The standard Steam Deck model averages around $400 online, and many Mini PCs demand a similar investment, but the important thing here is that they have reached a very attractive price-to-performance ratio for the user. So, why not get the best of both worlds? CNCDan on YouTube is a true enthusiast of handheld consoles, and a year ago he began exploring the possibility of creating a sort of DIY Steam Deck. Everything he learned was poured into his latest design, and honestly, it looks great…
Both the Nintendo Switch and the Steam Deck have taught us that it's not necessary to have high-end components (which, by the way, consume hundreds of watts) to access quality games. Not a few users have adopted the Steam Deck as a permanent replacement, and the future for them is very interesting, because from this point on, the hardware can only improve.
But there is also the DIY path, and despite its natural difficulties, the flexibility it offers is very tempting. All those who decide to take on that challenge will have in their hands a custom-made console that responds to direct needs, and so we come to the CNCDan on YouTube channel. For more than a year he has been working on custom designs for handheld consoles, and his latest video presents that accumulated knowledge through a console based on AMD hardware:
How to Build a Homemade Steam Deck
The “brain” of this project is a Beelink SER5 mini computer with a Ryzen 7 5700U processor, Radeon Vega 8 graphics, and 16 GB of RAM. Although it's not the fastest option in that format, CNCDan explains that the Beelink SER5 has a reasonable cost and wide availability in his country (Australia). The screen is from the Waveshare brand, with an 8-inch size, touch support, and a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels. A small hack on its PCB allowed him to create a special cable for the touchscreen, much more compact than usual.
The console requires 19 volts at 3.7 amps at its maximum configuration, and CNCDan aims for one hour of battery life under that condition. The solution is a pack of four 21700 cells with 17.28 watt-hours each, divided into two to simplify installation in the casing. As for the buttons, CNCDan has made them in the past, but buying the front set on AliExpress is a very convenient shortcut, and he focused his efforts on making the shoulder/trigger combos. The joysticks are from PS4 with Hall effect technology, and its final installation is inspired by the Wii U.
CNCDan also incorporated a trackpad into his design, and with the general idea defined, he created the casing. Still, he couldn't escape the need for custom PCBs for the controls, and everything that is power delivery (essentially, it works like a UPS). The only “compromise” (if we can call it that) is the HDMI cable that must loop outside the console to reach the motherboard connector, but at the end of the day, it's a minor detail.
The end result? Fabulous. At the same time, we must not forget that this hardware allows CNCDan to expand storage and RAM without much difficulty, or replace the entire platform if Beelink decides to update that motherboard in the future.
