this post was submitted on 12 Sep 2025
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Building your own gaming handheld? (lemmy.world)
submitted 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) by Amaterasu@lemmy.world to c/hardware@lemmy.world
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Many build their own PC. Nowadays there are quite many models of handhelds but most are plagued with at least one of these problems:

Too bulky

Low Performance

Poor Battery

Poor screen

I'm not sure a Steam Deck 2 or 3 or 4, etc... mini, with efficient battery will be launched some day.

With the SteamOS I was starting to think if maybe I should try to build my own handheld.

Assembling all the parts available out there, re-purposing discarded devices parts.

Is this some kind of stupid idea? Not looking for validation, I'm just looking to learn if others tried.

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[–] bjoern_tantau@swg-empire.de 7 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Reminds me of the time I built a ghetto Switch out of a Raspberry Pi, a telescope controller, a powerbank and a touchscreen.

Sold two or so on ebay with the intent of earning enough money to build one for myself.

Until I realised I could have a much better handheld just by using that controller with my phone.

Anyways, there are many instructions out there to build a handheld with a Raspberry Pi and similar. But if you want to match the Deck in terms of performance and portability you'll need a custom PCB and some serious electrical engineering and soldering skills.

[–] Alphane_Moon@lemmy.world 3 points 4 days ago

This is pretty cool. I even like the ghetto aesthetic (I am a nerd though).

[–] fuckwit_mcbumcrumble@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 points 5 days ago (1 children)

You can build one, but it’s going to be everything you don’t want.

Devices like that are only so compact and sleek because every component was built/picked exactly for that spot. They knew what had to fit around what.

A hobbyist building their own thing is stuck picking stuff up off the shelf. None of that will fit as tightly together as the steam deck.

[–] squaresinger@lemmy.world 9 points 5 days ago

Devices like that are only so compact and sleek because every component was built/picked exactly for that spot. They knew what had to fit around what.

This is it. They aren't "built out of parts" but custom made on a PCB made exactly to fit into the space available.

Unless OP is capable of DIYing a mainboard PCB containing a CPU and GPU plus support circuitry and custom cooling, there is no way to get less bulky than commercial solutions. Especially not while wanting to surpass them on performance and battery life.

[–] squaresinger@lemmy.world 7 points 5 days ago

First off: These devices aren't "built from parts" at all, but have a custom designed mainboard containing all the relevant parts. So unless you are a total crack PCB designer with access to parts you usually don't get in single quantities (like GPU chips), you won't be able to build something on the level of a commercial handheld.

Second: All the things you listed are a balance. Improve one, lose out on another.

Make it slimmer and you lose battery and cooling (and thus performance).

Make it perform better and it will become more bulky (cooling) and you will lose battery performance due to higher energy consumption.

Increasing battery life either increases bulk (larger batteries) or reduces performance (more energy-efficient components with less performance).

Improve the screen and you will lose battery life (better screen need more energy) and performance (more pixels to render equals fewer FPS).

You can strike a different balance than the Steam Deck, but you won't be able to improve everything all at once.

[–] BandanaBug@piefed.social 4 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Too bulky

Low Performance

Poor Battery

Choose two:

  • slim
  • fast
  • long lasting battery

You can not have all three at the moment.

[–] Amaterasu@lemmy.world 1 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (2 children)

Can we have a screen sub the size of the Steam Deck, with an efficient processor and a long lasting battery? Something really portable, that we can fit in pants pockets.

Doesn't the large screen makes it consumes more battery?

Maybe this device already exists. Something that plays most of the games that the Steam Deck plays with a smaller size and a longer lasting battery.

I remember the times that we used to be excite with technology innovation making things smaller. Nowadays, it seems, at least with phones and gaming handhelds, that people prefers larger and bulky screens.

[–] bjoern_tantau@swg-empire.de 3 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Most smaller handhelds are ARM based with Android as the OS. There are plenty of those in all kinds of form factor and price point available. So if you're fine with emulation you can probably find one to fit your needs. Although x86 emulation on Android also seems to be on the up and about, so you should be able to run at least some less demanding Steam games.

The problem with higher performance (regardless of ARM or x86) is that it needs power and cooling, which need space. That's why the handhelds that can emulate Switch games are much bulkier than the ones that are content with N64 emulation.

If you do want to go through with building something yourself I just found this video of someone ripping a Samsung Flip apart and building his own phone with a keyboard out of the parts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qy_9w_c2ub0 It should give you a good overview over the whole process and the difficulties one might find along the way. He also seems to have videos about building a handheld although that doesn't look as clean as the phone, at least on the thumbnail.

[–] Amaterasu@lemmy.world 2 points 4 days ago (1 children)

I need to look better the ARM devices. I was trying to get away of Android because of where it seems to be going with Google locking it bit by bit but it may be the last resort. Any particular device that you find appealing?

100% about cooling, was looking those giant x86 portables and they can make a lot of noise giving the state of cooling.

Thanks for sharing the video, I loved this guy aptitude, I can definitely relate.

[–] bjoern_tantau@swg-empire.de 1 points 4 days ago

Any particular device that you find appealing?

Well, I'm quite satisfied with my Steam Deck. If I wanted something a little bit more portable I'd just chuck a mobile controller from 8BitDo or so into my backpack to use with my phone.

I guess my ideal device would be an RG Slide if it could also work as a phone.

[–] Pfeffy@lemmy.world 1 points 4 days ago

Pair a controller to your cell phone. Done.

[–] Ulrich@feddit.org 4 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

I'm not sure a Steam Deck 2 or 3 or 4, etc... mini, with efficient battery will be launched some day.

Lithium batteries are about as good as it gets and everyone is using pretty much the same tech at this point. More improvements are being made every day in processor efficiency but the Steam Deck is about as good as it gets. The 800p display helps.

With the SteamOS I was starting to think if maybe I should try to build my own handheld.

Yeah but...

Too bulky

You're not getting any slimmer. Many have made DIY Steam Decks and they're MUCH more bulky.

[–] paper_moon@lemmy.world 4 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

One thing missing with the new handhelds and designs, and presumably a DIY design, is the dual touchpad on the steamdeck. IMO its what makes the steamdeck so popular even though its underpowered at this point. I was just playing a 2000's era PC game (Dungeon Siege) designed with keyboard and mouse with the steamdeck easily, because of the dual touchpads they integrated. Not sure you can buy those off the shelf and integrate them into a DIY project with drivers etc that easily. But maybe I'm wrong, maybe there's an off the shelf solution for this? If there is thats fucking awesome!

[–] actionjbone@sh.itjust.works 3 points 5 days ago

It's certainly possible. Especially if you're good at microsoldering and own a 3D printer, it's possible to build a respectable hand held on your own. But it's a hell of a lot of work.

[–] ryokimball 1 points 5 days ago

This one guy built a handheld based around the framework laptop parts that look pretty good, and I think there were several copycats as well.