This exciting holiday project comes to us from a maker known on Reddit as Retrocution. This holiday, Retrocution decided to use a Raspberry Pi to turn a NES-shaped Christmas tree ornament into a functioning retro gaming console.

To create the project, Retrocution essentially squeezed a Raspberry Pi Zero inside a tiny, NES ornament and loaded it up with RetroPie.

In the demo video, the NES ornament is seen connected to an old CRT TV using the RCA ports on the front. It isn’t clear exactly what is being used here but we assume an RCA output hack. According to Retrocution, the RetroPie aspect ratio had to be adjusted to 4:3 in order to get the look and feel just right for that classic experience.

To lessen the burden of excess cables and reduce the need for drilling port access, Bluetooth controllers are used for one or multiple players.

Visit the original thread on Reddit to see the NES ornament console in action. Be sure to check out our list of Best Raspberry Pi Projects for more cool creations from the maker community.