A budding enthusiast on Reddit has just built their own PS4 handheld by taking a PS4 Slim's motherboard and shrinking it down to be portable. They slapped a screen on top and 3D printed a custom shell that houses a battery, some controls, and even an ESP32 microcontroller running custom firmware to monitor/manage temps. The project was shared across a bunch of subreddits by u/wewillmakeitnow, including the r/handheld community:
🎮 [Final Build] Fully functional & stable Portable PS4 Slim 🔥 from r/Handhelds
This is not the first-ever PS4 handheld online, either, as YouTube is littered with project videos showcasing multiple attempts at shrinking down a PlayStation 4. One video by Restore Technique features a "PS4T" that even looks similarly boxy in its design to this one. Regardless, individual modding efforts are always worth highlighting, and this one includes a gorgeous 7-inch OLED screen, which is certainly something new.
The Reddit post is light on details, and there's no accompanying video to dissect and break down, but the OP has a somewhat rich post history. We can trace back the creation of this handheld to at least October 2025, when u/wewillmakeitnow first shared progress on the project. Even at the time, they said work on the device had started months ago, so it might've been a year-long operation at this point.
They said it was impossible... I'm building a portable PS4 (90% complete) 🔥 from r/psx
The portable PS4 Slim is inspired by Millomaker's portable Xbox 360, and just like that, this device also omits the disc drive to achieve a small footprint. The main challenge with building a handheld PS4 was cutting down the motherboard to be more compact while maintaining most of the essential features. Hence, there's an entirely new power delivery and cooling system inside.
The thermals are handled by a fan on the back, which has cut-off fuses wired to it, managed by an MCU that ensures safe temperatures. Whenever power reaches 10V, the controller will shut off power to protect the system and the battery. The OP says their goal was not just size reduction, but also "better power efficiency and thermal behavior."
The battery consists of 6x 21700 cells, each providing 6000mAh, totaling out to around 130Wh, which exceeds the 99Wh max allowed on airplanes — in case you were looking to travel with it. That translates to 2.7-3 hours of runtime under a moderate load playing lightweight games, consuming around 44W per hour. Jumping to demanding AAA titles will cut that endurance to just 1.3-1.5 hours.
In terms of connectivity, the handheld has an HDMI port to connect it to an external display, aided by a barrel jack to ensure full power when plugged in. You can use this thing as a normal PS4 when you don't need the portability. There are 3x USB-C ports on the device, with the original DualShock 4 antennae as well, for that seamless console-like pairing.
The hobbyist says this device was a "personal engineering challenge" rather than something designed for mass production. Its shell is 3D printed using a rather dark-looking ABS plastic with a glossy finish that rivals the original PS3. One of the older posts in OP's history shows off a much more comfortable shell, so clearly there's room for improvement even if the handheld is ready and stable for now.
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