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THIS 370 DOLLARS OPEN-SOURCE HANDHELD PLAYS PS2, WII AND GAMECUBE FROM A SECOND-HAND OFFICE PC

A 370 dollars build that turns a second-hand office mini-PC into a handheld playing PS2, GameCube, Wii and modern PC titles.

by CNCDan (dmcke5)

FULL CAD BOM FIRMWARE DOCS

Open-hardwareDisplays

difficulty
●●●●○
time
multiple weekends
license
CERN-OHL-S-2.0
repo
repo ACTIVE546 stars

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

  • 3D printer + filament — printable parts — files are in the repo

Partner

Reach your Pi from anywhere — Remote desktop to the machine running this build — no port forwarding, works right from the browser.Try Getscreen.me
Videos
1

COMPAREE VERDICT

NucDeck is one of the most complete open handheld builds published: you get the shell CAD, the custom PCB files, a costed BOM and a step-by-step build log. The core is a second-hand Intel NUC — the small office PC that companies retire by the thousand — wrapped in a 3D-printed shell with Hall-effect analog sticks and a four-cell LiPo pack. The result plays PS2, GameCube, Wii emulation and modern PC titles, and the whole thing costs roughly 370-430 dollars depending on what you pay for the used NUC. This is not a weekend build. You are ordering a custom PCB, hand-soldering a battery management circuit, and assembling a four-cell pack. The single thing most likely to go wrong is underestimating the NUC sourcing: the i5-7260U and i7-7567U are the only models that fit the shell, and availability fluctuates. If you have never built a LiPo pack or ordered a PCB before, this is the wrong first project. If you have, and you want a genuinely capable handheld without buying a Steam Deck, this is the build the others copied.

NOT IN THE REPO

  • —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 USD excluding the NUC.
  • —Build guide with photos and assembly steps published in the repo.
  • —No firmware — this is a hardware build; the NUC 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 Intel NUC i5-7260U or i7-7567U separately; expect $60-120 on eBay.

Can I build this?

Print3D-printed shell in five parts (PLA or PETG, roughly 300g total) plus button caps and internal brackets
Buycustom PCB from the Gerbers, used Intel NUC i5-7260U or i7-7567U, 7-inch 1024×600 HDMI display, Hall-effect analog sticks, 4× 18650 LiPo cells, BMS board, DC-DC converters, buttons and hardware per BOM
Toolssoldering iron, multimeter, PCB assembly tools, 3D printer or access to one, basic hand tools, ideally a bench power supply for testing
Skillsintermediate to advanced: custom PCB assembly, LiPo pack building, 3D printing. Not a first electronics project.
Timemultiple weekends — PCB ordering alone is 1-2 weeks, assembly and testing another 10-15 hours if nothing goes wrong
Cost$$: $311 parts BOM plus $60-120 for a used NUC, so roughly $370-430 total. PCB fabrication and the display dominate the cost.
SafetyReal risk: you are building a 14.8V LiPo pack. Incorrect wiring or a faulty BMS can cause a fire. Use a proper BMS, balance-charge the cells, and test outside the shell first. If you have never built a LiPo pack, read up before you start — this is not the project to learn on.

Build at your own risk. Projects involve tools, electronics and sometimes mains voltage — follow the creator’s safety notes.

A desktop 3D printer that prints in full colorPartner · Kickstarter
A desktop 3D printer that prints in full color

HeyGears G1: 10M+ colors and transparent parts in one print, plus UV printing on flat objects. Figures, parts and labels — no painting.

See how it prints

Videos

NucDeck Build Series (Part 1)

Author's own build walkthrough, part one of a series. Covers shell assembly and initial fit.

Gallery

https://opengraph.githubassets.com/e8bdc6e856adc1eecf7310528545f0071156e8b642273dece706df59ed9a12e1/dmcke5/NucDeck
https://img.youtube.com/vi/xVYYCx3Qt4Y/maxresdefault.jpg
https://img.youtube.com/vi/nOXd3axX4fw/maxresdefault.jpg

Start here

Navigation into the creator’s own docs — we don’t rewrite the guide, we route you to the source.

