Key findings
- Raspberry Pis can bring old hardware to life by replicating functionality using their small size and retro emulation features.
- Raspberry Pis are used to create cool retro projects by recreating old hardware in smaller or larger sizes using 3D printers.
- While they're not identical to real hardware, Raspberry Pis are a cost-effective way to revive retro technology through creative projects.
Part of the appeal of the Raspberry Pi is that you can use it in a ton of different projects. And while we'd be here all day discussing every way we can put these little SBCs to good use, what I particularly like is that they're ideal for bringing old hardware back into the modern age.
Raspberry Pis may not be very powerful, but they're powerful enough to handle old operating systems and computer programs from the past. And because they're so small, you can sneak them into a shell and let them do their thing without anyone noticing. For this reason, I want to take the time to explore the different ways in which a Raspberry Pi has brought retro hardware into the modern era.
Fill in the missing spaces
To show what I mean, here is a cool project that a Redditor in the Raspberry Pi subreddit did. He had the case of a PS1 and wanted to get as many components working again as possible with “[the] minimal visible change.” Even though the exterior is designed to look like an authentic PS1, the interior is completely different.
The developer, MrNiceThings, has been working on recreating the functions of the PS1 using a Raspberry Pi, including reading data from a hard drive and handling the controller ports for input. The small size of the Raspberry Pi really comes into its own in this project, as it allows MrNiceThings to fit everything inside the case without anything sticking out or being wired up awkwardly. It's a fantastic way to combine authenticity with the sacrifices that have to be made to bring old tech into the modern age.
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From a broken shell to a fully playable system
In an ideal world, people refurbishing old hardware would have spare parts on hand. However, as the years go by, it becomes increasingly impractical to replace hardware with legitimate spare parts from the era, so some people draw the line at using modern hardware to do work that is either not doable or impossible with legitimate hardware.
Such was the case with Jeff Geerling, who took a broken Sega Game Gear and revved it up with new Pi hardware. He had to make some sacrifices along the way. For example, this new Raspberry Pi Game Gear can't run physical copies of games and relies on emulation. The front buttons and power indicator work, though, and when things look so authentic, it's easy to overlook the fact that you can't use your collection of real games on it. Still, I bet someone could add this feature if they wanted to.
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3 Tiny (or huge) versions of old hardware are constantly being produced
Not quite authentic, but definitely cool
Okay, so this isn't exactly reviving old hardware, and you can call me a cheater all you want. However, I can't discuss this topic without highlighting the cool retro projects people are doing with their Pis – especially given that 3D printers work so well with the tiny SBC.
We've seen plenty of projects where people recreate the look and feel of old hardware using a 3D printer and Pi, like this fake TRS-90 replica. Some people take advantage of the Raspberry Pi's tiny size to make small versions of legendary hardware, like a 286 PC, a small Dell PC with a Windows XP-like operating system, and a really small Game Boy that actually fits in your pocket. And then there are those who go the other way and make even bigger versions of legendary hardware, like the Gameboy XL.
While these projects don't feature authentic hardware, it's still an amazing way to bring the past into the present, and I'd love to see more projects like this.
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A good piece of nostalgic Pi
While it always feels best to use the right hardware, sometimes you have to make a compromise somewhere. Luckily, the Raspberry Pi is so good at retro emulation that you can squeeze it into a case and recreate the real thing. You can even let your imagination run wild and use a 3D printer to recreate legendary hardware that defined the computers that got us to where we are today.
So next time you're thinking about reviving retro hardware, give the Pi a chance. Of course, it's not the same as using native hardware, but on the other hand, a board costs about $5. That's a lot cheaper than trying to find a used motherboard that still works.