Thumby is the smallest Game Boy in the world

Always or almost always carrying a mobile phone in your pocket, the idea of carrying something as particular as Thumby does not seem to be very successful. Or maybe yes, because Thumby is not a simple portable game console, it is the smallest that you will be able to find. So much so that it can be said that it fits on the tip of one of your fingers.

The smallest “Game Boy” in the world

Thumby is the smallest Game Boy in the world

Attention, Thumby is one of those proposals that at first are not well understood and it is logical that this is the case, because we are talking about a console so small that it seems even ridiculous to want to create something like that. Because it is basically the size of an adult person’s fingertip.

It is, as we say, very very small. Even so, it is a fully functional device and you can play several available titles. Five retro games to be exact are the ones that come preloaded with the tiny console. Or they will come, because it is now when the first units have begun to be sent to the users who supported the project early and in 2022 it will be when it will do so for the rest of the contributors.

Returning to Thumby, the device is as you see it in pictures. Small truth? Much, although its dimensions are not what makes it attractive but the resemblance to the classic Nintendo portable console, the Game Boy.

It could be said that it is the smallest Game Boy that has been created and that, in addition, it is fully functional. Both the crosshead or D-Pad and the two buttons allow you to fulfill your comment when playing games on its also tiny OLED screen. Although to play, better something like GPi Case.

Thumby hardware and software

Thumby is a small laptop that has very very small hardware inside. Even so, it is fully functional and is not limited to the five games that it incorporates as standard, it also gives the option of creating new titles.

Thumby’s technical specifications are:

  • Dimensions of 2.95 x 1.8 x 0.3 cm, basically like the fingertip
  • 72 x 40 pixel OLED display
  • D-Pad plus two action buttons
  • Raspberry Pi RP2040 processor
  • 2 MB storage memory
  • Micro USB connector for multi-user play and charging
  • 40 mAh battery with approximate autonomy of 2 hours

As you can see, the hardware is interesting to have from the dimensions of the product. And it is almost that smaller than the HDMI connector of many cables that we use daily with our Smart TVs, consoles or other devices and multimedia players.

Of course, the most interesting thing for some will be the possibility of having a potion to program what interests you, as long as you have enough knowledge for it. The advantage is that the MicroPython programming language is easy to learn. So if you want to create your own version you can start doing it.

Regarding the games included as standard, we have five:

  • TinyBlocks, a classic puzzle game
  • Space Debris, a space shooter game like the popular asteroids
  • Annelid, a snake game in which you will have to collect food to make them grow
  • Delver, another dungeon adventure game, in which you collect and buy weapons, fight monsters, etc.
  • Saur Run, the last one, here you are a little dinosaur that runs and jumps

As an interesting fact, through a Micro USB to Micro USB cable you can play user against user in those games that have multiplayer. An eye-catching option that is even more reminiscent of the original Game Boy with the Game Link cable.

How to get a Thumby

We have already commented that Thumby is a project that was born on Kickstarter and where it already achieved the minimum financing they were looking for for its manufacture. So you can buy one through that Kickstarter page or wait for it to reach stores where they usually sell this type of product.

One way or another, they won’t start shipping until early 2022 . Now it is those who first supported the product who will receive them. So you will have to be patient. Of course, we understand that it may not be like that, because it is one of those things that you would like to have already. Although playing with these tiny controls and buttons should not be easy for most users.