This Keychain-Sized OLED Display Plays Vintage Video Games

Kids today may never learn to appreciate how far technology has come in such a short time. They’ll never know the struggles of rewinding VHS tapes before returning them to Blockbuster, and video games can now be downloaded straight to their mobile phones instead of taking a trip to the video arcade for every quick gaming fix.

For a maker known only as “Bob,” recreating that vintage arcade experience in a pocket-sized device was reason enough to pay homage to the classic video games of yesteryear in a modern(ish) package.

The KeebCard is his pocket-sized device for playing vintage games including  Pong and Snake. Using just three mechanical keyboard switches and an ATTINY85 microcontroller, users can control the games on its tiny 128×32 OLED display.

Though you definitely need good eyesight or a good pair of eyeglasses to view a screen the size of your finger, the Keebcard definitely works and can be carried in your pocket provided you don’t accidentally sit on it.

The device runs on a single watch battery located at the back and is based on one of Bob’s older business card ideas. By inserting a watch battery in the front slot, you could play Tetris by holding his card vertically and using the keys to change the positions of the falling blocks. After refining the idea and changing the design, the Keebcard was born.

Sadly, this particular Keebcard is just a prototype and isn’t for sale… yet. But Bob plans on releasing a series of DIY soldering kits which should make assembling a Keebcard of your own much easier. We’ll be sure to update you when it happens!

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