Mac mini could be made into a very moveable video games cyberdeck

The makes use of for Apple’s Mac mini proceed with a mod to run on batteries inside a fairly modern vertical chassis that includes a show, contact controls, and an built-in Switch controller set.

Especially since its radical redesign again in 2024, the tiny Mac mini has been put to numerous totally different makes use of, from server farms to moveable Macs. Now Chris Cheng of Shring Solutions has taken to YouTube to point out off his turning it right into a cyberdeck.

Using an M4 Mac mini, he is given it a 7-inch, 120Hz touchscreen plus a backlit keyboard with a trackpad. The entire system runs fully on batteries and is claimed to present round six hours of continuous video playback.

“For expansion, I put Nintendo Switch Joycon rails right into the sides,” continues Cheng. “This handles your mouse control, custom system shortcuts, and native handheld gaming.”

Describing it as being roughly the scale of his palm, Cheng says that his system is 17.6cm (6.93 inches) tall and 17.2cm (6.7 inches) extensive. The extra important dimension, although, is the depth which is an entire 5.7cm (2.24 inches), which makes this more durable to carry for prolonged intervals.

It must be that method, although, as a result of Cheng determined to maintain the precise M4 Mac mini internals untouched, inside a customized 3d-printed case. The Mac mini slots in like a Game Boy cartridge.

Plus this design means the body has “a fantastic upgrade path for future hardware as long as Apple sticks to this exact form factor.” While this was achieved with an M4 Mac, the scale are the identical for the brand new Mac mini too.

“But why stop at Mac?” asks Cheng. “Since the cyberdeck body just expects an enclosure with matching physical dimensions, this open cartridge system opens up an incredible path for future hardware mods [such as] Raspberry Pi 5.”

The video goes into lots of element over designing and assembling the chassis, together with specifics about parts such because the keyboard. It was not, although, a wholly clean course of and Cheng particulars a number of electrical issues he needed to overcome.

Consequently, it isn’t a mod that’s easy for anybody to attain, and Cheng doesn’t look like promoting a equipment to do it with. But as yet one more instance of the virtually absurd variety of makes use of the Mac mini could be put to.

That is probably nonetheless the case with the brand new M6 and M5 Pro Mac mini, as Cheng notes that they seem to retain exactly the identical exterior design. But the brand new fashions are considerably extra expensive, presumably that means that fewer individuals are going to danger experimenting with modding.