The Lab

ShadowVox

Plug in. Play on.

The retro console that runs on USB cartridges. Real cartridges, modern games.

How it worksSee how we built it

Three steps. Zero setup.

ShadowVox is a custom retro-style game console built on a Raspberry Pi. It boots into its own branded launch screen, and every game lives on its own little USB cartridge.

  1. Power on

    Boots straight to the ShadowVox screen. No desktop, no menus.

  2. Insert a cartridge

    The console spots it, shows the game’s title card, and launches it.

  3. Play

    That’s it. No installing, no downloading, no setup.

What it can do

  • Instant boot

    Power on and you’re at the ShadowVox screen, with an animated background, a logo with a shimmer effect, and a pulsing “Insert Cartridge” prompt.

  • Real cartridges

    Each cartridge is a small, cheap USB flash drive holding a complete game. They’re interchangeable, so any cartridge works in any slot.

  • Hot-swapping

    Pull a cartridge and the console drops back to the home screen. Insert another and it loads, with no reboot.

  • Landscape or portrait

    One button rotates the whole display, so ShadowVox works with a vertical arcade-style screen as well as a standard TV.

  • Physical controls

    A power button turns it on and shuts it down cleanly (hold to power off). A second button rotates the screen.

  • Saves travel with the game

    High scores can live on the cartridge itself, so a game’s progress goes wherever the cartridge goes. Each game needs a small code change to do this.

  • Pi 4 and Pi 5

    Tested at smooth framerates on both, including a locked 120 fps on a large TV at 720p output.

Watch a game

Chuckle Banna is one of the games for ShadowVox.

Up close

  • A Chuckle Banna cartridge inserted into the top slot of ShadowVox
    Top-loading slot, holographic top panel and front buttons.
  • ShadowVox with a Chuckle Banna cartridge inserted and a wireless controller resting on top
    A cartridge in the slot, a controller close by.
  • ShadowVox with five cartridges and a wireless controller on a white desk
    The whole crew: Portal Dash, Chuckle Banna, Chonon! Banks N’ Beans and Chunk it Up!
  • The ShadowVox home screen with an Insert Cartridge prompt
    The home screen, waiting for a cartridge.

From sketch to console

ShadowVox started in a dot-grid notebook. The rule from the page: design the cartridge first, then use it to design the loader.

  • Pencil sketch of the ShadowVox console with labels for vents, ports, power, reset and rotate
    First sketch: vents, ports, power, reset and rotate.
  • Pencil sketches of two cartridge shapes: slim and tall with a label wrap, and slim, short and compact
    Cartridge shapes: tall with a wrap-around label, or short and compact.
  • Page of pencil sketches and measurements for cartridges, the rail and the loader
    Cartridges, rails, loader and measurements.
  • 3D model of a cartridge shell, seen through a translucent body
    The cartridge shell in CAD.
  • 3D model of the ShadowVox case with vents, front port row, and a top plate with a cartridge opening
    The case: vents, a front port row, and a top plate with the cartridge slot.

For game developers

Any game exported from Godot 4 for Linux/ARM64 can become a cartridge. A cartridge is just a folder with the game’s exported files plus a small cart.json that gives its title and the name of its executable.

Each game runs as its own independent program, so games never interfere with each other’s settings, controls or graphics.

Tech specs

  • Raspberry Pi 4 / Pi 5
  • Custom shell built in Godot 4
  • Raspberry Pi OS Lite, launching straight into a fullscreen kiosk session
  • FAT32 USB flash drives as cartridges
  • HDMI output with configurable resolution and rotation

Curious?

Questions about ShadowVox or building a cartridge? info@shadalac.com