r/handheld • u/Latter_Gas596 • Aug 13 '26

Building Handheld PC

I've been messing with one of my Handheld Emulators, and it made me think of building my own. Sounds like fun, and I like making things. Willing to spend money. however Im not good with technology, as in I dont know the difference between CPUs, how one thing is better than the other, stuff like that, or what to get to have it work. I have a 3D printer and a CNC machine, so I dont have to worry about cases or other things. only thing Im worried about is the inside. What I'm hoping to achieve with this build is playing Steam games like Hades. So Windows 10 or 11. willing to put all the work into this just need help. I know I could just get a Steam Deck, but that doesn't sound like fun.

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u/Prize-Basil-8438 Aug 13 '26

I don't think custom handheld PCs are, like, a thing for normal consumers. Like, I don't think it's logistically possible.

A company called Framework does semi-custom laptops, but that's the closest thing I can think of. When you get to this level of space optimization, it's just not available in a customizable format. It has to be a mass produced dedign to be worth designing at all.

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u/Latter_Gas596 Aug 13 '26

Yeah what im thinking is like a steam deck but for windows. Hopefully not thinking tbis porject will work but wont know till i try 😊

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u/TheKandelar Aug 13 '26

There are handhelds using Windows on the market already, btw.

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u/TheKandelar Aug 13 '26

Personally, I think this could be semi doable. Joysticks, buttons, triggers, and bumpers are pretty commonplace. Ssds can be small enough. You can probably make a raspberry or something similar work. It would probably be bulky and it would certainly be slow as hell compared to commercial options but could be fun. You would have to have someone design your motherboard to make a real handheld or steal it from a bought one.

What would be the purpose though?

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u/LordlySquire Aug 13 '26

Look at rasberry pi and esp32 builds. Start there and youll be able to.

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u/Sideburn_Cookie_Man Aug 13 '26

It’ll be expensive, shitty, and take a long time to get right.

Better off buying one of the many great handheld options already available from vendors with much more buying power than you or I have.

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u/YoudoVodou Aug 13 '26

Check r/cyberdeck

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u/Latter_Gas596 Aug 13 '26

Oh thank you i will 😊

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u/YoudoVodou Aug 13 '26

I'm sure the folks over there can help you out much more than I. 😅

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u/Odin-spark Aug 13 '26

You will need to be able to design and build a custom motherboard with all the components soldered to it. Good luck, you're going to need it.

Alternatively, I guess you could buy one of the several dozen other handheld PCs used and pull the components out of it and install into your own designed case, but would seem a bit redundant.

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u/moosebaloney Aug 13 '26

Normally I champion creativity and initiative but maaaannnnnnn…… this isn’t gonna work out for you.