YouTuber, Pitstoptech, has created the world's first modular gaming handheld console using Framework's Intel Core i7-1260P mainboard.
Modular & Upgradable Gaming Handheld Opens Up Space For Next-Gen Designs
Modular products such as Framework Laptops have garnered interest from the market, mainly due to their ease of upgradeability and customization options. Expanding upon the idea, a YouTuber has created a modular gaming handheld, utilizing Framework components and creating something "innovative".
YouTuber "Pitstoptech" devised a modular handheld, a first of its kind. For those unaware of the term "modular", it means giving consumers the power to upgrade/replace components on the go without requiring any lengthy process. Modular components aim to make "self-repairing" much more easier and manageable, so companies like Framework rapidly expand their product portfolio since consumers love the concept.
The transition of modular components into other industry domains has yet to be seen, but handhelds may feature the concept. Pitstoptech has created a handheld featuring Intel's 1260p mainboard. The handheld features an old-school design with thick bezels but it's in a very early phase at the moment. The Framework Core i7-1260P Alder Lake mainboard retails for $549 US which should give us an idea of the cost of this product. It does feature 12 cores (4+8) featuring clock speeds of up to 4.70 GHz and 18 MB of Cache in a 28W (base TDP).
The modular handheld features detachable joysticks with a similar mechanism to the one in the Nintendo Switch. The joysticks come with a transparent design, a concept adopted that has presumably taken inspiration from the famous mobile company "Nothing". Moving on to components, the handheld features a 7-inch 1080p touchscreen display, which can connect to external displays using a dedicated USB-C port.
Based on the gameplay shared of titles such as Mafia: Definitive Edition, the iGPU seems to be doing a good enough job. Memory and storage include 16 GB RAM and 512 GB SSD. Currently, there's no word on the finalized specifications and configuration. The device features a decent 55Wh battery and dual front speakers, which shows that the development of the handheld wasn't subpar at all.
Readers should consider that the handheld is merely a concept developed by an individual rather than an organization itself; hence, even if the design looks weird now, its idea is impressive. Pitstoptech hasn't disclosed the upgradeability figures of the device, but the design does have specific cutouts that make it seem like the modular handheld can be configured on the spot.
However, the device can be replaced with an AMD Ryzen 7 7840U Phoenix APU, which opens several possibilities for adopting such handhelds. Pitstoptech states that he plans to sell this as a DIY Kit soon so people can reuse their Framework motherboards.
Modular products are one of the industry's domains that holds immense potential given that its implementation is done correctly, and we saw it with Framework's laptops. The modular handheld concept holds some reservations, such as durability and feasibility; however, it still seems interesting.
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