A Fallout Pip-Boy Watch That Is Actually Usable

We’ve seen and featured a lot of Pip-Boy builds over the years, and we’re likely to see several more in the near future thanks to the success of the Fallout TV show. Those projects vary in complexity from inert shells to fully functional units that would put the professional TV show props to shame. But they almost all have one thing in common: the size. To mimic what we see in the games and now the TV show, Pip-Boy builds are quite large. 3DSage’s Pip-Boy stands out because it is more compact and wearable.

3DSage built this Pip-Boy to wear to Open Sauce 2024 and it needed to be comfortable enough to keep strapped on for the entire weekend. Most Pip-Boy builds that we’ve seen take up the majority of the user’s forearm and are heckin’ bulky to boot, making them cumbersome to wear for longer than it takes to snap some nice cosplay photos. 3DSage’s Pip-Boy has a similar vibe, but it isn’t a true replica. It retains the character of a Pip-Boy, while being far smaller and easier to wear for long periods of time. It most closely resembles the Pip-Boy 2000 Mk VI, but even that is a bit of a stretch.

Because this design is an entirely original work by 3DSage, he was able to tailor it to his needs. It includes four functions: a time display, a simulated terminal readout, a “radio,” and a QR code display. The terminal readout doesn’t show any real information, but looks cool. The “radio” plays pre-programmed sequences of square wave notes through a small speaker. The QR code display lets 3DSage easily pass links to people, which is a very handy feature for a YouTuber attending a conference. The wearer can switch between those functions using a potentiometer with a knob appropriately modeled after a Nuka-Cola cap.

The two primary components for this project were a Microchip ATtiny85 microcontroller and a 1.3” monochrome OLED. 3DSage chose the ATtiny85 because it is small and consumes very little power — so little that coin cell batteries were sufficient. The 1.3” OLED was bulkier than 3DSage preferred, so he trimmed the excess off of the PCB. He then soldered the components onto a simple homemade PCB of his own.

As the name suggests, 3DSage focuses on all things 3D and that’s where this build really shines. The custom 3D CAD work and 3D printing for this Pip-Boy are top-notch. 3DSage even included a magnetic latching, print-in-place hinged holotape compartment. With meticulous painting and weathering, plus the addition of a leather wrist strap, the finished Pip-Boy looks fantastic. It could have genuinely been used on the set of the Fallout TV show and nobody would have batted an eye.