Handheld gaming machines are compact, easy to use, and give you the freedom to bring AAA titles to your busy lifestyle. They are more of a luxury accessory these days owing to the skyrocketing memory module prices worldwide. So, there aren’t many gamers who are willing to shell out $500 – $1,000 upwards for the luxury.
A DIYer identified these problems and finally set out on making a gaming handheld for a fraction of the cost. The custom-made gaming handheld PC is built out of a Galaxy A90 phone with a broken screen bought off eBay for $30. The major components, including the processor, RAM, GPU, and the built-in battery, are salvaged out carefully by removing the outer shell. These components act as the main brain of the gadget.
Designer: GameRig
The next major step is to get hold of a Bluetooth gaming controller and the keyboard, and somehow get them to fit inside the handheld’s shell which is quite thin. Since we are talking of a gaming handheld, the controller’s outside shell, vibration motors, ports, and the support system for the components can be removed. Just the PCB, joystick, and the button inputs are required. The 11.5 cm long keyboard is saved from the same treatment as it is already quite thin to fit inside the handheld rig.
Then comes the most important component for the thing, and the maker luckily had a 7-inch screen display lying around. So, the next step is to connect the keyboard and the controller components to the screen and check if everything is working fine. The connection from the screen to the other components is via the Samsung DeX app using the USB-C hub.
The enclosure of the hub is quite big, so it gets the same treatment, as only the necessary components are retained, and the enclosure is eliminated from the equation. The phone’s battery and an added battery are salvaged for the project. But the display requires 5V output while the battery is capped at 3.5 V. The solution is to get a charging board that supplies the desired voltage to the components.
After getting the hard work done, GameRig gets down to building the shell of the handheld. Predictably, he uses 3D-printed components to get the job done. The display housing is built first, and then the main housing for the rest of the components is dealt with.
Next, it is down to soldering the required components like the controller, power board, and the motherboard to the batteries. After figuring out the wiring and the ports for the machine, the DIY handheld gaming rig comes to life. The last step is to fit a speaker for the machine, and then again test everything again before securing the housing.
The fun part starts here as the hard work put into the making is rewarded with the maiden session of gaming on the handheld. To be honest, the modern-day AAA titles like Tomb Raider are a bit of a handful for the machine. However, it is perfect for playing the less demanding arcade titles like Asphalt or classic games every gamer still swears by.
