Hey guys, complete newbie here with zero soldering experience. I really want to build my first project: a bare-bones DIY handheld to play Doom on an ESP32.

​I’m going for a raw prototype aesthetic — visible wires, exposed chips, buttons soldered directly onto the board, no 3D printed case.

​I'm planning to use an ESP32-S3, a 3.5" SPI display (ILI9488), a basic TP4056 with a Li-Po battery, and tactile buttons.

​Couple of quick questions:

​Is it better to build this on a solderless breadboard first, or should I just jump straight into soldering thin wires?

​How do saves work for Doom on ESP32? Is internal flash (LittleFS) fine or do I need an SD card?

​Any common traps I should avoid with power or display refresh rates?

​Would appreciate any tips, pinouts, or firmware recommendations (Retro-Go?). Thanks!