An unusual Steam Deck conversion has just been unveiled online, turning the popular handheld gaming PC into a very small console. This ultra-thin design removes the screen and battery from Valve’s handheld, incorporating the motherboard and fan into a cleverly designed, 3D-printed chassis.
The Steam Deck remains the best gaming handheld PC you can buy right now, with the emphasis on the word handheld, because removing the screen and battery turns this Deck into a very different Steam-powered gaming console for your TV instead. With recent Valve console rumors seeming more like wishful thinking, at least for the time being, this concept offers an intriguing look at what a modern Steam Machine might look like.
Builder TheColliBoy shared his unusual full-scale Steam Deck conversion in a post in the Steam Deck subreddit. The build itself is made using the components from an otherwise “e-waste” Steam Deck that would no longer work with its internal screen, with TheColliBoy salvaging the motherboard and fan and placing it inside a 3D-printed custom case.
The case itself is designed to be entirely screwless, allowing for easy access to the internal components for future modifications. There’s even space for a large ring with a Valve keyring attached, just for a bit of extra design flair, while TheColliBoy is also working on a vertical stand to allow for extra airflow.
This isn’t the first Steam Deck conversion we’ve seen, with the Steam Brick also removing the screen to create a mini games console, although that design looked bulkier than this one.
TheColliBoy is planning to share the 3D models for this design for free very soon, so if you’ve got a spare Deck to pull apart, you’ll be able to replicate the design yourself. While we wouldn’t recommend pulling apart your own Deck for a project such as this one, it’s certainly a good way to rescue a broken one, especially if you’ve got a 3D printer to spare.
If you’re looking for a small PC that isn’t a handheld for 1080p gaming, check out our best mini gaming PC guide, which has several options for a range of budgets. You can also follow us on Google News for daily PC hardware news, reviews, and guides, or join our community Discord to stay in the know.