YouTuber Restore Technique has uploaded a immensely detailed 27-minute video demonstrating his personal PlayStation 4 handheld project. Using a 3D-printed custom shell, some custom PCBs, a 7-inch screen, and the original PlayStation 4 Slim console motherboard, Restore Technique was able to create a true handheld PlayStation 4 (249 x 156 x 49.2mm and 1.7 Kg). Some would say that compared to the streaming-only PlayStation Portal, this is far and away the better successor to the PlayStation Vita.
Image 1 of 5
As Restore Technique discusses in the full video, this Portable PlayStation 4 project is set apart from most of handheld console mod contemporaries by using a more powerful console than the commonly modded Nintendo consoles (GameCube and Wii) used for such projects, i.e. Nintendo Kawaii and the recent first-ever handheld Xbox. PlayStation 4 and broadly-equivalent PC hardware of the era can still run quite a few games, so this is much more ambitious than those projects— though it helps that the PlayStation 4 Slim chosen by Restore Technique actually uses an altered low-power design that made it easier to reach the desired heat and power (TDP) balance for this handheld PlayStation 4.
Restore Technique was thorough in their approach. Choosing a model of PlayStation 4 that uses less power and so has a smaller PCB. Some ports and components were removed using the best soldering stations (there was a lot of hot air used to remove the components) and a Dremel rotary tool was used to reduce the size of aluminum heat spreader that serves the all of the motherboard components. They were savvy enough to includes a fan controller, a means to keep the PlayStation 4 cool by speeding up the fan past its original speed. They speculate in the video that such a setup may still be prone to overheating.
A Dual Shock controller was also integrated into the handheld, with lots of wires from the many test points of the controller being broken out to new locations around the handheld.
A handheld like this needs a big battery and Restore Technique has made their own 3S2P LiPo 12V 10,000 mAh battery pack. This is charged via a DC power jack, which they had to upgrade to a 10 Amp model in order to safely charge and game at the same time. Restore Technique used DC buck converters to control the voltages for the 12V and 5V rails, as the screen operated at the lower voltage and would not take kindly to overvoltage.
Restore Technique does share some gaming footage in the video (where they play The Last of Us for 86 minutes), making this a handheld best played with the charger. They also point out that the battery setup is of such high wattage that you wouldn’t be able to take this console on most planes.
Besides extracting the PlayStation 4 Slim motherboard, the full video also details a multi-step prototyping process for the “PS4T” (PlayStation 4 Transport, supposedly) shell, done initially with FDM 3D printing before getting the final resin shell manufactured by PCBWay, since specialized material prints are be better for high-heat workloads like a portable PlayStation 4 Slim.
After initial assembly, some thermal and power issues cropped up with the PS4T that resulted in graphical glitches and slowdowns in numerous titles. After replacing the controller frames, improving internal electric shielding and heat dissipation, the handheld began performing stably without graphical glitches.
This is a great build, it covers electronics, 3D printing, soldering and the general maker ethic of learning from failure. Definitely one to watch.
