In a nutshell: Constructing moveable variations of house consoles has lengthy been a well-liked pastime of {hardware} modders, however they normally convert older methods just like the PS1 or, extra not too long ago, the unique Xbox. Minimizing a more moderen console, such because the PlayStation 4, proved trickier however not inconceivable.
YouTuber modding channel Restore Approach not too long ago unveiled a customized moveable PlayStation 4. The gadget shrinks the entire console’s important performance right into a bundle only a few centimeters thick with a battery lifetime of round 90 minutes.
A prolonged video covers the advanced process Restore Approach used to slim down the PS4’s motherboard, cannibalize its official controller, and re-engineer the ability supply system. The modder admits that extra skilled tinkerers may need altered the board extra drastically, however his experiment was principally profitable.
Restore Approach selected the most recent model of the PS4 Slim as a result of it contains a smaller motherboard and attracts much less energy than earlier fashions. He saved many of the motherboard and the unique cooling system however eliminated the optical drive, retained one USB port, and changed the HDD with a smaller SSD.
The redesign break up a DualShock 4 down the center and reorganized the elements on both facet of the 3D-printed chassis. The touchpad was additionally divided into two buttons, inserting every on both facet above the display screen.
The construct additionally striped a seven-inch moveable 1080p show from Amazon and reengineered its internals to suit the hand-held console. This modification required chopping down the scale of its circuit board, eradicating the touchscreen overlay to scale back thickness, and changing the PS4’s HDMI connection to mini-HDMI.
Altering the ability system was probably essentially the most difficult process. Restore Approach examined exactly how a lot wattage the PS4’s motherboard required to function usually and constructed a customized lithium battery pack to match it and the added elements.
After some trial and error and a crash course in 3D modeling, Restore Approach printed a boxy chassis. Nonetheless, the primary design failed as a result of the cannibalized DualShock mounting items crumbled as a consequence of a chemical response between the ABS plastic and the Threadlocker used on the mounting screws (above). The preliminary post-assembly take a look at additionally revealed graphical glitches. These gave the impression to be brought on by the inner warmth since extra warmth shielding on the show and a greater heatsink solved the issue.
Discovering various supplies and implementing extra warmth shielding resolved the problems, leading to a workable gadget with minor caveats. The system generates an excessive amount of warmth to cost whereas enjoying video games, and together with a battery that exceeds 100Wh bans it from air journey. Nonetheless, the general result’s a practical PlayStation 4 handheld, dubbed the PS4T (PS4 Transport).
You may try Restore Approach’s 30-minute design video on YouTube.