🎮

ConsoleHub

Your Gateway to Retro Gaming Reviews

32blit

32blit by Pimoroni, Horizontal retro handheld, running Open source firmware, powered by STMicroelectronics STM32H750, with a 3.5 inch display, priced around 117...

Share This Console

Copy or share this page.

32blit
View more photos
32blit
32blit
32blit
32blit
32blit
32blit
32blit
32blit
32blit
32blit
32blit
32blit
32blit
32blit
32blit
32blit
32blit
32blit
32blit
32blit
32blit
32blit
32blit

Specifications

  • Brand: Pimoroni
  • Release Date: 2019 / 07
  • Price: 117.0
  • Form Factor: Horizontal
  • OS: Open source firmware

Where To Buy

Marketplace rows use affiliate-friendly links where available. Average price stays based on the console database, not live per-store pricing.

Store Price
Kickstarter
Generated from spreadsheet vendor label
117.0
Amazon
Amazon search results
117.0
AliExpress
AliExpress search results
117.0

Affiliate disclosure and terms are linked in the footer.

Pimoroni 32blit review: the data-backed case for putting it on your radar

Niche but interesting fit

32blit is more compelling when you judge it by role, not hype: what it can emulate comfortably, how it should feel in the hand, what it costs, and which nearby alternatives keep it honest.

32blit becomes easier to understand once you frame it as a role player in the handheld market rather than a generic bucket of specs.

Best For

  • Shoppers who want a focused retro machine with a clear role.
  • Designed around a horizontal handheld shape.

Why It Hooks You

  • IPS display story helps define the vibe.
  • Current price context is 117.0.

Watch Outs

  • Price, underpowered, no shoulder buttons, no headphone jack, homebrew only

Spec Snapshot

Before the review gets opinionated, here is the clean spec picture. This table is the reality check that keeps the rest of the write-up grounded.

CategoryDetails
BrandPimoroni
Release2019 / 07
Form factorHorizontal
Operating systemOpen source firmware
Overall performance0
SoCSTMicroelectronics STM32H750
CPUCortex-M7, 1 Core, and 480 MHz
GPUChrom-ART Accelerator
RAM1 MB SRAM
Display3.5 inch, IPS, and 60 Hz
Resolution320 x 240, 4:3, and 114.29 PPI
Battery and cooling1200 mAh
Storage and I/OInternal 32 MB and Micro USB
Price117.0

If this review pulls you in, the fastest next rabbit hole is Digi RetroBoy and PicoSystem, because those are the products most likely to clarify whether 32blit is your real match or just your current curiosity.

The Buyer Profile

32blit is best framed as a machine for shoppers who want a focused retro machine with a clear role. That may sound obvious, but it is the difference between buying a handheld that becomes a habit and one that turns into a drawer resident.

The horizontal shape matters here because it changes comfort, portability, and the kind of nostalgia the device leans into. The fact that it runs Open source firmware also affects what kind of setup work, app ecosystem, and tinkering ceiling buyers should expect.

The release timing listed as 2019 / 07 helps place it in context. A handheld can be exciting because it is current, but it can also be relevant because it still makes sense at today's street price.

Daily Use, Portability, and The Physical Reality

32blit is described with battery: 1200 mAh. Those are not background details; they shape noise, comfort, endurance, and whether the device feels eager to be used or mildly exhausting to keep fed. Audio is covered by Single Mono Rear facing, which matters for sofa play, travel, and late-night sessions when speakers and headphone output can quietly make or break the experience.

Physically, the device is outlined by 150 mm x 65 mm x 14 mm, 250.0, Plastic, and Black. This is where you start picturing whether it is truly pocketable, only jacket-safe, or clearly a bag companion. The best portable devices earn their place in a routine. They are easy to reach for, easy to trust, and easy to put back down without feeling delicate.

The practical I/O story includes Internal 32 MB, Bluetooth, WiFi, and Micro USB. These details matter because many retro buyers are also collectors, tinkerers, dock-and-TV players, or people with large libraries that need sensible storage and transfer options.

Where The Hardware Should Hold Up

The heart of the machine is the STMicroelectronics STM32H750. CPU duties are handled by Cortex-M7. Graphics are handled by Chrom-ART Accelerator. Memory is listed at 1 MB SRAM.

The CPU side is described with 1 Core, 1 Thread, and 480 MHz, which is more useful than brand names alone because it hints at how much headroom the handheld should have before emulator tuning gets annoying. On the graphics side, ARM helps sketch the ceiling for heavier systems, upscale experiments, and shader curiosity.

32blit does not arrive with a long list of comfortable A and B grades, which makes it more important to judge it as a focused tool instead of a universal answer. The listed emulation limit, Homebrew games only, is the kind of line buyers should actually respect because it tells you where the romance ends and the compromise begins.

