Redditor builds his own PS4 handheld, the 'PS4P' has a 1080p screen and a cooling fan from a GTX 750

The same Reddit modder who turned a PS4 Slim into a working handheld earlier this year is back with round two. Posting under the handle wewillmakeitnow, they built a second version of their DIY console, and this one is noticeably more compact than the original.

The new build, called the PS4P v2, still runs on a cut-down PS4 Slim motherboard, but the modder says this version draws less power, which helps with battery life. It keeps the same 7-inch 1080p OLED screen and pairs it with six 21700 cells rated at 5000mAh each, good for 1.5 to 3 hours depending on the game. It can also run off external power, and it supports HDMI output plus a real PS4 controller if you'd rather hook it up to a TV.

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One of the more interesting changes is the cooling setup. The modder mounted a fan pulled from an old GTX 750 graphics card to the back of the unit, with a removable guard over it. Take the guard off for better airflow, or leave it on to shield the fan from dust and knocks. For me, the fan on the back also adds to the industrialist aesthetics of the build, but that can be subjective.

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TweakTown covered the first version back in January, which weighed around 1.5kg and looked more like a brick than a finished product. This version comes in lighter at 1.3kg, and going off the photos shared on Reddit, it looks tighter and more refined too. It's still bulky next to something like a Steam Deck, but it comes closer to passing as a real commercial product than most DIY console builds manage.

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Of course, this is just one guy trying to do his best, so there will be tradeoffs. Cramming a console motherboard and a graphics card fan into a handheld shell comes with thermal and power constraints, not to mention that a 1.3kg handheld is not going to be very comfortable. For now, this stays a one-off passion project, though the jump in polish between the two builds is obvious.

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Projects like this keep showing up because there's still no official PlayStation handheld that can run PS4 or PS5 games locally. Sony has reportedly been working on one, with the rumored PS6 handheld tipped to launch alongside the next console generation, and a refreshed PlayStation Portal said to be getting a better OLED panel. Neither replaces local rendering though, which is exactly what builds like this one are chasing.

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Frequently Asked Questions

TweakBot answers common questions about this news using TweakTown's own coverage from this page and related content from our archive. Tap a question to reveal the answer, or type your own below.

Question #1

What are the battery specifications and estimated runtime for the PS4P v2 handheld?

The PS4P v2 uses six 21700 cells rated at 5000mAh each. The modder says that battery setup provides about 1.5 to 3 hours of runtime depending on the game.

Answered

Question #2

How does the PS4P v2’s weight compare to the maker’s first PS4 handheld build?

The first version weighed around 1.5 kg, while the PS4P v2 is lighter at 1.3 kg. The v2 is therefore about 0.2 kg lighter and described as tighter and more refined.

Answered

Question #3

What power options does the PS4P v2 support besides its internal battery?

Besides its internal battery, the PS4P v2 can run off external power. The article does not list any other alternate power options.

Answered

Question #4

What thermal and comfort tradeoffs did the article note about cramming a PS4 Slim motherboard into a handheld shell?

The article says cramming a PS4 Slim motherboard into a handheld creates thermal and power constraints, so the builder added a GTX 750 graphics-card fan to help cooling and offered a removable guard you can take off for better airflow or leave on to shield the fan from dust and knocks. It also notes the device draws less power than the prior build but still only gets about 1.5 to 3 hours of battery life depending on the game. Comfortwise, the handheld weighs 1.3kg, which the article says is not going to be very comfortable.

Answered

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The handheld PC market has grown into a multi-million unit business thanks to devices like the Steam Deck and the ROG Xbox Ally, but PlayStation fans still don't have an equivalent. Builds like this show there's clearly demand for one, even if this particular handheld will never be sold commercially.