Tag Archives: Gaming

Steam Deck OLED Limited Edition White priced $30 more than black variant is hard to resist

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The Steam Deck came in early 2022, and the only update to the handheld gaming console came in the form of an OLED version last year. One thing common to all the previous models of the Deck handheld console has been their black color.

Valve has decided to break that tradition by releasing a Steam Deck OLED: Limited Edition White for a worldwide release to the amazement of fans who’ve witnessed the white color of the gaming device only in renders. This version is a break from the monotony of the dark hue, akin to the transparent shell limited-edition version in 1TB memory, released last year that we liked to the core.

Designer: Valve

The OLED version of the Steam Deck with HDR support looks bold compared to the LCD models, and wrapped in a white color will contrast the display colors even better. Valve is not playing down the possibility of even more bold color options coming in the future depending on the response for this current version. They categorically said that they will keep improving the Deck from a software and hardware perspective.

Just like the transparent shell one, this one will only be available in a 1TB model. The off-white shell of this limited edition has gray buttons and the power button in orange. This handheld will be paired with a white carrying case and a microfiber cloth which you’ll need more often than not, since it’ll get dirtier compared to the black version.

According to Valve, the Limited Edition Deck will be available worldwide from November 18 at 3 PM. The stock has been allocated to all the worldwide regions proportionally for equitable distribution and it’ll only be available until the stocks exhaust. “Once we’re out, we’re out,” Valve says.

One user can purchase only one unit with one Steam account, so now’s the time to mark your calendars to get hands on one for $679. This is $30 more than the 1 TB Steam Deck OLED.

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AYANEO 3 handheld gaming PC brings a smootherr, gentler design to the market

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Given how they’re targeted at gamers, it’s not surprising that handheld gaming PCs adhere to the conventions and stereotypes of gaming aesthetics. Most have angular and blocky shapes that exude a sense of roughness, and while not as numerous as on PCs or laptops, they do have their fair share of RGB lighting. It’s not a bad design language, but it appeals to only a small subset of PC gamers.

Gamers are, of course, more diverse, and their taste in devices and accessories can’t be easily generalized. It’s not just a matter of choosing between dark or light motifs, a choice that is rarely offered for these handheld computers anyway, but also about the general form and flow of the design. AYANEO’s next entry into this still niche market tries to change the formula a little bit by paying closer attention to its design than its predecessors.

Designer: AYANEO

Given the sheer number of powerful hardware and components that need to be crammed inside a small body, it’s only logical that these devices would stretch the definition of the word “handheld” quite a bit. In addition to their bulk and heft, the large majority of them seem to also embrace sharp edges and angular corners. That’s fine for a laptop or desktop, but not so much for an object you will always hold in your hand while using.

The AYANEO 3 iterates over the conventional design by introducing a lot of smooth and pleasing curves that make the product look less intimidating. It’s not just on the back of the devices where the fingers rest but also on the corners of the devices. There’s no denying that it’s a device designed for gaming, but now it looks more like a welcoming toy than a cold gadget.

There are also important ergonomic changes in the next version of AYAENO’s flagship device. The orientation of the analog joysticks and D-Pad/Face buttons are now diagonal, mirroring the arrangement of controls on an Xbox controller. There are also larger back buttons, though their odd placement could prove to be cumbersome, resulting in accidental presses.

The AYANEO 3 will really be taking a big leap of faith by offering options that go beyond just black or white colors. You’ll be able to select the kind of AMD Ryzen processor you want, depending on your budget, and even choose between LCD or OLED screens. All in all, it looks like a more refined version both in terms of aesthetics as well as options, inching closer to parity with gaming laptops.

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3D printed chess pawns transform into queens thanks to magnets and springs

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Chess is a game that has existed for centuries, and it hasn’t really changed much during that time, especially in recent decades. The rules of the game are pretty much the same, which includes “power-ups” that were invented way before the term even showed up in video games. Of course, these moves don’t require any special piece outside of what’s already included in the entire set, but that doesn’t mean we can’t do anything to spruce it up.

