bei. Man muss erst mal nach einer passenden Anleitung bei Waveshare suchen.Die auf Github funktioniert nicht!Kompatibel mit Rasbberry 1b,2,3,4 und 5! den 5er würde ich nicht empfehlen, da er im vergleich zu den Vorgängern mehr Strom benötigt.Als es dann mal aufgesetzt war, ging alles sehr schnell.Die Trigger sind sehr spielerisch und ich werde mir auf dem 3D Drucker ein Paar bessere herstellen.Es liegt ganz ok in der Hand, aber ich würde ein Gehäuse empfehlen das etwas ergonomischer in den Händen liegt.Alles in allem ein nettes Spielzeug das man sicher auch noch für andere Sachen verwenden kann.Ich werde meinen GameHat umbauen, damit ich ihn mit einer großen LiPo Zelle verwenden kann.So kommen auch ein paar Stunden mehr raus.Alles in allem gut.

Es un producto muy interesante ya que convierte tu computadora Raspberry PI en una videoConsola portátil.Quizá sea un poco tedioso tener que instalar RetroPie (Si es que usas Recalbox), pero al fin de cuentas vale la pena migrar a RetroPie para poder usarla.Quizá le falta más ayuda (soporte), por ejemplo; la información que brinda el sitio web del fabricante es muy deficiente. Por ejemplo no especifica si puedes adaptar una batería de mayor amperaje hora. Yo lo tengo funcionando con una batería 18650 de 3.7V y 3000 MaH. Esa es la recomendada. En este caso el consumo de batería esta muy bien optimizado (2 a 3 horas seguidas). Pero nunca sobran unos cuantos MaH más.Los botones son incómodos (Sobretodo R y L), pero terminas adaptándote. Los botones de configuración (Subir y bajar volumen, ajustar el brillo, etc) son muy incómodos y poco intuitivos, pero una vez configurado a tu gusto, pocas veces requiere modificarlo.En cuestión de sonido es muy buena, la calidad es excelente y el volumen hasta sale sobrando.En general es un excelente producto a un costo no tan accesible. Pero si ya tienes la Raspberry PI y quieres convertirla en videoConsola portátil, este producto es una buena opción.