The modern gaming handheld boom has given rise to everything from the Steam Deck to quirky little Android-powered emulation machines that are more limited, but more affordable and portable. However, one modder, who goes by u/PhyFawkes on Reddit, has done serious modding to turn his Steam Deck LCD into a compact gaming handheld that aims to be the best of both worlds.

The SteamBoy, as it is called by the modder, uses the original Steam Deck LCD motherboard, daughter boards, controller boards, and original battery stacked together carefully in a vertical sandwich. The resulting SteamBoy features stock ABXY face buttons as well as a single trackpad and thumb stick. The new form factor requires a new display, which turned out to be one of the biggest challenges, as the modder opted for a 1200×1080p AMOLED panel originally designed for VR headsets, which is still a work in progress.

Aside from the custom casing, there is custom engineering and design work required to make the SteamBoy work. The controller board for the display is one such custom piece, which has yet to be completed—the SteamBoy currently only works when connected to an external display. The other major custom detail is the 3D-printed bracket for the 30 mm fan, acquired from AliExpress, and the tiny copper heat sink.

Not only did these components add design work, but the smaller cooling capacity means the SteamBoy can only achieve decent performance and temperatures with the CPU and GPU running a -50 mV undervolt.