This rather elaborate 3D printed design, for example, solves the practical problem of how to represent a pawn that has reached the opposite end and “evolved” into a queen. Sure, you can just try to remember which is which, but wouldn’t it be easier if you had spare queen pieces instead? Better yet, why not just literally evolve the pawn instead, keeping the chess set simple, relatively?

Designer: Works By Design

“Queening” is what happens when a pawn is crowned and gains the queen’s large movement powers when it reaches the opposite end of the board. In some cases, when your queen has already been captured, you can simply swap out the pieces. But what if your queen is still there or, by some stroke of luck, you have two pawns that become queens?

This form-changing pawn is one solution that utilizes 3D printing, springs, magnets, and a rather complicated internal design. The challenge was to take a regular-sized pawn and have it not only expand to the size of a queen but also exhibit its features, particularly its flared crown. If you’ve ever watched Transformers, then you might get the idea more or less.

The design underwent several iterations, particularly with the spring mechanism that holds the pieces together and then pushes them out to expand. In the end, the simpler version won out, though the final pawn size was definitely larger than normal. Fortunately, it still fits within international standards, so it probably won’t be contested in an official match.

The 3D-printed pawn uses magnets in its feet to trigger the expansion mechanism, so placing it on any metal surface, like the back row of this custom-made chess board, would make it spring into action, so to speak. It’s definitely a convoluted design for a rather simple problem, but it also adds a bit of excitement and thrill to the game, becoming a goal of its own in addition to actually winning the match.

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Wearable chess set turns one of the oldest games into a fashion statement

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Although video games today have become a multi-billion dollar industry, there are analog games that have existed for centuries and continue to be a beloved pastime and sport today. Chess, for example, is still going strong across peoples of all ages, but it isn’t just players who find the game to be a treasure trove of inspiration.

The variety of chess set designs shows how the game is so open to interpretation, much more than most video games, resulting in products ranging from artistic to technological. This rather unusual take on the classic strategy game takes chess in a slightly different direction, presenting a game you can literally wear and take with you anywhere, ready to set up a match at a moment’s notice.

Designer: Louis Le Joly Senoville

We’ve seen many interpretations of the classic chess set design, from minimalist to brutalist to self-playing technological marvels. Most of these sets are designed to be installed in one location, while portable chess sets are sometimes too small because they’re meant to fit inside bags. They still take up space, of course, so that means giving up room that’s meant for your other, equally important stuff.

Ha Mat, which is short of “eched ha mat,” (“checkmate” in Breton) solves this problem by turning the chess set into something completely inconspicuous when not in use. In this case, the chess board becomes a scarf, the pieces become rings, and the timer becomes a watch. It’s literally a chess set you can wear as a fashion piece, allowing you to play anywhere there’s a flat plane to place everything on.

Of course, Ha Mat needs to actually look fashionable to qualify as a fashion statement, and it definitely fits the bill. The “board” takes inspiration from silk maps and military training scarves on antiquity, and the color scheme even tries to pay homage to luxurious hues used on chess boards in the past, particularly leather and wood. The watch that’s part of the set is quite peculiar because it can split in half and act as a timer for both sides.

The most interesting designs, however, are the chess pieces themselves. They have flat bottoms so they can stand on the “board,” but they have holes in the middle to wear as rings on your fingers. The pieces have tops that are more symbolic and iconic to identify their position on the board, simplifying their identity in order to fit the need to have flat pieces.

Of the 32 chess pieces, you can wear 16 on eight of your fingers if you pair similar pieces together. These would make you look like you’re wearing knuckle dusters, so they might not exactly be safe to wear in public. Still, the concept is quite intriguing, as it transforms one type of product into a completely different kind, without losing either one’s identity. In fact, it elevates the chess set from a game to something that’s an integral part of your life.

