3 clever ways the ESP32 is saving retro computers from extinction

Published Oct 17, 2026, 8:30 AM EDT Andrew Heinzman is a seasoned tech writer with over half a decade of experience. He specializes in delivering insightful tech news and detailed product reviews, particularly focusing on audio and video technology, as well as computers and smartphones. His journey in tech writing includes a two-year stint as the News Editor at Review Geek, the former sister site of How-To Geek. Throughout his career, Andrew has consistently provided readers with valuable insights and up-to-date information on the latest developments in the tech world, earning recognition for his clarity, depth, and relevance. In his free time, Andrew likes to explore music and read books, just as he did when earning his bachelor's degree in English literature. Time is the enemy of old tech. Fortunately, cheap modern tools like the ESP32 can breathe new life into retro computing hardware, either by enhancing old functionality or replacing components that are difficult to get working today. Adding Wi-Fi to ancient machines Look ma, no wires! Credit: Future Vision Research / FujiNet This goes without saying, but classic computers didn't support Wi-Fi connectivity and aren't compatible with the modern internet as a whole. Still, they're capable of interacting with networked files, such as basic websites and bulletin boards (Gopher and BBS communities still maintained by enthusiasts today). Some systems can even download or stream data with the aid of new community-made software. Naturally, the process of adding Wi-Fi to an old computer depends on the machine's original hardware. Some projects, like the apple2idiot, rely on proprietary expansion cards or peripheral ports, while others simply emulate a dialup connection through a serial port. Because these anachronistic Wi-Fi projects require quite a bit of assembly, it's easy to find and buy pre-made adapters. WiFiModem32 emulates a dialup connection in various hardware configurations, but you can build one yourself using Zimodem firmware. Pre-assembled FujiNet boards plug into the peripherals port of all kinds of systems to perform a variety of networked tasks, including file streaming. Emulating old disk drives Near-infinite storage, original speeds Credit: Wolfgang Stief/Wikimedia Commons Old hard drives and floppy disks have a habit of falling apart over time, and while repairs aren't necessarily impossible (for floppy drives, at least), they aren't always worth the effort. Plus, the storage limitations of old drives can be an annoyance, particularly for retro enthusiasts who want to access as much software as possible on original hardware. ESP32 drive emulators solve the problem by adapting modern storage media, usually SD cards and USB drives, to 34-pin connectors and other obsolete systems. The aforementioned FujiNet project is a perfect example, as it can emulate storage media on a ton of different retro computers, though there are also some super-niche solutions, like EsProFile, an ESP32-based storage emulator for the Apple Lisa. The funny thing about disk drive emulation is that it doesn't benefit from modern transfer rates. If you shove a Fujinet board into an old machine's 34-pin connector (a 19-pin or 13-pin bus port is also an option) for floppy disk emulation, you'll be stuck with the authentic 3.5-inch floppy transfer rate (far less than a megabyte per second). Really, the main advantage of a drive emulator (ESP32 or otherwise) is that it gives you practically unlimited storage and saves you the trouble of swapping disks or fussing with finicky old drives. It also helps collectors avoid wearing down or damaging original disks, I suppose. I can imagine a Ship of Theseus situation where someday, somehow, small SBCs will replace every individual component of an old Amiga or Atari. But I guess it's not really necessary, since you can just emulate the entire desktop on an ESP32. Emulating entire desktops This is how a lot of those little handheld gaming emulators work Credit: amchord / GitHub This is a bit of a cop-out, but ESP32 boards are a solid option for emulating old PCs and retro game consoles. You miss out on the original hardware, but you get a mostly-faithful software experience without wasting time, money, and space on clunky ancient desktop towers or brittle decaying handhelds. (I'm mainly mentioning these emulators because they encourage people to get into old hardware, though I admit that full system emulators don't actively keep retro computers alive.) Projects like RetroESP32 and RetroESP32-P4 make it very easy to understand the possibilities here. You can build a retro machine in whatever form factor you like with modern quality-of life features, such as touchscreen and wireless controller support. Most emulation projects attempt to maintain at least some veneer of authenticity, but they occasionally stray as far from the original hardware as possible, like the Ink-Boy project that's trending right now. You don't even need to set up anything yourself, as there are a lot of ESP32-powered emulation products floating around. Look up an old PC or game console on AliExpress or eBay, and you'll see no shortage of pre-assembled options. I think there's some on Etsy, too, and you'll sometimes find cool passion projects for sale on individual websites. Of course, ESP32 boards are pretty limited hardware-wise. Some emulators need to make compromises in order to fit with the limited amount of memory. A good example is FabGL IBM PC emulator, which has to use an outdated Espressif ESP32 library in order to leave enough resources for apps. Running emulators bare-metal is also a common solution, though this comes with the deficit (or benefit) of loading straight into the emulated system, as opposed to accessing emulators through a dedicated launcher. It's not just retro computing, ESP32 keeps a lot of old tech alive Want to bring your old iPod back from the dead? Need to pair your old game consoles with modern controllers? ESP32 boards are an excellent platform for nearly any retro tech product. The possibilities are genuinely endless.