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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteFor a Raspberry Pi Pico game that needs color sprites or pixel art, begin with an ST7789 SPI LCD. Raspberry Pi maintains Pico examples for this controller, including an image display, and its HSTX example was tested with a 1.3-inch WaveShare ST7789 module. If your game can be monochrome, an SSD1306 I2C OLED or SSD1309 SPI OLED is a documented alternative. A 16×2 I2C character LCD is appropriate for text and status, not graphical play.
The controller name is only a starting point. Before wiring anything, verify the exact panel resolution, interface, pinout, logic voltage and software compatibility of the module you intend to buy. Different breakouts using the same controller can behave differently.
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Quick recommendation by game type
| Game requirement | Best starting display | Why it fits | Official Pico references |
|---|---|---|---|
| Color sprites, tiles or pixel-art scenes | ST7789 SPI LCD | Color graphics and maintained Raspberry Pi examples, including a serial-LCD image example | Pico SDK Examples; ST7789 HSTX example |
| Monochrome icons, simple shapes or text-heavy play | SSD1306 I2C OLED | Documented 128×32 and 128×64 panels with a simple two-wire control interface | SSD1306 I2C example |
| Monochrome graphics while keeping SPI available for another device | SSD1309 SPI OLED | Listed in Raspberry Pi’s Pico display examples and uses SPI rather than I2C | Pico SDK Examples |
| Scores, menus and status text only | 16×2 I2C character LCD | Displays characters through an I2C bridge; its fixed character grid is not a pixel-art canvas | 16×2 I2C LCD example |
This is a compatibility-first recommendation, not a ranking by speed, brightness, power draw or price. The reviewed official examples do not provide directly comparable measurements for those properties.
What the controller choice means for your game
ST7789: the practical color path
An ST7789 module is the strongest first choice when the game depends on colored characters, backgrounds or collectible items. Raspberry Pi’s example repository includes an ST7789 serial-LCD example, and the HSTX example describes setting up PIO for 62.5 Mbps serial output to display a spinning image. That 62.5 Mbps figure describes the example configuration; it is not a guaranteed refresh rate or game frame rate.
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The HSTX source specifically says it was tested with a WaveShare 1.3-inch ST7789 module. Treat that as evidence for that particular setup, not as proof that every module sold as “ST7789” has the same glass, resolution, pin order or initialization sequence. The PIO ST7789 example defines a 240×240 display and notes testing with parts whose height is either 240 or 320 pixels. A listing that names only the controller is therefore incomplete for a purchase decision.
SSD1306: monochrome over I2C
Choose an SSD1306 when one-bit graphics are enough: maze walls, status icons, text, menus and simple line art can work well. Raspberry Pi’s maintained I2C example covers 128×32 and 128×64 panels. The two-wire bus can simplify a small build, but the display still consumes I2C signals that may also be needed by sensors, expanders or other peripherals.
OLED pixels are self-emissive, so the panel technology can look crisp for a small monochrome game. The official example does not establish brightness, lifetime, power draw or response-time comparisons with LCD modules, so choose on the basis of your artwork and the exact board’s documentation rather than an assumed performance ranking.
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An SSD1309 is the monochrome option to investigate when SPI is a better fit for your wiring or when I2C is already occupied. Raspberry Pi lists an SSD1309 SPI OLED example in the Pico examples. Confirm the module’s actual resolution, control pins and initialization requirements before adapting code; the controller name alone does not define the breakout.
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16×2 I2C character LCD: text, not pixels
The official 16×2 example drives a character LCD through an I2C bridge. It is useful for a score, a two-line menu or diagnostic output, but its 16-column by 2-row character grid cannot render arbitrary pixel art. Select it only when the game’s display language is text or when you deliberately want a separate status panel.
Match the display interface to the Pico’s available pins
The Pico documentation covers SPI and I2C peripherals and also describes PIO for custom high-speed I/O. Raspberry Pi’s maintained examples provide starting points for ST7789 over PIO, SSD1306 over I2C and SSD1309 over SPI. Use those examples to plan the display alongside buttons, a joystick, audio and storage rather than assigning pins to the screen first and discovering a conflict later.
SPI considerations
- List every signal shown by the exact module: clock, data, chip select, data/command, reset and any backlight or power-control input.
- Decide whether the display shares an SPI bus with another device. Shared clock and data lines can be workable, but each peripheral needs an appropriate chip-select arrangement and software handling.
