The Verge author builds a $50 AI Tamagotchi
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The Verge’s author paid $50 for a 1.75-inch touchscreen computer, the Waveshare ESP32-S3 1.75C, to build a device resembling the Muse Charm. Meta officially sanctions the model as one of its suggestions for creating a “Muse Gadget,” using the company’s open-source code and tokens to connect directly to the Muse cloud. In its initial setup, the device had slow responses, no spoken output, limited on-screen text and no automatic discovery of smart-home devices.
With sessions of Claude Code, the author built a conversation-history page, added an ElevenLabs voice, remote camera control and a live phone-camera preview, as well as new avatars and a Tamagotchi-style minigame involving hunger, boredom, dirt, food, play, sleep and bathing. The article also notes that the device lacks cameras and a 5G cellular radio, features planned for the Muse Charm.
Why it matters · editorial interpretation
The case suggests that open-source code, tokens, and Claude Code sessions can turn an inexpensive device into a customized experience with voice, camera features, and minigames. But the initial limitations and the lack of cameras and 5G connectivity indicate that software customization cannot replace hardware features planned for the Muse Charm.
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