Resourceful gamer shrinks Valve’s Steam Deck into Game Boy, with custom 3D-printed cooling — plans display around 1200x1080, 90Hz AMOLED panel

An enthusiastic Steam Deck modder named PhyFawkes is on the verge of completing a remarkable project: transforming Valve’s Steam Deck into a handheld gaming device the size of the iconic Nintendo Game Boy. This ambitious WIP, dubbed the SteamBoy, combines the compact form factor of the Game Boy with the powerful internals of the Steam Deck. However, there remain some significant obstacles to overcome, primarily designing a custom display adapter PCB and fitting a new screen.

PhyFawkes' inspiration for the SteamBoy stemmed from a lightbulb moment: "The Steam Deck motherboard seems pretty small," they mused. "I wonder if you could make a Steam Deck the size of a Game Boy?" The design for the hybrid device is already progressing impressively, with a fully functional LCD Steam Deck motherboard, battery, speakers, and face buttons all fitting within the Game Boy dimensions, according to the modder.

The cooling solution involves an 30 x 7mm fan and heatsink purchased from AliExpress, along with a custom 3D-printed mount. Using this cooler design and some undervolting, the SteamBoy maintains reasonable maximum temperatures of around 70-80 degrees Celsius during gaming.

Getting the 1200x1080, 90Hz AMOLED panel originally intended for VR to interface and fit within the Game Boy shell remains a challenging task. PhyFawkes admits that this integration will require a custom adapter PCB to be placed between the Steam Deck ribbon cable and the display, as well as a BIOS modification – similar to the firmware changes seen in the DeckHD and Deck Sight projects.

While a video demonstration of the SteamBoy in operation attached to a monitor is available, the device can only be used with the screen integration challenges addressed. PhyFawkes expressed their optimism in a comment, stating that it won't be too long before the SteamBoy is fully functional and ready for gaming on the go.