- Check whether the module labels its data line as MOSI, SDA or another name; the label is not enough to identify the electrical function.
- For the ST7789 HSTX example, inspect the source’s pin definitions and wiring comments instead of copying an unverified pin map from a different breakout.
I2C considerations
- Confirm the display’s I2C address and whether the board has pull-up resistors. The official SSD1306 example is the correct place to begin for the supported 128×32 and 128×64 configurations.
- Account for other I2C devices and possible address conflicts before committing to an SSD1306 or character LCD.
- Use the same logic-voltage discipline for an I2C character LCD as for an OLED; a bridge board does not automatically make a 5 V signal safe for the Pico.
PIO and custom high-speed I/O
PIO can be useful when a display protocol or timing requirement does not map neatly onto a standard peripheral. The existence of a PIO example does not mean that every ST7789 board is plug-compatible with it. Treat the example’s controller setup, timing and pin assignments as a reference implementation that must be reconciled with your module’s documentation.
Verify resolution and module revision before buying
Write down the exact resolution you expect your game to draw before selecting a board. Raspberry Pi’s ST7789 PIO example uses a 240×240 screen but mentions parts with 240- and 320-pixel heights. That difference changes the framebuffer layout, image coordinates and how the controller is initialized.
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Check the product documentation for:
- Active width and height in pixels, including whether the panel is square, portrait or landscape by default.
- Controller and panel combination, not merely the controller name printed in a listing.
- Display rotation and the command sequence needed to select it.
- Whether the breakout exposes a reset pin, data/command pin, chip select and backlight control.
- Connector labels and the physical order of pins. Two boards with the same controller can place power and signal pins differently.
If the listing does not state these details, treat the part as unverified. Do not assume that a 1.3-inch ST7789 listing matches the WaveShare module named in Raspberry Pi’s HSTX example.
Check voltage and logic levels first
Pico GPIO and I2C signals are not 5 V tolerant. Raspberry Pi’s SSD1306 documentation calls for a display board that is suitable for 3.3 V or for a level shifter when using a 5 V board. The 16×2 I2C example carries the same general electrical warning for its I2C lines. Apply the module maker’s input-voltage and logic-level specifications to SPI displays as well; do not infer safety from the presence of a 5 V power pin or a regulator alone.
How to audit a module
- Read the board’s power-input range and the stated high-level and low-level logic thresholds.
- Identify whether the board includes level shifting on every signal, only on selected signals, or not at all.
- Check whether the backlight has a separate current-limiting circuit and whether it is controlled by a logic pin.
- If the board is specified only for 5 V logic, add a suitable level shifter or select a 3.3 V-capable board before connecting it to the Pico.
- Power the display and Pico according to their documented grounds and supply requirements; never use a guessed pin order.
Use the closest official software example
Starting from the maintained example that matches both the controller and bus reduces the number of unknowns. The Raspberry Pi Pico SDK Examples repository is the index for the display samples. The relevant source files are:
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- HSTX ST7789 SPI LCD for the tested serial-LCD arrangement and its wiring comments.
- PIO ST7789 LCD for the 240×240 definition and the notes about 240- or 320-pixel heights.
- SSD1306 I2C for 128×32 and 128×64 panels.
- 16×2 I2C character LCD for text output through an I2C bridge.
A safe adaptation sequence
- Open the example for the exact controller and interface you selected.
- Compare every signal in the source’s pin definitions with the labels and electrical functions on your module.
- Change pin assignments only after confirming that the new pins support the required SPI, I2C, HSTX or PIO function.
- Set the panel width, height and rotation to the values documented for your board; do not leave the example’s 240×240 setting when your panel is different.
- Run the example’s simplest display test before adding game input, sound or asset loading.
- Once a known image or text test works, replace that test with one game screen at a time and keep the display driver isolated from game rules.
The goal is to prove the electrical connection and controller initialization separately from your game code. When a game and a display driver are debugged simultaneously, a wiring fault can look like a rendering bug.
