Handheld Game Console

So, I had this old "chinesium" handheld game console that my kids loved, but the BP-5L battery in it always made me a bit nervous – you know, the stories about them puffing up and being a fire risk? Not exactly something I wanted around the little ones.

Plus, disaster struck when the micro USB charging port got snapped off by tiny hands. That's when I decided enough was enough and a change was needed!

This project is all about giving that old console a new, safer lease on life by ditching the BP-5L for good old AA batteries. Now it's powered by something I feel much better about, and no more fiddly charging ports to worry about! Note that if your charging port is not snapped off, you might need to make sure you don't charge it after you make the change to AA batteries.

What you get here:

• A 3D-printable case: Designed from scratch in Fusion 360, based on the original but with extra room for my custom-designed parametric AA / AAA battery case
• New buttons: Because why not make them fresh too?
• A way to use AA batteries: Finally! No more dodgy BP-5L.
• A screen protector: Just laminate a pouch (more on that below).

Heads up though:

• You'll need to know your way around a soldering iron. This isn't a snap-fit job.
• I'm not giving a step-by-step on taking the original console apart – if you've done that before, you'll be fine putting it back together in this new case.
• My battery holder design will need a little wiring to work – instructions are in the original model
• For the screen protector, I just laminated a pouch. Works a treat and keeps the screen safe (up to 1.5mm thick film). You can also reuse the screen protector of the donor. It comes off quite easily and I've trimmed it to size (to fit on the inside of the case) with a pair of scissors.

Basically, I took all the guts from the original console – the screen, the motherboard, the speaker, the button pads – and gave them a safer, more practical home. Hope you find it useful too!

What you'll need (aka the bits and bobs):

• The 3D-printed case (two halves)
• The 3D-printed buttons
• My 3D-printed AA battery case
• 2 x AA batteries
• Some wire for the battery holder 
• Solder and a soldering iron
• A laminating pouch for the screen protector (max 1.5mm thickness) - OPTIONAL

• Your original handheld game console (the donor!)