If there is a weakness here, it is not necessarily fatal. It simply means the smartest pitch for this handheld is often the honest one: let it own the systems it handles confidently and do not pretend it is built to brute-force every wish list.

If You Are Comparing It To Nearby Rivals

ConsoleAnglePricePerformanceWhy Click Through
Digi RetroBoy
Digiretro
More Powerful104.0⭐️⭐️horizontal layout, tracked around 104.0, rated ⭐️⭐️.
PicoSystem
Pimoroni
More Powerful£58.50 ($79.90)<⭐️horizontal layout, tracked around £58.50 ($79.90), rated <⭐️.
Retroid Pocket 3
Retroid / Moorechip
More Powerful$120 (2 GB RAM) $130 (3 GB RAM)horizontal layout, tracked around $120 (2 GB RAM) $130 (3 GB RAM), rated ?¼.
RG-350M
Anbernic
More Powerful130.0⭐️⭐️⭐️horizontal layout, tracked around 130.0, rated ⭐️⭐️⭐️.

32blit becomes much easier to judge once it is forced into the same room as Digi RetroBoy, PicoSystem, and Retroid Pocket 3. This is where a vague impression turns into a real buying decision, because each nearby rival throws a different kind of pressure on the table.

32blit versus Digi RetroBoy is interesting because more powerful is the obvious angle. Compared with 32blit, Digi RetroBoy makes the more obvious play for readers who care about more powerful. Digi RetroBoy is tracked around 104.0. Its overall rating is ⭐️⭐️. 32blit versus PicoSystem is interesting because more powerful is the obvious angle. From another angle, compared with 32blit, PicoSystem makes the more obvious play for readers who care about more powerful. PicoSystem is tracked around £58.50 ($79.90). In practice, its overall rating is <⭐️. 32blit versus Retroid Pocket 3 is interesting because more powerful is the obvious angle. If 32blit feels almost right but not quite, Retroid Pocket 3 is the sort of nearby detour that can completely change the shortlist. Retroid Pocket 3 is tracked around $120 (2 GB RAM) $130 (3 GB RAM). That said, its overall rating is ?¼.

Comparison is the antidote to spec-sheet hypnosis. Once you stack the neighbors side by side, you stop asking which one is objectively best and start asking which one is best for your habits.

Where The Value Story Gets Real

32blit is currently tracked around 117.0 and lands in the $100 - $150 pricing band. Price does not just change whether a device feels affordable. It changes what kinds of flaws buyers are willing to forgive.

The spreadsheet points shoppers toward Kickstarter for availability. That matters because storefront quality, shipping confidence, and after-sales expectations often shape the emotional experience of a purchase before the box even arrives.

The tradeoffs are not buried, either: the sheet flags price, underpowered, no shoulder buttons, no headphone jack, homebrew only. Good buying advice is not about pretending the downsides do not exist; it is about deciding whether the downsides land in the part of the experience you personally care about.

What It Should Feel Like In Hand

32blit pairs the hardware with 3.5 inch, IPS, 60 Hz, 320 x 240, 4:3, and 114.29 PPI. That is the kind of detail stack retro buyers should linger on, because a handheld can be technically capable and still feel wrong if the aspect ratio, sharpness, and scaling story are off. The screen protection is listed as None (Protector only), a small clue that often hints at how polished or rough the front face might feel in daily use.

The controls are described with Cross Lower placement, Single thumbstick Upper placement, and 4 Buttons. That matters more than many spec sheets admit, because the difference between a fun handheld and a fatiguing one often shows up in the D-pad, shoulder shape, and how naturally the thumbs settle into place. A device can run a game and still fail the vibe test if the controls feel like an afterthought.

The 4:3 aspect ratio adds another layer to the story. Retro gaming screens are never neutral. They reward some libraries, punish others, and always whisper a preference about how the device expects to be used.

Final Verdict

32blit leaves the strongest impression when you frame it as a recommendation for shoppers who want a focused retro machine with a clear role. That is also what turns the buying advice from noise into something useful.

Niche but interesting fit is not just a catchy label here. It is the cleanest shorthand for why this device deserves attention. The practical feature mix still gives it a recognizable lane. The main caution remains price, underpowered, no shoulder buttons, no headphone jack, homebrew only.

If the device sparks your interest, the smartest next click is usually Digi RetroBoy, followed by PicoSystem, because that is where the shape of the market around it comes into focus. The point is not to stop the reader from exploring. It is to make every next click smarter.

Playable Games

Games shown here match systems this handheld can run at a B grade or better.

No synced games available for this console yet.