“The Nintendo DS isn’t wide enough!” said nobody, ever. Most players found Nintendo’s form factor to be perfectly acceptable for gaming on the go, after all. Still, that doesn’t mean a handheld gaming rig with a more… cinematic aspect ratio couldn’t be fun! [Marcin Plaza] built just that, with great results.
The initial plan was to build a Steam Deck-like device, but using laptop trackpads instead of joysticks. [Marcin] had a broken Lenovo Yoga 730-13 to use as the basis for the build. That caused the plan to diverge, as the only screen [Marcin] could find that was easily compatible with the laptop’s eDP interface was an ultrawide unit. From there, a clamshell enclosure was designed specifically to rehouse all the key components from the Lenovo laptop. The top half of the clamshell would hold the screen, while the base would feature a small custom keyboard, some buttons, and the aforementioned trackpad. This thing reminds us of the Nintendo DS for multiple reasons. It’s not just the clamshell design—it’s the fact it has a touch control on the lower deck, albeit without a screen.
It’s an original concept for a handheld gaming device, and it makes us wish there were more games built for the ultrawide aspect ratio. This is one project that has us browsing the usual websites to see just what other oddball screens are out there… round screens in a makeup compact clamshell, anyone? Video after the break.
There are eDP to DSI starting to become available (The Legion Go for example uses a tablet screen on ‘laptop’ CPU hardware)
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskElectronics/comments/1e181sm/what_ic_to_convert_edp_to_mipi_dsi/
The Author is correct in noting it is difficult to adapt.
Based on my last foray into the weeds of display signals, it really feels like a bit of a mess. DSI was particularly annoying since it wasn’t very open.
I couldn’t find good ways to convert low speed, wide signals to the higher speed narrow ones (was messing with FPGA video where I couldn’t get the clock up).
I have gained an incredible sense to gauge beforehand what project will be forgotten and never used just by its appearance. This is one of them.
The creator put a lot of effort into designing and building this, countless nights of hard work, which arose from passion towards the craft. Unfortunately while the result is an impressive device, its a gimmick in usability terms. The keys are not very comfortable, neither are there enough keys for it to be used as a normal computer. It will soon be put in a box and only used occasionally.
I know that feeling all too well, I myself have a box full of devices that I made but never used. Full of nice rotary encoders, mechanical switches and shiny new LCDs.
You can never say that for anybody but yourself – as you have no idea what that individual really does when not making the device they demo on youtube etc. It might be the perfect device he will use every single day for an hour or two in the evenings to wind down with their favourite games, or whatever.
For instance I have a project I have kept intending to finish for at least a decade but I don’t because while it would have been nice to have a button matrix and simple display added for local control that would stop me using it while I figure out how to finish it – SSH into it isn’t enough of a hardship to be worth that hassle. So while I did finally stop using it when the SD card failed and I haven’t put it back into use yet – I did verify that was the only issue with an install of the backup image and a eon of software updates made it good to go again it did get used frequently and was way less useable than this device in its own right… But it was a certifiably good enough device…
I do agree I’d likely not choose to have this HID configuration, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t the right choice for them.
You’re right, I cannot for certain say if someone will use something they made extensively or not, but I can make an educated guess with a healthy number of anecdotes to back the guess.
I really envy successful product designers, not because they are rich but because they have to amazing ability design devices and objects that are liked by a large chunk of society.
That’s really impressive honestly.
Seems over optimistic to me – Many devices are only tolerated because there isn’t a better choice at the same pricepoint, even if there easily could and should be, and even was years ago… Also so few products are ever more than a by the numbers copy of last years model with that small iterative improvement in performance and made ‘sexier’ somehow. Which for the last 10 odd years has usually meant sexier for the shareholders by finding a way to turn into into a subscription business model overtly or just by never surviving more than 5 mins after the warranty period expires…
Not that I disagree entirely though. However that still doesn’t negate the value of weirder concepts that won’t be ideal for every user – for instance I really really want one of the GPD clamshells, even though the darn thing will certainly be too small for comfortable use with my giant hands. As by being that small while still packing serious performance and useful modules like the KVM option it becomes that handy fully capable real computer you can easily have with you in a way a Smartphone really is not – though in that case almost entirely because the OS is actively in the way.
I have owned two GPDs and sold them because I rarely got any meaningful use out of them, were they cool little gadgets? Absolutely. But they were too small to be useful outside of being docked with a full keyboard, mouse and screen.
As for the ultrawide “DS”, I would be interested in it if it had a larger more PC friendly keyboard. The design seems really cool, but with the controls the guy added, it doesnt seem to be very practical to me.
On one hand this sense can help you avoid pointless projects that will gather dust.
On the other, it can hinder learning experiences that could help with more valuable projects.
Its very interesting but even projects which turn exactly how you envisioned them to be can be abandoned and not used at all.
I designed a very nice macropad once, it turned out exactly how I wanted it to both hardware and firmware. I still never used it because accessing shotcuts on my keyboard was much easier. The supposed “future user” that I thought myself to be when designing and making the macropad was much different to what I actually am.
That said, its always worth making cool stuff, no doubt about it. What else are you going to do? Watch videos of other people making cool stuff ;D
Oh come on, Lewin. The DS still had a small screen just two of them and did none of the things it was touted for very well. Ate batteries like a hog, stylus for extra things to lose and not use, crappy hinges, and if you have ever had the displeasure of repairing a nintendo handheld, you know nintendo cuts all their ribbon cables 5mm too short for an actual human to ever get them back on again lol. Nah, the sooner that thing is forgotten, the better. GBA SP for actual usability and long batter life.
None of this is in reference to the project above, just to the ill-placed love of the DS and its “large” screens lol.
So, it’s a HDS (Half Double Screen).
The DS had a built-in battery, it didn’t “eat batteries” like anything.
No, no, no. The stylus was for scratching the hell out of the touch screen.
But you can ditch the top half, use a resistor to trick the backlight circuit on the upper half, and have a backlit GBA for peanuts.
You must have been using your DS differently to me, I’m Still amazed at the battery life I get, almost 20 years since I got it new.
Doesn’t DS stand for “dual screen”? Just sayin’…. Could’ve put a second touchscreen in instead of the trackpad.