Raspberry Pi CM4 Used in Custom Nintendo Switch Lite Replica

The small form factor and processing power of the Raspberry Pi CM4 has made it a go-to choice for many developers looking to create custom handheld consoles. Today we’ve got another impressive CM4-powered handheld to share, this one created by maker known as StonedEdge. After a year of designing and building, they and a friend have managed to create a Nintendo Switch Lite replica featuring a CM4 that runs RetroPie called the RetroLite CM4.

As of right now, the project is not open source, but the makers have taken it under consideration for the future. Until then, curious parties are still welcome to get a close look at the build process and internal components should they seek to create something similar of their own.

The details of the project, as researched by Gareth Halfacree for hackster.io see the CM4 outputting video to a 5.5-inch LCD IPS screen housed inside of a custom aluminum shell. According to StonedEdge, the housing was designed in Solidworks. It has built-in speakers for audio output and working controls that resemble those on the Switch Lite.

Some of the best Raspberry Pi projects we've come across can be taken with you. Because this is a handheld console, portability is a must!. StonedEdge is using a 4000 mAh Lithium Polymer battery to keep things charged.

There are additional modules used throughout the design, details of which can be found in this Raspberry Pi forum post. This thread is a neat snippet into the timeline of the build process but you can find more recent pictures at Reddit. Be sure to follow StonedEdge for more updates on this project and any future Raspberry Pi creations.

Ash Hill
Contributing Writer

Ash Hill is a contributing writer for Tom's Hardware with a wealth of experience in the hobby electronics, 3D printing and PCs. She manages the Pi projects of the month and much of our daily Raspberry Pi reporting while also finding the best coupons and deals on all tech.

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  • Howardohyea
    interesting project, honestly interesting, but I remember there's another project based on a Pi 3, resembles a handheld, and is actually commercially available.

    What I'm concerned about with those projects is the processing power and compatible games. You can't run the newest game releases, even if it's light enough to run on the Pi.
    Reply
  • Mpablo87
    Really Promising!!!
    Reply