The Legend of Arduboy

A story for the ages

Time flies if you’re having fun, Arduboy turns 11 this year! It’s exciting to see new people discover Arduboy and some of those people… are kids of people who supported the first Kickstarter! If you haven’t already seen what we’ve been up to before 2020, read this post about the Arduboy History first.

Arduboy Mini - December 2022

If the original Arduboy proved that a credit-card sized game system was possible, Arduboy Mini asked a different question: How small can it reasonably get and still be joyful to use?

The Arduboy Mini distilled the platform down to its essentials ,the same 8-bit spirit, the same open-source game ecosystem, but in an even more compact form factor. Designed to be ultra portable and affordable, Mini lowered the barrier to entry for new players and developers alike.

It retained compatibility with the growing library of Arduboy games while refining the hardware footprint and manufacturing process. The Mini wasn’t about replacing the classic Arduboy, it was about broadening access. It proved that the platform wasn’t frozen in time, but adaptable.

Arduboy FX Special Edition - November 2023

The Arduboy FX had already transformed the user experience by allowing hundreds of games to live onboard without requiring a PC to reflash between titles. But the Special Edition took that idea and layered in something more meaningful: celebration.

Building on the spirit of the 2017 Special Edition, this release highlighted the strength of the developer community that had quietly grown into one of the most prolific micro-console ecosystems anywhere. Custom box art was designed featuring the most popular games on the Arduboy platform. Proceeds from the sales were split with developers.

It reinforced a core truth about Arduboy: The hardware may be tiny, but the software creativity is enormous.

Arduboy Kit - July 2024

From the very beginning, Arduboy was about learning. It was born from learning how to design PCBs and program microcontrollers. So it felt inevitable that the next chapter would return to that origin.

The Arduboy Kit was designed not just as a game system, but as an invitation. Created for the 2024 HOPE conference, the kit encouraged students of a classroom to learn to solder and program their own 8-bit game system.

Arduboy FX-C - November 2025

If FX was about convenience, FX-C was about evolution. The Arduboy FX-C introduced a modernized hardware revision while preserving compatibility with the vast Arduboy game library. Built around updated components and refined manufacturing processes, FX-C represents the most mature iteration of the platform to date.

USB-C replaces legacy connectors. Power management improved. Multiplayer connectivity evolved.

It is still unmistakably an Arduboy, the same monochrome display, the same 8-bit charm, but engineered with over a decade of lessons learned in manufacturing, certification, and community feedback.

The FX-C demonstrates something powerful: Arduboy is not a one-off novelty. It is a living platform.