THIS OPEN-SOURCE HANDHELD TURNS A TINY INTEL NUC MINI-PC INTO A WINDOWS GAMING CONSOLE
Turn a 7th-gen Intel NUC mini-PC into a full Windows gaming handheld, with a printed shell, custom controller boards and a touchscreen.
Open-hardwareDisplays
Built withArduino3D printing
- difficulty
- ●●●●○
- time
- multiple weekends
- license
- CERN-OHL-S-2.0
- repo
- repo STABLE555 stars
●●●●○ · multiple weekends · CERN-OHL-S-2.0 · 555 stars · repo STABLE
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
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COMPAREE VERDICT
NucDeck is one of the most complete open handheld PC builds published: the repo has STEP and STL files for the shell and buttons, KiCad files and zipped Gerbers for four controller boards, Arduino firmware and a 19-page mechanical assembly PDF. The core is a 7th-gen Intel NUC board wrapped in a 3D-printed shell with Alps analog sticks, magnetic triggers, a touchscreen and a four-cell lithium pack. The author puts the parts at roughly 311 dollars, not counting the NUC or shipping, and most of that is the custom PCBs, which come in sets of five. This is not a weekend build: you order and assemble custom boards with small surface-mount parts and assemble a four-cell battery pack. If you have never ordered a PCB or handled lithium cells, this is the wrong first project. If you have, and you want a capable x86 handheld you built yourself, the nine-episode build series makes it very approachable.
IN THE REPO
GOOD TO KNOW
- —Full 3D files for the shell (STEP and STL) and PCB Gerbers are in the repo.
- —Detailed BOM with suppliers and part numbers; cost estimated at 311 dollars excluding the NUC.
- —A 19-page mechanical assembly guide (PDF with CAD drawings) is in the repo; electronics are covered by the KiCad files and the build videos.
- —Controller firmware (Arduino) for the left and right boards is in the repo; the NUC itself runs stock Windows or Linux.
- —CERN-OHL-S-2.0 licence: strongly reciprocal open hardware. Commercial use is allowed if you publish changes under the same licence.
- —You still need to source a used 7th-generation Intel NUC separately; it is not included in the author's parts estimate.
Parts to buy
8 itemsFrom our check of the build. Exact quantities and part numbers are in the creator’s BOM.
Can I build this?
Build at your own risk. Projects involve tools, electronics and sometimes mains voltage — follow the creator’s safety notes.
Videos
NucDeck - The DIY windows gaming handheld - Episode One
Episode 1 of CNCDan's own design-and-build series (nine episodes plus a battery-life test).
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Start here
Navigation into the creator’s own docs — we don’t rewrite the guide, we route you to the source.
- 1.Read the full build guide in the repo README and the assembly doc (Start here, not with ordering parts. The shell is designed around a 7th-generation Intel NUC board (the back cover and port plate are named for it), and the assembly PDF covers the mechanical steps and the screw list.)
- 2.Source a used 7th-generation Intel NUC(The shell is designed for a 7th-generation Intel NUC board. Check used-PC sellers and match the board against the CAD before buying.)
- 3.Order the custom PCB from the Gerbers in the repo(The KiCad files and zipped Gerbers for the four controller boards are in the PCB's folder. The author priced them at PCBWay; boards come as a set of five, so a group order with other builders cuts the cost.)
- 4.Print the shell while you wait for the PCB(STLs are in the 'Housing - STL' and 'Buttons - STL' folders (Standard or NoRGB housing, clicky or membrane buttons). Test-fit the NUC board before final assembly.)
Resources
Documentation, files and community threads for this build — we link straight to the original sources and never rehost the creator’s files.
KNOWN ISSUES
- The shell is built around a 7th-generation Intel NUC board. A different generation will not fit without redesigning the housing, so confirm your board matches the CAD before buying it.
- Battery charging and monitoring run on the project's own BMS board (a BQ25792 charger and MAX17261 fuel gauge) plus a bought 4S cell balancer. A mistake when wiring four lithium cells can start a fire, so double-check polarity and test the pack outside the shell first.
- Match the display exactly: any 1024×600 50-pin RGB panel no larger than 164.9×100×3.3 mm fits, driven by the PCB800812 board — an HDMI panel will not.
- The controller boards use small 0603 parts and fine-pitch DFN/QFN chips. If you have never soldered those, use a stencil and hot air, or practise on scrap first.
- The README notes that electronics documentation was still to be added after the boards were finished, so you will rely on the KiCad files, board BOMs and the build videos for the electronics. Be comfortable reading a schematic before you start.
- The shell, grips, triggers and buttons are many separate parts; plan your print queue and test-fit before gluing anything. Membrane buttons print best on a resin printer, per the README.
Can I use a different Intel NUC model?
The shell is designed around a 7th-generation Intel NUC board (the back cover and port plate are named for it). Other NUC generations have different board layouts and will not fit without redesigning the shell, so check your board against the CAD before you buy.
Do I need to build the custom PCB, or can I hand-wire it?
Build the PCBs. The four custom boards carry the buttons, joystick and trigger electronics, power and the battery management, and they are shaped to fit the shell. Hand-wiring is not documented by the author.
What is the battery life?
It depends heavily on the game and power settings. The author tested runtime with several games in a dedicated battery-life video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FQKwnMxRxI); watch that before you decide. A full x86 NUC will not match an ARM handheld.
Can I run this on Linux instead of Windows?
Probably. The NUC is a normal x86 PC, so it can run any OS that supports it. The author built and tested it on Windows, so on Linux you will need to check the controller and touchscreen behaviour yourself.
Is the CERN licence okay for selling these?
Yes, with conditions. CERN-OHL-S-2.0 allows commercial use, but if you modify the design you must publish your changes under the same licence. If you are making them to sell, read the licence file in the repo carefully.
Community builds
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Discussion1
FROM THE COMPAREE TEAM
The author's parts estimate excludes the NUC and shipping, and PCBs come in sets of five. Would you organise a group buy to split the boards, or build solo?
CNCDan (dmcke5)
Daniel McKenzie (CNCDan) designed NucDeck as an open-source handheld gaming PC, documented the whole design and build in a nine-episode YouTube series plus a battery-life test, and published the CAD, PCB files and firmware on GitHub.
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DISCLAIMER
- Comparee is not the author of the projects featured here. All rights to each project belong to its creator — every page links to the original source, and we never host creators’ files.
- Information is provided without warranty and may become outdated as projects evolve. Prices are indicative bands only — always check the creator’s parts list for current costs.
- Building and operating any project is at your own responsibility. Protective equipment, safe workshop practice and compliance with local regulations are the builder’s responsibility.
CompareeTEAM2mo agoedited
Practical notes from our verification: the README parts list is one of the most detailed we have seen for an open handheld, with an AliExpress link for nearly every bought part, down to screws, threaded inserts and trigger springs, and the board BOM files list the Digikey electronics. The author's own estimate is around 311 US dollars in parts, and that figure explicitly excludes the NUC itself and shipping, and he advises budgeting a little more. The display is not one fixed model: the README asks for any 1024x600 50-pin RGB panel within the stated dimensions, and links the 700-nit IPS panel he used. The repo already includes zipped Gerber exports next to the KiCad files for each controller board, and PCBs come in sets of five, so the README suggests a group order of five builders to cut the cost. The author's nine-episode YouTube build series (plus a battery-life episode) is the best walkthrough. The pack uses four lithium cells with a 4S balancer, so if you have never built a lithium pack before, learn battery safety first. Correction (4 October 2026): we re-checked this page line by line against the project's own repository, documentation and videos, and fixed errors in earlier versions.