PlayStation 5 transformed into a laptop for $2,750 — Chinese modders made Sony's console more portable with a 17.3-inch 4K display weighing over 9 pounds

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At least it can run Game Of The Year; something that can't be said about any PC.

Modded PS5 laptop
(Image credit: Wiebo)

Chinese modders have made Sony's PlayStation 5 portable (Credit: VideoCardz) in a laptop-esque battery-less form factor at Weibo. BBook AI has a massive 17.3-inch display and a rather chunky build reminiscent of old bulky gaming laptops. It weighs over 9 pounds, but it is visually a real head-turner.

The BBook AI Original Edition's 3D-printed chassis houses the PS5's internal components. Realistically, the only edge you'd have with this custom laptop is the included screen - featuring a large 17.3-inch 4K IPS panel with full 100% DCI-P3 coverage. However, it is limited to a disappointing 60 Hz refresh rate.

The added HDMI 2.1 port at the side allows you to connect an external monitor but diminishes the essence of this machine. There is no built-in battery, so you'd rely on AC power to run the laptop. Blame the design, not the modders, since the PS5 consumes roughly 200W while gaming, landing a not-so-great 30-minute runtime if equipped with a 100Wh battery.

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NameBBook AI Original Edition
CPU8x cores based on Zen 2
GPU36x Compute Units based on RDNA 2
Memory16GB of unified GDDR6 memory
Storage825GB of PCIe 4.0 storage
Display17.3-inch 4K display at 60 Hz
Thickness 31.3mm
Weight4.321kg (9.5 pounds) + 500g (1.1 pounds) for the adapter
Price19,999 Yuan or $2,750

There is a USB Type-A 10 Gbps port for connectivity to the laptop's right. The report mentions that BBook AI is extremely loud, reaching 71.3 dB - said to be comparable to the sound of a sports car. And to reiterate, the laptop features a fully functional PlayStation 5 inside - running PlayStation OS - so this is technically the first PC to run Astro Bot; can your gaming laptop play the GOTY?

The BBook AI offers the same specs as the PS5, running an eight-core CPU based on Zen 2 and a 36 Compute Unit (RDNA 2) GPU, with 16GB of non-upgradeable unified memory and 825GB of PCIe 4.0 storage (M.2 2242). For the listed price of $2,750, you'd be spending 5.5X more than a standard PS5. The laptop even includes a keyboard - at least if we go by the pictures, though we aren't sure if it's membrane or mechanical.

While the BBook AI's idea is portability, the laptop with the adapter is two times heavier than an RTX 4090-powered Lenovo Legion 9i Gen 8, which includes a 99Wh battery. To save money, get a portable monitor between $700 and $1,000 and a PS5 instead—which should cost $700-$1,000, depending on your monitor choice. Still, the BBook AI is just a fun DIY project—even if it is impractical.

Hassam Nasir
Hassam Nasir
Contributing Writer

Hassam Nasir is a die-hard hardware enthusiast with years of experience as a tech editor and writer, focusing on detailed CPU comparisons and general hardware news. When he’s not working, you’ll find him bending tubes for his ever-evolving custom water-loop gaming rig or benchmarking the latest CPUs and GPUs just for fun.

9 Comments Comment from the forums
  • bit_user
    The cruel irony of this design is how few games actually support mouse or even keyboard. I've found more than one game or app's text-entry widget that lacks any USB keyboard support, which makes me wonder what the heck are people supposed to do who are using assistive technologies?

    A better move would've been to build a PS5 into the back of a portable monitor.
    Reply
  • KyaraM
    4k 17"... who even sees the difference between 4k and 1440p, for example, at that size? I certainly don't... dumb. And overly expensive.
    Reply
  • Pierce2623
    I’m very confused as to why the author is calling it a PC if it’s running PlayStation OS. That makes it a PlayStation disguised as a laptop, not a PC. Imagine how stupid this looks next to a Strix Halo laptop.
    Reply
  • bit_user
    Pierce2623 said:
    I’m very confused as to why the author is calling it a PC if it’s running PlayStation OS.
    Yeah, I was really excited by the OtherOS feature the PS3 had in its early days. Too bad Sony changed course and now keeps their hardware so locked down.

    These days, it'd be easier than ever to support a VM that would run Linux or whatever, but I guess if they're not making money on the hardware, then they really wouldn't want to encourage people buying it just to use as a sort of high-end NUC.
    Reply
  • TheOtherOne
    Another round of "This crap is for those who got more money than brains"!

    And unfortunately, there are people in this world who would actually waste spend money on this.
    Reply
  • Pemalite
    Pierce2623 said:
    I’m very confused as to why the author is calling it a PC if it’s running PlayStation OS. That makes it a PlayStation disguised as a laptop, not a PC. Imagine how stupid this looks next to a Strix Halo laptop.
    PC stands for "Personal Computer". - All computing devices are technically a "PC" unless it's a communal device like an ATM.

    This is why Sony called the original Playstation a "Computer entertainment device".
    Reply
  • ex_bubblehead
    Just because something can be done does not in any way mean that it should be done.
    Reply
  • Pierce2623
    bit_user said:
    Yeah, I was really excited by the OtherOS feature the PS3 had in its early days. Too bad Sony changed course and now keeps their hardware so locked down.

    These days, it'd be easier than ever to support a VM that would run Linux or whatever, but I guess if they're not making money on the hardware, then they really wouldn't want to encourage people buying it just to use as a sort of high-end NUC.
    Exactly. They supposedly slightly subsidize the hardware purchase in hopes you’ll buy games. If they made it possible to just use it as a computer, they’d be subsidizing hardware for people that had no intentions of buying games.
    Reply
  • bit_user
    Pemalite said:
    PC stands for "Personal Computer". - All computing devices are technically a "PC" unless it's a communal device like an ATM.

    This is why Sony called the original Playstation a "Computer entertainment device".
    I thought playstation was a clever twist on the "workstation" label applied to many high-end professional desktop machines. I'm sure that's what they were thinking, since we don't generally go around calling things "stations" enough for it to make sense otherwise.
    Reply