micro:bit shield for MakeCode Arcade

Posted on October 16, 2020 by James Devine

It has been an exciting week with the announcement of the new micro:bit! We can’t wait for these new little devices to get into the hands of educators and students next month – having a speaker and microphone will amplify the power of what you can do with these tiny-computers, and we can’t wait to see all the creative coding projects you come up with!

As well as the speaker and microphone, the new micro:bit also includes an updated, more powerful processor. What this means is that it will be compatible with Microsoft MakeCode Arcade! MakeCode Arcade is a retro arcade game development environment which makes it super easy for anyone to make a game, blending artistic creativity and computer science education.

Soon you will be able to use the micro:bit V2 with an accessory shield to play MakeCode Arcade games! Connecting the new micro:bit to a MakeCode Arcade compatible shield allows the micro:bit to become its own retro gaming handheld. The micro:bit acts like a game cartridge that contains all of your game code, all the shield does is enhance the micro:bit with a full colour LCD, additional buttons for game input, and multiplayer capability. In addition to these awesome new features, micro:bit accessory manufacturers can augment their shields with their own custom Arcade shield designs and unique capabilities.

We will be releasing the hardware specification for MakeCode Arcade shields very shortly, so stay tuned! If you are an electronics manufacturer interested in producing a micro:bit Arcade Shield please contact us.