ESP32S3 ZXSpectrum
I've been playing around with ESP32 MCUs and displays for a while and finally got around to getting a ZX Spectrum emulator working. I then saw that you can now do full color silk screen printing on PCBs and got the thinking - the ESP32 has capacitive touch capabilities - I could make a full ZX Spectrum keyboard on a PCB along with all the electronics for running the emulator. And it actually works! There's a full video here: https://youtu.be/foP81O48WAI And you can sign up here for updates as I move towards getting it ready for a production run:…
ESP32S3 ZXSpectrum launched on June 14, 2024 with 109 votes, #531 of 4,672 launches that month and more than 90% of that year's launches.
In plain words
The ESP32S3 ZXSpectrum is a handheld emulator that recreates the classic ZX Spectrum computer using an ESP32 microcontroller. The device features a full keyboard printed directly onto a PCB using color silk screen printing, with capacitive touch controls integrated into the board design. It runs a working Spectrum emulator and includes all necessary electronics on a single compact device. It is built for retro computing enthusiasts and anyone nostalgic for 1980s-era gaming and computing experiences.
written from the facts on this page · September 2026
From the sources
In the maker’s words, at launch
I've been playing around with ESP32 MCUs and displays for a while and finally got around to getting a ZX Spectrum emulator working. I then saw that you can now do full color silk screen printing on PCBs and got the thinking - the ESP32 has capacitive touch capabilities - I could make a full ZX Spectrum keyboard on a…
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