LYRA is a Pi-powered retro-gaming handheld and pocket PC you can build from a kit (or not)

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You can stuff an Android blower full of retro-gaming emulators, but the playing experience is going to be rubbish on a slippy glass screen. Enter LYRA, (from £149) – an equally pocketable but far more palatable way to enjoy the classics. In using a Raspberry Pi CM3L, it should be closer in performance terms to Picade than the slew of Pi Zero (and similar) handhelds knocking around. And it’s easy on the eyes and digits, with a 5in 800×480 display, D-pad, four face buttons, and a pair of triggers. HDMI out is there for telly antics or personal computing, and you can save 30 quid by building the thing yourself. Although be mindful that way means you’re almost certain to get a speck of dust behind the display that’ll nag you until the end of your days.

About

I’m a regular contributor to Stuff magazine and Stuff.tv, covering apps, games, Apple kit, Android, Lego, retro gaming and other interesting oddities. I also pen opinion pieces when the editor lets me, getting all serious about accessibility and predicting when sentient AI smart cookware will take over the world, in a terrifying mix of Bake Off and Terminator.

Areas of expertise

Mobile apps and games, Macs, iOS and tvOS devices, Android, retro games, crowdfunding, design, how to fight off an enraged smart saucepan with a massive stick.