THE CRUNCH
A retro gaming enthusiast has demonstrated Lara Croft adventuring on a humble ESP32-P4 microcontroller. This affordable device, typically costing under $25, packs a pair of 32-bit 400 MHz RISC cores and delivers a slick, playable 1,024 x 600 pixel experience for TheAlexKid777, yet consumes roughly 1 watt at peak. The demo runs OpenLara at 320 x 240 pixels, which is then scaled up by the hardware to the larger display
The board features a dual-core RISC-V CPU with AI instruction extensions, an advanced memory subsystem, and integrated high-speed peripherals, including up to 64MB PSRAM and 768KB SRAM. It also includes an FPU, DSP, ISP, and 55 programmable GPIOs. The setup connects to a 7- or 8-inch LCD and pumps stereo audio through the dev board’s ES8311 codec, with controls provided via a connected USB keyboard.