Grab & Go Gaming in a Retail Gift Card Form Factor with Arcade Games Pre-Installed and a Raspberry Pi® squeezed inside
Grant Sinclair, inventor of the IRIS eTrike® and nephew of British innovator and ZX Spectrum inventor, Sir Clive Sinclair, today announces GamerCard®: an innovative Grab & Go gaming device that redefines portability. Uniquely engineered in the size and shape of a retail gift card—a format sold in the billions worldwide—making it perfectly pocket-sized and instantly recognizable. Powered by Raspberry Pi® with a Hi-resolution (254 PPI) 4” square IPS screen, GamerCard® comes preloaded with high-energy arcade-style games. GamerCard® is built for gamers who want to play anywhere—no packaging, no setup, just Grab & Go. It’s also a perfect fit for millions of Raspberry Pi® users worldwide, offering an instantly familiar, programmable platform with the freedom to customize, create, and expand. Whether you’re a gamer, maker, or coder, GamerCard® is ready when you are.
GamerCard® — A Pocket-Sized Powerhouse for Play and Creation
GamerCard® comes pre-loaded and ready to play straight off the peg, featuring two full multi-level action games originally launched by indie developers for the Nintendo Switch™ store—now exclusively adapted and optimised for the high-res square-screen GamerCard® experience. These are: Bloo Kid 2 a pixel-perfect action platformer, packed with challenging levels, swimming stages, and epic boss battles together with AstroBlaze DX a hypercharged rhythm-based space shooter bursting with neon thrills and upgrade mayhem. These aren’t just demos—they’re complete games fine-tuned to deliver instant on-the-go gaming.
GamerCard® is more than just a portable console—it’s an emulation powerhouse. Using popular apps like Recalbox, RetroPie and Lakka, GamerCard® has the capability to emulate* thousands of classic Arcade, Home-Console, PC and Handheld games from a treasure trove of gaming history. This makes it a perfect tool for exploring iconic game design, rediscovering retro classics and inspiring the next generation of creators. For aspiring developers GamerCard® is also fully compatible with PICO-8™ (sold separately)—the fantasy console for making, playing and sharing mini retro-style games. Its 1:1 square display is a perfect fit for PICO-8’s native resolution, delivering crisp pixel-perfect visuals. Whether in the edTech classroom or at home, students can code, create and play their own games within a single lesson, then upload them to PICO-8’s Splore browser to share with the world. GamerCard® also supports coding development in MicroPython, C, C++, BASIC, and more, it isn’t just about playing—it’s about creating, learning and being part of a global gaming community. For info regarding Pi emulation guidelines, see MagPi magazine*.
An eye-popping desktop launcher comes pre-installed, delivering fast, streamlined access to games and apps. Navigate effortlessly using the silicone control pads for a TV-remote-style snap-and-click experience with no touchscreen required. An anti-bacterial coating is used on all silicone navigation controls and buttons for extra hygiene (ideal for schools etc). A Pi® Game App will be pre-installed giving users fast track access to specially optimised Raspberry Pi® games, created/modified exclusively for GamerCard’s square screen format.
Next-Level Hardware Engineering: Inside the GamerCard® Revolution
Over 80% smaller and lighter than market-leading gaming handhelds, GamerCard® is a radical reimagining of portable gaming hardware, built around a patented next-generation PCB sandwich construction that replaces traditional body casings and eliminates wasteful manufacturing processes. By leveraging advanced electronics miniaturisation and a low component count, GamerCard® achieves an ultra-thin, ultra-light, and ultra-tough design—with no setup, no cables, and no packaging waste. Graphics are produced as part of the PCB production process (no printing), which sits above subtle traces of its electronic tracks.
The high-speed 4-inch square IPS display (720×720, 60fps) is protected by scratch-resistant sapphire glass and paired with dual silicone navigation discs including eight tactile snap-dome buttons, offering ultra-responsive control. High fidelity sub-miniature speakers and amps deliver immersive stereo sound. Powered by a 64-bit Raspberry Pi® Zero 2W with a Quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 processor (a heatsink radiator is included to dissipate heat, e.g when overclocking). GamerCard® delivers smooth retro gaming performance utilising 128GB of internal storage. The 1600mAh Li-Po rechargeable battery provides hours of gameplay. A built-in Qwiic® connector enables easy modification without opening the device and allows access to a wide plug-and-play ecosystem of sensors, displays, and modules from companies like SparkFun. Add other peripherals to USB-C® and HDMI™ ports to transform GamerCard® into a fully functioning Raspberry Pi-powered desktop PC.
Dimensions and Weight
Dimensions: Length: 128 mm. Width: 88 mm. Thickness: 6.5 mm. Weight: 100 grams.
Pricing and Availability
GamerCard® is available via grantsinclair.com for £125 and ships worldwide.
A Unique Product Inspired by a Legacy of Sinclair Innovation
“I conceived the idea for creating a gift card size gaming computer while browsing magazines in a WHSmith store, as I have since the 1980s. I was interested that Gift Cards are distributed in all categories of stores almost everywhere, usually positioned in prime location and selling in the billions of units – I thought this could be a really great way to make a computer available to the masses. WHSmith played an important role in the history of Sinclair as were the first UK high street retailer to sell personal computers, starting with the ZX81 in 1981, the first computer to ship 1 million units globally.” Grant Sinclair, Inventor.
GamerCard® draws inspiration from a remarkable lineage of world-first inventions created by Grant’s uncle, Sir Clive Sinclair. Clive’s groundbreaking innovations consistently set new benchmarks for portability, affordability, and simplicity. A selection of highlights from his back catalogue include:
- 1958 Micro Midget: World’s smallest radio (matchbox size)
- 1961 Micro-Amplifier: World’s smallest Hi-Fi amplifier (smaller than a coin)
- 1966 MicroVision: World’s first pocket television (2-inch screen, demoed on BBC TV)
- 1972 Executive: World’s first pocket calculator (ultra-thin at 9mm. World best seller)
- 1974 Scientific: World’s first low-cost scientific calculator (also sold as a kit)
- 1975 Black Watch: World’s first low-cost digital watch (also sold as a kit)
- 1977 Wrist Calculator: World’s first calculator digital watch kit
- 1978 Mk14: World’s first low-cost single-board computer (similar idea to Raspberry Pi)
- 1980 ZX80: World’s first home computer under £99 (world best seller)
- 1981 ZX81: World’s first home computer under £49 (world best seller)
- 1982 ZX Spectrum: First colour-and-sound computer under £125 (world best seller)
- 1983 Flat Screen Pocket TV: World’
- s first flat-screen TV (demoed on BBC TV in 1981)
- 1985 C5: World’s first lightweight electric vehicle (just 45 kg including battery)
- 1987 Z88: World’s first truly A4-size, lightweight notebook computer (weight 0.9 kg)
- 1988 Forum: UK’s first digital mobile phone (smallest and lightest at 143 g)
- 1989 Squish: World’s first Astra satellite receiver system (flat 60 cm dish)
- 1992 Zike: World’s first lightweight commercial eBike (under 11 kg)
- 1994 Zeta: World’s first low-cost eBike conversion kit (3 versions until Zeta III in 2000)
- 2004 A-bike:World’s lightest folding bike (just 5.7 kg)
- 2015 A-bike Electric: World’s lightest, most compact eBike (only 12 kg)
