Use a Framework Mainboard to Build Your Own Steam Deck-Style Gaming Device
Beth Le designed this Valve Steam Deck alternative based on a Framework laptop mainboard.
For decades, console gaming and PC gaming were distinct and separate. But the lines have grown increasingly blurred in recent years, as cross-platform development has become the norm, console exclusives have become rare, and hardware has become more standardized. The Valve Steam Deck seems to be the cumulation of that, as it puts PC gaming in a handheld console form factor. But if even that doesn’t give you enough freedom, then you’ll want to follow Beth Le’s instructions to use a Framework mainboard to build your own handheld gaming PC.
Framework is a company that has managed to achieve something that previously seemed impossible: modularizing laptop hardware. In the past, that seemed like a pipe dream. Laptops need so much physical optimization of space that modular components, like on desktop PCs, just didn’t seem feasible. But Framework pulled it off and they sell a whole range of modules that users can piece together to build their own custom laptops.
And there is nothing stopping enterprising users from creating devices in other form factors using that same hardware. In this case, Le’s design, dubbed the “Beth Deck,” takes advantage of a Framework 13” mainboard and a Framework battery. Users can select which mainboard and battery they’d like, in order to balance capability and cost.
Those Framework modules fit into a 3D-printed enclosure with a design aesthetic very reminiscent of the Nintendo Switch Lite. It looks great (Le is a design engineer and it shows) and only requires a handful of fasteners, in addition to the 3D-printed parts.
The other hardware consists of the controller and the screen, plus some cables. The controller is an EasySMX M05 that is meant for smartphone gaming. Le’s design puts those PCBs, joysticks, and buttons inside of the enclosure. The screen is an 8” IPS LCD from Waveshare that features capacitive touch. The resolution is 1280×800, which is exactly the same as the Valve Steam Deck.
This is a really well thought out project and we’re impressed by Le’s resourceful use of the Framework modules — something we’re expecting to see a lot more in the coming years. For anyone that likes the Steam Deck concept but not the actual hardware (or operating system), this may be the perfect option.