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Choose the screen with a pin-and-feature worksheet
A short worksheet makes trade-offs visible before you order parts. Fill in one row for each candidate module:
| Question | What to record | Why it affects the game |
|---|---|---|
| Color requirement | Color or monochrome | Determines whether ST7789 is necessary or an SSD1306/SSD1309 is sufficient |
| Resolution | Exact width × height and default orientation | Defines coordinate systems, artwork dimensions and initialization values |
| Bus | SPI, I2C, HSTX or a board-specific arrangement | Determines pin use and the closest maintained example |
| Signals | Clock, data, select, command, reset, power and backlight pins | Prevents pin conflicts and accidental miswiring |
| Logic voltage | 3.3 V compatible, level-shifted or requiring an external shifter | Protects Pico GPIO and I2C lines |
| Software starting point | Exact Raspberry Pi example file and required edits | Shows how much driver adaptation is needed |
| Physical fit | Board dimensions, connector direction and mounting holes | Ensures the screen fits the handheld enclosure or breadboard layout |
Design around the display’s real role in the game
For a color ST7789 game
Define a small set of rendering primitives first: clear the playfield, draw a sprite, draw a tile or background region, and update the score or status area. Keep the display driver’s coordinate and rotation logic in one module. This makes it possible to change from a 240×240 panel to another documented height without rewriting collision or game-state code.
Plan which portions of the screen actually change. A game with a static border and moving sprites does not need the same update strategy as a full-screen animation. The official examples demonstrate controller communication and image output, but they do not prescribe a game engine or prove a particular frame rate.
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Design artwork in the panel’s native monochrome format. Use contrast between filled and empty pixels for characters, hazards and menus, and reserve a predictable region for score text. A monochrome display can be a good fit for a puzzle or arcade game when color is not part of the rules; it is a poor fit when players must distinguish several objects by hue.
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For a 16×2 text interface
Model the game as states and messages rather than a free-form canvas: title, instructions, score, lives, pause and game-over. Keep messages short enough for the two-line grid, and use a separate input or sound cue if a player needs information that cannot fit in sixteen columns.
Troubleshoot by symptom
The screen stays blank
- Recheck power, ground and the module’s documented pin order.
- Confirm that the selected example matches the controller and bus.
- Verify the panel’s reset, data/command and chip-select connections where those signals are present.
- Check logic-level compatibility before trying alternate wiring.
The display lights but shows noise or a partial image
- Compare the configured width and height with the panel’s actual specification.
- Check rotation and initialization settings; a 240×320 panel cannot be treated as a 240×240 panel without the appropriate configuration.
- Inspect the source example’s signal mapping rather than relying on a similarly named board.
An I2C display is not detected
- Confirm that the board is connected to the Pico’s I2C signals and ground.
- Check the address and pull-up arrangement documented for the module.
- Make sure no second I2C device uses the same address.
- Do not connect a 5 V I2C signal directly to the Pico; use a 3.3 V-capable board or level shifting as required.
Buttons or another peripheral stop working after adding the screen
- Draw the complete pin map, including control signals that are easy to overlook.
- Look for an SPI or I2C bus conflict and move only the signals that the chosen peripheral actually supports.
- Keep game-input handling independent from display initialization so you can test each subsystem separately.
What the official examples do—and do not—tell you
Raspberry Pi’s example description says: “Set up PIO for 62.5 Mbps serial output, and use this to display a spinning image on a ST7789 serial LCD.” This is a description of the example configuration in the Raspberry Pi Pico SDK Examples repository, whose page does not state a year for that figure.
The examples establish that these controller and interface combinations have documented Pico starting points. They do not establish a directly comparable game frame rate, display power draw, brightness, response time, retail price or current availability across ST7789, SSD1306 and SSD1309 modules. They also do not establish that current retail boards are electrically identical to the named tested module. Those properties must be checked in the documentation for the exact board you select.
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Final pre-wiring checklist
- Color is genuinely needed; otherwise consider monochrome.
- The exact resolution and orientation are written down.
- The module’s controller, bus and pin functions are documented.
- The selected Pico example matches that controller and bus.
- Every display signal fits alongside buttons, audio and other peripherals.
- The board is 3.3 V compatible or has appropriate level shifting.
- Power, ground, reset, data/command, chip select and backlight connections are identified.
- You have a simple display test to run before integrating game logic.
- You are not using the example’s 240×240 settings for a panel with different dimensions.
Bottom line
Choose an ST7789 SPI LCD when your Pico game needs color and you want the most direct path from Raspberry Pi’s maintained display examples to a working screen. Choose SSD1306 over I2C or SSD1309 over SPI when monochrome graphics meet the design. Choose a 16×2 I2C LCD only for text. In every case, the exact module’s resolution, pinout, voltage and software requirements matter more than the controller name printed in a product title.
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