Pitstoptech's Framework Mainboard-Powered Handheld Is a Nintendo Switch/Valve Steam Deck Mash-Up
Currently in the functional prototype phase, this project aims to launch a DIY kit for turning Mainboard SBCs into portable consoles.
Pseudonymous maker "Pitstoptech" has become the latest to build something around Framework's Mainboard single-board computer, taking inspiration from Nintendo's Switch and Valve's Steam Deck to create a Microsoft Windows-based portable gaming device with surprising performance.
"[This is a] project I've been working on that I'm very passionate about," Pitstoptech writes in the description of his video unveiling the device. "A fully upgradeable gaming handheld where you can upgrade the battery, mainboard (CPU), RAM, [and] storage by utilizing Framework's modular components."
The heart of the build is Framework's Mainboard, a single-board computer originally designed to power Framework's modular laptop systems but then sold as a standalone device in its own right. Based originally on Intel processors, and now available in second-generation Intel and AMD variants, the Mainboard's performance and compatibility with Microsoft Windows sees it stand out from the crowd — and for those Framework Laptop owners who have upgraded their systems, the temptation to do something with the old Mainboard has led to someimpressiveprojects.
Pitstoptech's is certainly up there with the best. Based on the concept of combining the removable controllers of Nintendo's Switch console with the software compatibility of Valve's Steam Deck, the unnamed modular gaming handheld features an Intel Core i7-1260P processor with integrated graphics, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB solid-state storage drive. Inside the surprisingly compact chassis is a seven-inch Full HD touchscreen display, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth radios, stereo speakers, and a 61Wh battery for gaming on the go.
Pitstoptech hasn't yet released full technical details of the chassis' design: "The design in the video is a prototype," the maker explains, "and I intend to further update it to a more final form which I can then offer as a DIY kit. The final design is well under-way and I hope to release it soon as I want to ensure it's as good as it can be."
More information is available in the videos embedded above.