$69 Pocket Chip DIY computer has 3D acceleration to run Quake III

The $69 Pocket C.H.I.P. computer has gotten a software update that enables 3D acceleration on the ARM-based device. Now it can run games like Quake III.

The updated software and device are now available for holiday gift purchases. The Pocket Chip (spelled Pocket C.H.I.P. by the company) and its sister product Chip are targeted at the maker community — or do-it-yourself hardware enthusiasts who like to tinker.

Next Thing Co. has released an alpha image for the Pocket Chip that features a new Mali-400 3D acceleration driver.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vPpA5DI94I

A year ago, Next Thing Co. launched a $9 computer dubbed Chip. It has a 1-gigahertz ARM processor, 512 megabytes of main memory, built-in Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and a battery. That device has sold more than 100,000 units.

“There’s pretty cool stuff happening in the community,” said Dave Rauchwerk, CEO of Next Thing Co., in an interview with GamesBeat. “I have seen the craziest things you’ve [ever] seen — like a $25 VR haptic glove.”

Dave Rauchwerk, CEO of Next Thing Co., holds a $9 CHIP computer.
Dave Rauchwerk, CEO of Next Thing Co., holds a $9 Chip computer.

Dean Takahashi

Dean Takahashi is editorial director for GamesBeat at VentureBeat. He has been a tech journalist since 1988, and he has covered games as a beat since 1996. He was lead writer for GamesBeat at VentureBeat from 2008 to April 2025. Prior to that, he wrote for the San Jose Mercury News, the Red Herring, the Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, and the Dallas Times-Herald. He is the author of two books, "Opening the Xbox" and "The Xbox 360 Uncloaked." He organizes the annual GamesBeat Next, GamesBeat Summit and GamesBeat Insider Series: Hollywood and Games conferences and is a frequent speaker at gaming and tech events. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.