GameCube modding
Though a few of our favourite basic/retro consoles are actually a couple of many years outdated, there are numerous builders and lovers who work to maintain them functioning. One main drawback is the truth that new video games merely aren’t bought anymore for consoles older than the present technology, and this could result in shortages as the prevailing bodily media breaks down. Whereas there are methods to emulate video games on different, trendy {hardware} or sideload the sport knowledge by way of one other type of media, they typically take away the necessity for the unique console or contain difficult and/or dangerous soldering.
The FlippyDrive, designed and constructed by Trevor (trevor403) and Chris (ChrisPVille), is a tiny different to invasive modifications that not solely requires zero soldering to put in, but in addition permits for the usage of the unique optical drive relatively than changing it. Operating the cuberoot software, the machine is ready to shortly load recreation ROMs from an connected SD card and talk with exterior gadgets wirelessly due to its onboard chipset.
What can it do?
The FlippyDrive is supposed to enhance the prevailing capabilities of the GameCube’s {hardware}. When working usually, it’s going to current the person with an on-screen menu crammed with all of the video games discovered on the microSD card, in addition to a menu for configuring further choices. Past working video games on the native GameCube processor and GPU, it might load different video games over Wi-Fi from a secondary PC and can quickly have assist for wi-fi controllers by way of Bluetooth.
The {hardware}
Making this wealthy characteristic set doable is the duo of commodity chips that may be discovered in all places: an ESP32 and a Raspberry Pi RP2040, which is identical IC because the Pico. The RP2040 is liable for working the cubeboot firmware, because it handles communication with the SD card, transmitting knowledge to the GameCube, and speaking to the ESP32 wi-fi co-processor. On the prime of the PCB is the built-in hint antenna, and that is adjoining to the Micro USB port and the microSD card slot under.
As a result of the FlippyDrive requires no soldering, getting it arrange in a GameCube console is very simple. All one has to do is place the versatile PCB contained in the optical drive connector after which plug within the different finish to the machine. This permits the info from the optical drive to be learn by the FlippyDrive for both copying recreation recordsdata to the microSD card or bypassing the module fully.
Further data
To take a deeper dive on the FlippyDrive, you may go to its documentation web page right here on its web site or watch this video by Macho Nacho Productions the place he explores the main points of getting it arrange and working on his personal GameCube.