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Download 0.1.12c for CHIP and PocketCHIP here: pico-8_0.1.12c_chip.zip

Here's the main 0.1.12c release thread for more details.

You can just unzip it somewhere and run it, but if you want to install over the default location so that the launcher buttons still works, open Terminal and type the following:

wget www.lexaloffle.com/dl/chip/pico-8_0.1.12c_chip.zip
sudo unzip pico-8_0.1.12c_chip.zip -d /usr/lib

(the default password is: chip)

Update: I've seen instances of the launcher button pointing to both /usr/lib/pico-8 and /usr/lib/pico8. If you're still getting 0.1.11g (or some older version) when using the launcher button, use:

sudo mv /usr/lib/pico-8 /usr/lib/pico8

This is the first time I've released a build for CHIP, as they were previously handled by the late Next Thing Co. In 2016 I spent a week at their workshop in Oakland, hacking out a proof of concept along with the first version of SPLORE, so that we could see how it would all fit together. It was not a large company, but everyone I met there were stand-up hackers driven to make something new and interesting. It's remarkable what they were able to achieve, and I'm glad to be able to contribute to the legacy a little by continuing support for these devices.

Unfortunately, it seems NTC fell into insolvency with a lot of paid-for but yet-to-be-shipped PocketCHIPs sitting in storage somewhere. I know as much as the next person about this, but for what it's worth, it certainly wasn't for lack of caring about customers. If you were one of the people that got caught out, feel free to mail me (hey at lexaloffle dot com) with a screenshot of your order (and 'PocketCHIP' somewhere in the subject), and I'll send you some virtual hardware instead.

-- zep

P#63840 2019-04-22 16:05 ( Edited 2019-05-10 05:31)


Works like a charm! Thank you Zep!

PocketCHIP introduced me to pico-8 and the whole experience gave me a platform to grasp programing in some plastic way I guess. I admired all the crazy 3D stuff @TRASEVOL_DOG would squeeze out of it and then spend days figuring out where to start to draw that kind of stuff.. Amazing.

I still find it amazing to be able to carry that thing with a wireless Logitech keyboard w/pad on it that plugs into PocketCHIP USB and turns it into some sort of C64 from the future's past. There's even GPIO pins on top of it. I am hoping to get a better understanding of how the whole system works and hopefully be able to tamper with pico-8 and these GPIO pins to some sort of gameplay, or at least visual feedback effect - that would be some cool stuff.

Considering PocketCHIP - it was heralded as "$49 indie gaming console" but then the punch line would be that there is a whole "developers environment that allows sharing" etc. Do you @zep consider the PocketCHIP some sort of a hardware avatar of pico-8? Would you improve something on a PocketCHIP2?

Anyway - thanks a lot for making this!!

P#63854 2019-04-22 23:10

Thank you for doing this Zep. As someone who's learning by only writing on the PocketCHIP, this is encouraging as all hell to me. Hope someday I finish this tutorial, design something and maybe even see 1.0.0 on the PocketCHIP.

Thanks for being great.

P#63883 2019-04-23 15:56

Thank you for continuing to support PocketCHIP.

Good stuff.

P#63892 2019-04-23 18:07
:: jbud70

Thanks. Just got my pocketchip mainly for pico8. Glad to see it still supported.

P#63953 2019-04-24 22:56

Hey @zep!
ex-NTC developer here. I met you during that week you came to visit. Was a really cool experience.

Just wanted to say thank you for continuing to support the CHIP community, even after NTC ended. This means a lot to some of us who no longer have much time to continue putting into CHIP.

Also, back when I was at NTC I was inspired by pico8 to want to build a tiny pico8-only handheld using the CHIP Pro. Though that is no longer an option, I'm still developing a small batch of tiny pico8-only handhelds that I'd someday hope to send a couple your way. I'll keep you updated if that ever leaves my computer screen to a pcb fab.

Thanks again for being awesome,

  • Wynter Woods (zerotri)
P#64017 2019-04-28 05:16

Thank you so much zep!

Just got a PocketChip on the cheap and I am so happy to have an up to date pico8!

One small thing tho. It seems your pico8 build extracts to /usr/lib/pico-8 instead of /usr/lib/pico8

Not a big issue, simple renaming fixes it, but something you might want to be aware of.

P#64179 2019-05-05 00:40

Thanks Zep! Pico-8 is one of the highlights of the pocketCHIP. I'm so glad you are continuing to support them.

P#64238 2019-05-08 04:08
:: zep

Thanks @Level27Geek -- I updated the install instructions.

P#64251 2019-05-09 03:08
:: zep


It comes close considering that the PocketCHIP was not designed specifically for PICO-8. I wouldn't change anything if it had the same goals of being a low-cost, general purpose device. But if those two constraints were relaxed, then of course I would favor obvious things like a having a square screen, nicer keyboard, and a dpad + buttons etc.

