- BitBoy One from Ordz Games promises a play-to-earn (P2E) mechanic that will allow users to earn Bitcoin (BTC) as they play retro games.
- The device also functions as a cryptocurrency wallet and a mining tool.
- With an expected $500 price tag, is it worth it?
Introducing the BitBoy One that will Let Players Earn Bitcoin
Ordz Games, a retro-gaming platform, just revealed its plan to release a handheld console that will let users earn Bitcoin as they play games during the Hong Kong Web3 Gaming Expo on April 5. The new device will be called BitBoy One.
Those familiar with old handheld gaming consoles may get a bit of nostalgia with the BitBoy One because of its resemblance to the Nintendo Gameboy released in 1989. However, Ordz Games has taken some liberties with its design to give it an orange see-through shell replicating the popular logo of Bitcoin.
According to its maker, BitBoy One doubles as a cryptocurrency miner and a wallet with Xverse and Unisat support, too. It comes with the RockChip RK3566 processor introduced in 2020 for Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT) devices and e-link tablets like the Lenovo Smart Paper. The portable console is also fitted with a 3.45-inch 640×480 screen to provide a pretty decent resolution for 3D retro games.
Other features include a 32GB internal memory, 256GB TransFlash (TF) storage card, and 4GB RAM. Meanwhile, it is capable of lasting up to six hours with its 3,500 mAh battery at full charge.
Don’t expect too much when it comes to game choices though because its emulator can only run up to Playstation 1 titles. But then again, it’s the games supported by Ordz Games that will truly matter here because players can earn Bitcoin from them. The off-chain emulation platform of the developer allows tracking of the players’ progress and it is synced with the cloud whenever online so the corresponding rewards in tokens or NFTs can be claimed.
Release Date and Pricing
There’s no official timeframe for the release of the BitBoy and its pricing is yet to be announced. However, it’s hinted to be around $500.
Some things aren’t clear about the type of rewards the handheld console will offer players also. Our bet is that they could come in BRC-20 tokens or Ordinals based on the Bitcoin blockchain.
Is It Worth It?
BitBoy One’s pseudonymous developer, z3th, admitted that the mining power of the device is “very, very weak.” In fact, if one uses it solely for Bitcoin mining, it could take years to do so. Nevertheless, the person behind the portable console ensured it would be fun to play its selection of games.
“This device is very deeply rooted inside of Bitcoin,” z3th described their creation. “So the whole design language, the naming, is Bitcoin.”
“It’s all going to come with a 3D rendering of the physical device, which will be in an ordinal,” the developer added.