Most handheld gaming PCs push their controls to the sides of a wide screen. This build goes the other way. A DIY rebuild of the Steam Deck creates an upright steam deck handheld, stacking a 5.5-inch display, two thumbsticks, and a full physical keyboard into a tall body that borrows its shape from the original Game Boy.
The project is credited to LCLDIY. It starts with a Steam Deck motherboard, paired with a smaller LCD and parts salvaged from a broken Deck. Instead of reusing Valve’s enclosure, the builder designed a new shell for this device that places the screen, keyboard, and controls in one vertical column.
The keyboard is where the design departs from a simple retro homage. Rows of small round keys fill the space between the display and the controls, including a number row and letter keys. Red keys mark the W, A, S, and D positions, which makes the PC-focused intent obvious at a glance.
On this build, physical keys could reduce how often you need an on-screen keyboard. Searching, naming save files, or sending a message would not require covering part of the display. The keys are tightly packed, though. They suit short entries better than long-form writing.
If physical keys are the appeal here, a rethink of how fingers reach the keys is worth a look. Google’s Moving Keyboard for One-Handed Typing shows another approach to cramped input on small devices.
Below the keyboard sit two red thumbsticks, a black directional pad, and four red face buttons. The white body keeps these clusters visually separate, even with a crowded front panel. Playing and typing happen on the same surface, but the controls and keys occupy distinct zones.
What the upright steam deck handheld required
Turning an empty shell into a working upright steam deck handheld took more than a case. The project includes a custom circuit board fitted with small switches, plus firmware and an enclosure modeled around the replacement display. The housing was produced with water-soluble support material, which helps create finer detail in printed parts.
The work also involves soldering and programming. This is not a shell you snap over an unchanged handheld. Anyone attempting a similar build would need electronics skills and comfort with custom firmware.
Custom electronics and handmade enclosures like this one have a long tradition among tinkerers. Furry Puppet Transformed into Functional Cyberdeck Computer takes a similarly playful, hands-on approach to building a computer from an unlikely shell.
The project’s title refers to Windows, but the device runs SteamOS. That distinction matters. Valve’s Proton compatibility layer allows many supported Windows games to run on Linux, so the handheld does not need Windows installed. It should not be described as a confirmed Windows conversion.
The project does not document weight, battery life, or cooling performance. Frame rates and game-by-game results on the revised hardware are also unreported. The upright shape looks more comfortable than a standard handheld, but no measured comparison backs that up yet.
The result keeps the Game Boy silhouette while swapping its simple button layout for a full keyboard, turning a portable gaming pc into something much closer to a laptop. That trade is the real story here. A handheld with simple original controls now has room for a Ctrl key.
Via yankodesign.com
Frequently asked questions
Who created the upright Steam Deck handheld with a keyboard?
The project is credited to LCLDIY. It starts with a Steam Deck motherboard paired with a smaller LCD and parts salvaged from a broken Deck.
Does the upright Steam Deck handheld run Windows or SteamOS?
The device runs SteamOS, even though the project’s title refers to Windows. Valve’s Proton compatibility layer lets many supported Windows games run on Linux, so Windows does not need to be installed.
Why are some keys red on this upright handheld keyboard?
Red keys mark the W, A, S, and D positions. This makes the handheld’s PC-focused intent obvious at a glance.
Does building this upright handheld require electronics skills?
Yes, the build involves soldering and programming, so it is not a shell that snaps over an unchanged handheld. Anyone attempting a similar build would need electronics skills and comfort with custom firmware.
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