DIY builder shrinks Atari 2600 to half size — and it's all original hardware, no emulation

A hardware enthusiast known as has taken on an unusual retro-gaming challenge: miniaturizing the classic Atari 2600 console while keeping its original chipset intact. The project imagines what a handheld Atari from the company's golden era might have looked like — long before the ill-fated Atari Lynx tried to compete with Nintendo's Game Boy.

Unlike modern emulators, which can run Atari 2600 games on virtually any device, this build relies on actual original hardware. replaced the bulky switches and buttons with smaller modern equivalents and removed components that are no longer necessary, such as the RF modulator, which is irrelevant for today's displays. He designed a custom PCB that drastically reduces the overall footprint and relocated the cartridge port to anticipate the console's eventual handheld form factor.

The result is a fully functional Atari 2600 that takes up less than half the space of the original. According to , no original consoles were harmed in the process — all parts used are either new old stock or custom-made replacements. This is important given that around 30 million Atari 2600 units were sold, and the system remains a common collector's item.

The current build is just a stepping stone. The ultimate goal is to integrate a screen, controls, and a cartridge slot into a single portable device. For now, the project demonstrates that even in the age of software emulation, it is possible to preserve the authenticity of original hardware in a much smaller package. The creator plans to continue refining the design until the handheld version is complete.