Ben Heck’s Atari 2600 Junior Handheld Was Two Decades in the Making
An Atari 2600 Junior Single Chip Handheld project was started back in 2000. Now, nearly two decades later, it has finally been completed.
Even the most well-known and talented makers sometimes struggle to finish their projects in a timely manner. Ben Heck is one of the most famous console modders around, but even he has had projects that ended up being put on the backburner that is the ol’ storage bin. One project in particular, an Atari 2600 Junior Single Chip Handheld, was started way back in the year 2000. Now, nearly two decades later, Heck has finally completed this challenging design.
Heck has built other handheld Atari consoles, but this one was special. That’s because it started as a “single chip” Atari 2600 Junior. In 1986, Atari released a redesigned 2600 that was designed to look more like the 7800. Other than the modern styling, the only other major differences were for cost-cutting. One version in particular used just one chip to handle all of the console’s functions. Because only one chip was used, that version of the Atari 2600 Junior is perfect for building a compact handheld console. Unfortunately, Heck’s skills weren’t quite as developed back in 2000, and he was unable to complete the project.
Over the years, Heck has thought about taking another crack at this project, but those single-chip Atari 2600 Junior versions are extremely rare. So, about a year ago, Heck decided to pull that original project back out of storage to see if the chip was even still functional. Luckily it was, and Heck started using the skills he’s acquired over the last two decades to design a new and improved version of his original idea for a 2600 Single Chip Handheld.
This handheld is intended to run real, full-size Atari 2600 cartridges, which are quite bulky. That means the console itself needed to be as compact as possible. Heck designed a custom PCB that contains the all-important Atari 2600 chip, an edge-connector for the cartridges, an LCD display driver, a LiPo battery circuit, the controller buttons, a speaker, and even a port for a second player joystick. Other than a minor mistake with the button wiring, which was easily addressed, the hardware all worked flawlessly.
The final portion of the build was focused on the case. Heck constructed the case from a combination of 3D-printed, laser-cut, and CNC-milled parts. The style is purposefully reminiscent of the original Atari 2600 and incorporates real wood. Heck even added a little window on the back so that the rare “single chip” is always visible. This project may have taken two decades to complete, but we think it was well worth the wait.