Overview
The Tapwave Zodiac is a premium horizontal retro handheld from Tapwave with a 3.8-inch 480×320 TFT screen, WiFi and Bluetooth, and runs Palm OS. It is best suited for Genesis, GBA, SNES, Game Boy, with support listed up to Genesis. It typically sells for around $299.
- Screen
- 3.8 inch TFT
- Chipset
- Motorola i.MX-1
- RAM
- 10 MB SDRAM
- Battery
- 1540 mAh
- Weight
- 180 grams
- OS
- Palm OS
Emulation
- Classicmixed
- NESExcellent
- Game BoyExcellent
- SNESGood
- GBAGood
- GenesisGood
- PS1Limited
- Mid-genunsupported
- N64No
- DSNo
- PSPNo
- DreamcastNo
- SaturnNo
- 6th genunsupported
- GameCubeNo
- WiiNo
- PS2No
- Modernunsupported
- 3DSNo
- Wii UNo
- PS3No
- SwitchNo
Notes on 18 systems
- DS: Nintendo DS: Either cannot run any games at all or games are unplayably slow
- 3DS: Nintendo 3DS: Either cannot run any games at all or games are unplayably slow
- GBA: Nintendo Game Boy Advance: Most games playable at full speed, a few games have lower frame rates but still mostly playable with frameskip
- N64: Nintendo 64: Either cannot run any games at all or games are unplayably slow
- NES: Nintendo Entertainment System: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
- PS1: Sony Playstation: Only the easiest to emulate games are barely playable
- PS2: Sony Playstation 2: Either cannot run any games at all or games are unplayably slow
- PS3: Sony Playstation 3: Either cannot run any games at all or games are unplayably slow
- PSP: Sony Playstation Portable: Either cannot run any games at all or games are unplayably slow
- Wii: Nintendo Wii: Either cannot run any games at all or games are unplayably slow
- SNES: Super Nintendo Entertainment System: Most games playable at full speed, a few games have lower frame rates but still mostly playable with frameskip
- Wii U: Nintendo Wii U: Either cannot run any games at all or games are unplayably slow
- Saturn: Sega Saturn: Either cannot run any games at all or games are unplayably slow
- Switch: Nintendo Switch: Either cannot run any games at all or games are unplayably slow
- Genesis: Sega Genesis / Mega Drive: Most games playable at full speed, a few games have lower frame rates but still mostly playable with frameskip
- Game Boy: Game Boy / Game Boy Color: Almost all games playable at full speed without frameskip
- GameCube: Nintendo GameCube: Either cannot run any games at all or games are unplayably slow
- Dreamcast: Sega Dreamcast: Either cannot run any games at all or games are unplayably slow
Played on the Tapwave Zodiac
No sessions on the Tapwave Zodiac yet. Own one? Add it to your shelf and your play shows up here.
Specifications
General
- Released
- October 2003
- Type
- Handheld, Horizontal
- Operating system
- Palm OS
- Price range
- Premium
Display
- Screen
- 3.8 inch TFT
- Resolution
- 480 x 320 (3:2)
- Pixel density
- 151.81 PPI
- Refresh rate
- 60 Hz
Performance
- Chipset
- Motorola i.MX-1
- CPU
- ARM920T, 1 cores, 200 MHz
- GPU
- ATI Imageon W4200, ?
- RAM
- 10 MB SDRAM
- Storage
- 32 MB (Zodiac 1)
- Architecture
- ARM
Battery and build
- Battery
- 1540 mAh
- Weight
- 180 grams
- Dimensions
- 142 mm x 79 mm x 14 mm
- Material
- Anodized aluminum
- Rumble
- Yes
Controls
- Sticks
- Single
- Inputs
- Analog sticks, Touch screen
- Extra buttons
- Bluetooth, Home, Power, Reset, Select
Connectivity
- Wi-Fi
- Yes
- Bluetooth
- Yes
- Ports
- 3.5mm jack
- Storage slot
- microSD
- Speakers
- Stereo
FAQ
What systems can the Tapwave Zodiac emulate?
The Tapwave Zodiac plays systems up to Genesis well. It is at its best with Genesis, GBA, SNES, Game Boy.
Can the Tapwave Zodiac play Genesis games?
Yes. Genesis performance on the Tapwave Zodiac is rated good in our catalog. Sega Genesis / Mega Drive: Most games playable at full speed, a few games have lower frame rates but still mostly playable with frameskip
Can the Tapwave Zodiac play PS1 games?
Not well. PS1 performance on the Tapwave Zodiac is rated poor. Sony Playstation: Only the easiest to emulate games are barely playable
How much does the Tapwave Zodiac cost?
The Tapwave Zodiac typically sells for around $299, which puts it in the premium tier of retro handhelds.
What operating system does the Tapwave Zodiac run?
The Tapwave Zodiac ships with Palm OS.
What screen does the Tapwave Zodiac have?
It has a 3.8 inch TFT display with a 3:2 aspect ratio, running at 480 x 320 at 151.81 PPI.
Price alert
We’re not tracking prices for this one yet.
Reviews
No reviews of the Tapwave Zodiac yet. Own one? Say what you play on it, which firmware you run, and where it sits in your rotation.
