Homemade PS4P Handheld Packs OLED, GTX 750 Fan—But Weighs 2x Steam
The PS4P handheld is the kind of project that makes you marvel at the engineering while wincing at the compromises. Modder wewillmakeitnow has crammed a PS4 Slim motherboard into a custom 3D-printed shell with a 7-inch OLED display, creating a device that runs PS4 games natively at 1080p — no streaming, no emulation. The trade-offs are severe: the unit weighs 1.3 kilograms, more than double a Steam Deck, and requires an external GTX 750 GPU fan bolted to the back just to keep thermals in check. It is a stunning technical achievement that also serves as a reality check for anyone hoping native PlayStation portable gaming is right around the corner.
1.3 Kilograms of Proof That Native PS4 Handhelds Are Still a Pipe Dream
The weight alone disqualifies the PS4P as a practical handheld. At more than twice the Steam Deck’s 669 grams, the device strains wrists within minutes and demands a surface or lap for extended use — a reminder that even commercial handhelds pushing £1,000 still prioritize ergonomics over brute-force engineering. The GTX 750 fan mounted externally, caged to prevent bag damage, adds both bulk and audible noise that would be disruptive in quiet spaces. The OLED panel delivers genuinely impressive image quality — native 1080p on a 7-inch screen makes PS4 titles look sharper than they ever did on a TV — but that visual fidelity comes at the cost of any pretense of portability.
Three Hours of Battery, With a Brick of a Workaround
Battery life clocks in at roughly three hours, unchanged from the first iteration. The modder’s recommended workaround — an external 12V battery pack — adds still more weight to an already burdensome setup. The PS4 Slim motherboard was never designed for portable power efficiency, and no amount of creative shell design can overcome the architecture’s baseline draw. On the positive side, the ergonomics have improved over the original rectangular prototype, and the creator has hinted at potentially releasing build instructions for those with the tools and tolerance for such a project. For now, the PS4P stands as a remarkable DIY proof-of-concept — and the clearest illustration yet that native PS4 handheld gaming won’t arrive until custom silicon and battery technology catch up to the ambition, even as premium handhelds continue pushing the price ceiling upward.