Tag Archives: gaming console

PlayStation One-inspired Handheld Console has a Built-in Disc Reader for Offline Gaming On-The-Go

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The PlayStation 5 may have gotten a design refresh in the form of a detachable disc drive… but this handheld concept gets a feature we never thought we’d see… handheld disc gaming! The MOI3D is a concept controller from the brains of Vadim Danilkov, who wanted to build a modern variant of the PS One. Debuted in 2000, the redesigned PS One was the highest-selling console that year (even outperforming the more capable PS2 which launched in the same year)… its highlight, a detachable LCD screen that made it a complete gaming solution that you could play with sans a TV. MOI3D builds on that retro vision, with a handheld variant that lets you play all your disc-based PS games going all the way back to the first PlayStation made. Pop the disc in the back and the console fires up, allowing you to relive almost 3 decades of gaming a la PlayStation!

Designer: Vadim Danilkov

The MOI3D was created as a part of Vadim’s broader CAD modeling and plastics rendering course back in the day, and only recently revived as a concept tech device given Sony’s odd PlayStation Portal debut that really confused the entire gaming world. While the Portal looked like a spiritual successor to the PSP, it turned out to be a glorified controller that only worked when wirelessly tethered to an existing PS5. The MOI3D has no such problem, given that it physically runs games on the device thanks to that built-in CD player.

The MOI3D’s aesthetic gets defined by the presence of this CD reader. While most handheld consoles like the Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck have a rather sensible rectangular shape, the MOI3D looks sort of like if a rectangle ate a circle. The weird form may be a deterrent for some, but I think it’s a classic example of form following function… and what the MOI3D loses in sleek appeal, it makes up for with its gaming chops and incredible backward compatibility.

The level of detailing in this concept is maddening to the point where I feel like it should just be a real product by now. Vadim’s pretty much built out every PCB, button, and plastic component in this device and that in itself is a design feat that’s difficult to achieve.

Keeping in line with current handheld consoles, the MOI3D has all the bells and whistles, including all the action buttons (even the L1/L2 and R1/R2 buttons on the shoulders), an HDMI out, and a USB-C port for charging. A centrally located button on the top surface helps open the CD tray, and at least from the looks of it, the one thing missing is a 3.5mm audio jack. To be fair, the MOI3D does have its own front-firing speaker units. That should definitely hold up wonderfully for some of the older games you’ll find yourself playing on the MOI3D, given its ability to support games from the original PS dating back to 1994! Online gaming could never compare itself to this…

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This retro gaming console is actually a mini PC disguised as a classic Macintosh

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Nostalgia is a very powerful emotion, especially judging by the number of successful “retro” products sold in the market in the past years. Although the flood has seemingly trickled down a bit, it continues to flow especially in the gaming scene. Old gaming brands have suddenly resurfaced to bring nearly forgotten designs to the present, taking previous generations down memory lane while introducing today’s gamers to old-school experiences. While some of these retro consoles actually try to relive the past, this interesting and rather cute box might take your head for a spin with its Mac design and PC internals, combined to offer not just a gaming computer but a piece of desk decoration as well.

Designer: AYANEO

Compared to the computers put out by the likes of Atari and Commodore, the early PCs didn’t really have a memorable design that would go down in history as iconic computers. It was the original Apple Macintosh, instead, that captured people’s attention and imagination of what a home personal computer should look like. Of course, that was decades in the past, but the imagery has stood the test of time as proof of the design’s timeless character. AYANEO, a brand better known for gaming handhelds, is now taking that immensely popular design and giving it a rather curious twist.

As part of its AYANEO REMAKE concept line, the AYANEO Retro Mini PC AM01 slaps the old Mac design onto a new machine. The basic elements that have distinguished one of Apple’s earliest successes are there, tweaked a bit to avoid potential controversies, of course. There’s the telltale sign of a floppy drive, as well as a square rainbow badge that’s a nod to the old Apple logo. There’s a black rectangle near the top that’s purely cosmetic, denoting where the screen is supposed to be located. There’s nothing there, though, which is a bit of a waste, but it doesn’t really matter considering how the mini PC is used.

Unlike the Mac, the AYANEO Retro Mini PC is meant to lie down on its “back” rather than standing up, with that black rectangle in the rear. That’s because the ports for the computer are actually located on what would have been the top and bottom sides, so it has to be horizontal to actually be useful. Of course, this product is a gaming console anyway, not a standalone computer with a built-in display, so you’ll need to plug in peripherals to make it work. And yes, it runs Windows 11, which, given the eternal rivalry between Macs and PCs, some might find a bit insulting.

AYANEO has other retro designs also in the pipeline, including the Retro Mini PC AM02 that takes after the classic NES design. Curiously, that one does have a functional mini display since it can actually be used upright. It’s also working on a handheld that brings back the dual-display design of the not-so-old Nintendo DS, though the practical purpose of that second display is yet to be revealed.

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