For gamers who love a blast from the past, a modder going by the name YveltalGriffin has taken innovation to the next level by transforming an old-school PS1 console into a fully functional handheld device!
The impressive creation, known as the PS Hanami, was proudly showcased by YveltalGriffin on the BitBuilt forum, where creative minds gather to repurpose classic consoles. The PS Hanami is a true labor of love, utilizing original PlayStation hardware to deliver an authentic gaming experience without relying on emulation.
This handheld marvel measures approximately 7 inches in length and boasts a built-in battery that provides around 2.5 hours of playtime on a single charge. YveltalGriffin's ingenuity truly shines through as they meticulously crafted this device, even describing it as "an old-school portable with lots of hot glue."
The inside of the unit is jam-packed with stuff. This is an old-school portable (and a 1-month speedrun build!) so many components are secured with hot glue. Sometimes you gotta embrace the jank! pic.twitter.com/5vgwfqp1H3
— YveltalGriffin (@YveltalGriffin) April 14, 2024
To achieve the compact size of the PS Hanami, YveltalGriffin took the daring step of cutting an original PS1 motherboard in half, ingeniously folding it "like a book," and skillfully rewiring it to fit the handheld form. In a clever move to overcome the limitation of running CDs, they replaced the disc drive with an optical drive emulator called Xstation, enabling the seamless loading of PlayStation disc images from an SD card.
While the PS Hanami integration includes a DualShock controller, it's important to note that only the rumble feature is retained. Without analogue sticks, a few games like the beloved Ape Escape might not be compatible with this unique handheld.
Despite the remarkable technical achievement, YveltalGriffin openly acknowledges some challenges with their creation. The PS Hanami currently lacks volume controls, its power button can be somewhat temperamental, and without proper heatsinks, the device tends to warm up during extended gaming sessions.
If you want to dive deeper into the details of YveltalGriffin's PS Hanami project, you can visit the BitBuilt forum thread for an in-depth look at this incredible handheld creation.
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