Overview
- A Reddit user known as PhyFawkes (also posted as Good‑District1252) removed a Steam Deck motherboard, battery, speakers, buttons and other internals and packed them into a 3D‑printed case the size of an original Game Boy.
- The SteamBoy boots and runs games when hooked to an external monitor, but the built‑in screen is not yet functional because the Deck’s firmware must be taught to recognize the replacement panel.
- To make the new 1200×1080, 90 Hz AMOLED panel work the builder says a custom adapter PCB between the Deck ribbon cable and the display plus BIOS/firmware modifications are likely required.
- The maker reworked cooling with a tiny 30×7 mm fan, a custom heatsink mount and undervolting; temperature tests showed mid‑70s to low‑80s °C under game load, raising battery and sustained‑use concerns.
- Because the project uses mostly stock Steam Deck parts and a printable case, it is easily shared with experienced modders and could prompt more community replications or small commercial interest while highlighting Valve’s warnings about heat and reliability when changing the Deck’s layout.