The fpga here is already programmed to be an SOC. The skillset would just be embedded programming for a microcontroller with very little memory. Plus all the isolation features of this particular device.
"While the reference FPGA ships with a 32-bit RISC-V CPU running at 100MHz, it can be reconfigured to emulate a wide range of retro-CPUs, from the 6502 to the Z-80..."
If you don't care about all the security stuff, I think you would enjoy an ESP32 or a Teensy a lot more. Both have some 3rd party guidance on using Rust with them. And both have more memory and better docs.
What I’m looking for is the “ready for pocket” device that has wifi, a screen, and some input like a keyboard. Are there any ESP32 or Teensy kits that yield that kind of thing in a pretty decent, durable result?
You could consider the Keyboard FeatherWing. It contains only the screen and keyboard part. You are meant to add a Feather format board that has a microcontroller and Wi-Fi, for example Adafruit’s ESP32 Feather board.
"While the reference FPGA ships with a 32-bit RISC-V CPU running at 100MHz, it can be reconfigured to emulate a wide range of retro-CPUs, from the 6502 to the Z-80..."
https://www.crowdsupply.com/sutajio-kosagi/precursor
If you don't care about all the security stuff, I think you would enjoy an ESP32 or a Teensy a lot more. Both have some 3rd party guidance on using Rust with them. And both have more memory and better docs.