  1. 1.Read the full build guide in the repo README and the assembly doc (Start here, not with ordering parts. The guide will tell you which NUC models fit and where the tight tolerances are.)
  2. 2.Source a used Intel NUC i5-7260U or i7-7567U(These are the only two models that fit the shell. Check eBay, local refurbishers, or corporate surplus. Expect $60-120. Do not buy a different NUC model and expect it to work.)
  3. 3.Order the custom PCB from the Gerbers in the repo(The PCB files are under /PCB. Use JLCPCB, PCBWay or your preferred fab. This is a two-week lead item.)
  4. 4.Print the shell while you wait for the PCB(STLs are in /CAD. PLA or PETG, 0.2mm layer height. 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.

Blu-ray drive, 10 Gbps hub and card reader in one boxPartner · Kickstarter
Blu-ray drive, 10 Gbps hub and card reader in one box

BluHub reads and burns Blu-ray/DVD/CD, adds USB-C, USB-A, SD/TF and 10 Gbps data — plug and play, grand-piano finish.

See the hub

KNOWN ISSUES

  • The i5-7260U and i7-7567U are the ONLY NUC models that fit. A different generation or chip will not work, and you will have wasted the cost of the NUC and the time printing the shell.
  • The BOM assumes you know how to select and safely wire a LiPo BMS. If you pick the wrong one or wire it backwards, the pack can catch fire. This is not hypothetical — it has happened to other builders.
  • The 7-inch display listed in the BOM is no longer available from the original supplier. You will need to find an equivalent 1024×600 HDMI panel, and the mounting holes may not line up.
  • The PCB has SMD components. If you have never hand-soldered 0805 or SOIC packages, order a stencil and practice on scrap first.
  • The build guide is thorough but assumes you understand PCB assembly and basic DC power. If you do not know what a buck converter is or how to set its output voltage, pause and learn that first.
  • The shell print takes roughly 20-25 hours total across all parts. Plan your print queue accordingly, and do a test fit before gluing anything.

Can I use a different Intel NUC model?

No. The shell is designed specifically for the i5-7260U and i7-7567U. Other NUC models have different port layouts, mounting holes, or board dimensions and will not fit.

Do I need to build the custom PCB, or can I hand-wire it?

The PCB is strongly recommended. It handles the display interface, button matrix, and power distribution in a package that fits the shell. Hand-wiring is possible in theory but will be much harder to fit and debug.

What is the battery life?

Roughly 2-3 hours under load, depending on what you are playing and how you configure Windows power settings. The NUC is not a low-power ARM chip, so expect gaming laptop battery life, not handheld console life.

Can I run this on Linux instead of Windows?

Yes. The NUC runs stock x86 software, so any OS the NUC supports will work. Emulation performance is comparable either way.

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

No community builds yet — be the first, we feature the best ones.

Discussion1

FROM THE COMPAREE TEAM

The whole build costs roughly $370-430 depending on what you pay for the used NUC, and the hardest part is not the shell or the board — it is sourcing the right NUC model before prices spike. What would you be willing to pay for an i5-7260U today?

CompareeTEAM22d ago

Practical notes from our verification: the BOM in the repo is one of the most detailed we have seen for an open handheld, down to supplier part numbers and shipping costs. The display originally specified (7-inch Waveshare) is now hard to find, so expect to spend time cross-referencing equivalent panels. The repo does not include a precompiled Gerber zip, so you will need to generate it from the KiCad files or use the exports in /PCB/Gerbers. The author's YouTube build series (linked above) is the best walkthrough, but it is unscripted and assumes you know what a BMS is. If you have built a LiPo pack before, this is a weekend-plus project; if you have not, it is a month of weekends, because you will be learning battery safety on the side.

CNCDan (dmcke5)

Dan built NucDeck because he wanted a capable x86 handheld without spending Steam Deck money, and because the NUCs his employer was retiring were too good to waste. The project started as a one-off and turned into one of the most copied open handheld designs.

GitHub

Star the project on GitHub

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.
GitHub repo