This Crypto-Mining Handheld Makes Me Want To Rage Quit
We’ve finally gone too far with the Game Boy remakes.
We’re not sure who asked for a Game Boy clone that could farm cryptocurrency, but here we are. Ordz Games BitBoy One gaming handheld was unveiled during a Web3 Gaming Expo in Hong Kong, and while it may look and play like many of the current Game Boy clones out there, there’s actually a crypto twist.
The key difference between the BitBoy One and other handhelds is that it earns you cryptocurrency on the Ordz Games’ platform while the device is running. The company is seemingly targeting a very specific intersection of retro handheld gamers who are also invested in cryptocurrency. Good luck!
Mine As You Play
The BitBoy One lets you passively earn points and “farm airdrops” for Ordz Games’ platform, which follows and play-and-earn model that gives you ORDG tokens. You can trade your hard-earned ORDG tokens for Bitcoin, but the device itself isn’t packing enough specs to straight up mine cryptocurrency.
From the hardware perspective, the BitBoy One isn’t too impressive. According to Decrypt, the handheld is packing a RockChip RK3566 processor, 32GB of storage, and 4GB of RAM. Ordz Games says in a press release that its handheld should handle any retro game that was released before the PlayStation 1 era. The BitBoy One also runs off a 3,500 mAh battery and Ordz Games included a TF card slot to expand your storage. Thanks to Bluetooth and Wi-Fi compatibility, you can even do multiplayer games or MMORPGs on the BitBoy One.
Still, if you’re actually interested in this questionable handheld, you’re most likely looking at this for the crypto side. Ordz Games knows that, since the BitBoy One can also act as a hardware wallet. Plus, the BitBoy One can become an exact replica in the metaverse since there are instructions to make a one-to-one 3D rendering of the device in a headset like the Apple Vision Pro.
BitBoy may have made this rendering for April Fools’ Day, but the actual concept isn’t too far off.
Hard Pass For Me
Ordz Games already launched the BitBoy One, which is currently up for reservation on its website and scheduled for delivery later this year. It’s only available in the see-through orange colorway, which at least stays true to the retro look of the old-school Game Boy Colors. However, since it’s not any ol’ handheld, Decrypt says the BitBoy One could be as expensive as $500.
As good as this looks, you’re much better off going for any other Game Boy clone out there if you’re just looking for retro gaming. Even if you want to spend a few more bucks, the Analogue Pocket in transparent orange, feels like a much more practical option, especially if you don’t care about cryptocurrency.