Even though PICO-8 has a large focus on creating cartridges, I don't think a dedicated hardware version would necessarily need a keyboard to work, because it puts so much upwards pressure on size and cost. As a user, I'd rather have something tiny and light that I can plug my own keyboard (and tv) into, and then use it for playing carts on the train.

@zerotri Hey Wynter! That sounds great, and if it goes to pcb, let me know if you need any tweaks to make that possible! (joseph at lexaloffle).

P#64252 2019-05-09 03:57

Thanks, Zep! I really enjoy playing pico-8 games on my Pocketchip. Thank you so much!

P#64298 2019-05-10 14:44

pico-8 is the only thing I do on my pocket chip!

P#64608 2019-05-20 05:25
:: emdkay

I'm glad to see that the Pico-8 fantasy console is being supported on PocketChip well after its demise. Thanks to zep!

P#64675 2019-05-22 14:23
:: Slybo

I wish I could still use my PocketCHIP. It needs to be re-flashed (I borked it by being a Linux noob) but the flasher website is offline and I haven't successfully been able to do it manually.

Side Note: Are there patch notes available anywhere for Pico-8?

P#64716 2019-05-24 15:26

Release notes for every version are at the bottom of the pico8.txt file that comes with it, which you can also find on the website here: https://www.lexaloffle.com/pico8_manual.txt

P#64732 2019-05-25 05:03

Hi I'm really sorry but I am having so much difficulty trying to install this. I've followed the install instructions and I'm still getting Pico-8 version 0.1.7 when I click the Play Pico-8 launcher on the Pocket Chip main menu. When I'm in Pico-8 I get the same "cannot connect to BBS" error for every new game

P#64767 2019-05-26 19:21 ( Edited 2019-05-26 20:06)

@sonicyoda I'm not much of a debian/linux user myself and had the same pb, but managed to make it work. The issue is that the unzipping will create a pico-8 dir, which must be renamed or else launching pico-8 will bring "pico8 dir not found" style errors. Problem is that just renaming pico-8 into pico8 will collide files, as there's already a pico8 dir containing the 0.1.7 version. So :

  • go to /usr/lib dir which contains that messy pico8 dir
  • rename the pico8 dir into another one, f.e. _pico8, to put it into oblivion
  • unzip the file once again
  • rename the pico-8 dir into pico8

Which translates to:

cd /usr/lib
sudo mv pico8 _pico8
sudo unzip /home/chip/pico-8_0.1.12c_chip.zip -d /usr/lib
sudo mv pico-8 pico8

Now the desktop link should work.

PS: Thank @zep for that new PocketChip version, among other enhancements I'm so glad _update60 now works!

P#64852 2019-05-29 21:27 ( Edited 2019-05-29 22:27)

@ElGregos thank you so much! This worked perfectly!

P#64886 2019-05-31 11:11
:: mathom

@zep Thank you for updating the PocketChip version. Very cool..

P#65060 2019-06-07 20:21
:: zlg

Hi zep. I've been (slowly) learning how to build games in PICO-8 and just discovered the talk you gave at NYU's PRACTICE in 2018. I felt that your design philosophy meshes well with what game design should be about: fun. Fun to play; fun to boot up; fun to build!

There is a lot to be said for a cozy, friendly space with a few interesting limitations. It reminds me of my teen years, when I started learning web design (HTML 3.2 and CSS 2! Ugh I still remember all the hacks...) and pixel art. Having limitations gives you a better appreciation for the things that you can do, and fosters a natural curiosity: "How far can I push this?"

I always bring this project up when someone says they want to learn how to make games. The editor being built into the console itself is probably my favorite feature; one that I think is paramount to a budding game developer. The feedback loop is important, and it's evident in PICO-8 that you care about the speed of that loop.

Thank you for your continued work on PICO-8 and Voxatron. They provide a judgment-free environment that I can throw some code and pixels together in, and it's okay if I don't turn it into my next grand idea, or if it's short or has a few bugs. Maybe some day I'll be good enough to join a game jam. :)

EDIT: crap I just realized this is for the PocketCHIP announcement instead of the regular 0.1.12c update. Still, supporting a now-defunct device is great!

P#65069 2019-06-08 03:11 ( Edited 2019-06-08 03:17)

Thanks so much! I own both a desktop license for Pico-8 and a PocketCHIP, and I'm so glad for the PocketCHIP support.

(I did type in the terminal stuff wrong my first try, and instead of updating it, I completely wrecked Pico-8. It wouldn't start at all, maybe I erased it? Luckily the 2nd try I got it right and everything worked perfectly! Rocking the fully updated Pico-8 on my PocketCHIP is awesome.)

P#65369 2019-06-23 17:08


Can you share some of what you did to compile Pico-8 for the CHIP? Did you use a cross toolchain to compile? I love my PocketCHIP and I would love to understand the process to compiling to its architecture. This way the PocketCHIP will never die! The PocketCHIP introduced me to Pico-8 so it will always have a special place for me.

P#65682 2019-07-07 20:42 ( Edited 2019-07-07 20:59)

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