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Make your own Steam Deck handheld gaming PC using a modular laptop

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Handheld gaming devices are quite the fad these days, especially now that major PC makers have all joined the bandwagon. Although we’re reaching a point where all internal specs are becoming identical, there’s still a variety of designs and features available. Just like laptops, however, these designs are fixed and you can only select from what others have already made.

Embodying the spirit of desktop computers, this latest DIY project enables you to build your own Steam Deck clone, presuming you have the parts and skills to assemble one. Unlike other configurations, however, this isn’t relying on some low-power computer like the Raspberry Pi but instead leans on the power provided by a modular laptop design.

Designer: Beth Le

There is no shortage of mods and projects to build custom handheld PCs, whether for gaming or light computing, but the majority of these use small but under-powered single-board computers or SBCs. These are cheap, easy to cram into small shells, but will hardly be able to play any games outside of retro emulators. The problem is that there isn’t an SBC powerful enough to support that use case.

That’s where the Framework modular laptop comes in. Thanks to its modular design, it is possible to actually purchase the mainboard of such a powerful computer, and the 13-inch variant happens to be an adequate size to stuff inside a 3D-printed gaming handheld shell. Although it doesn’t exactly have gaming-worthy specs, it’s still powerful enough to run some AAA games with low settings.

The Beth Deck, which is the name for this hot new build-it-yourself handheld PC, doesn’t stop there. It also uses a matching Framework 13 battery and many off-the-shelf parts. Everything that can’t be bought can be 3D printed, and the claim is that you barely need to solder anything. You could almost say it’s like playing with LEGO, except with computer parts instead of bricks.

It’s not the perfect handheld design, of course, since the Framework 13 mainboard isn’t designed for that purpose. It does, however, reveal the possibilities available with such a modular component available for as low as $199. It might even inspire other designs that customize not just the appearance but also the controls. After all, if you can easily make a Steam Deck clone, why stop at being just a Steam Deck clone?

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PlayStation 4 mod puts a portable console in your hands

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The Nintendo Switch ushered in a new age for handheld gaming devices, but somewhat ironically, PC gaming handhelds are the ones dominating that niche market. There was a time when the PlayStation Portable and Vita were the only “serious” portable consoles around, but neither Sony nor Xbox seems to be in a rush to catch up. No, the PlayStation Portal doesn’t qualify in this regard.

This left PlayStation fans to their own devices to scratch this portable itch, leading to many mods and DIY projects with varying levels of success. What makes the “PS4T” rather notable isn’t its looks, which is downright basic, but the way it tries to reuse as much of the original PS4 Slim hardware as much as possible, leading to some interesting design choices.

Designer: Josh (Restore Technique)

There is no shortage of attempts to shoehorn PlayStation and Xbox consoles into relatively handheld sizes, and many of them require modifying and cutting up the console’s motherboard to shrink the whole system down. Curiously, this particular design doesn’t do that, which simplifies the process a little bit but does mean that “handheld” is loosely applied in this case. Of course, many parts like the optical drive and hard disk have to be removed, but the fan and cooling system are mostly the same.

The PS4 Slim is used as the base for this mod as it has the smallest mainboard, fan, and power draw of modern PlayStation models. An original DualShock 4 controller was also used and gutted, but unnecessary parts like the rumble motor and the touchpad were thrown out. The process is definitely not for the faint of heart, but more seasoned modders probably won’t break a sweat.

What’s interesting about the entire process is how it reveals the considerations that have to be made when designing a portable gaming device. Not only do you have to think about battery capacity and heat management, you also have to consider the optimal placements of components inside. It’s definitely not as simple as throwing everything together to have a pretty layout, but the final design, despite its boxy shape, is satisfying and, more importantly, actually functional.

Of course, Sony would have better engineers and designers to work on such a product, so it’s really a matter of business why it hasn’t yet made a new portable PlayStation. For now, console gamers will have to settle for fan-made handheld designs, presuming they’re not wading into the murky gray area of intellectual property rights.

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