Key Takeaways
- This portable PlayStation 1 uses authentic hardware, minus the emulator fuss.
- PS Hanami project entails cutting, folding, and rewiring PS1 motherboard for compact design.
- It has crisp VGA picture quality, a rumble feature, and unlimited game saves.
We get it; as good as it may become, some people just dislike emulation. There’s something about using the real hardware to render your games that an emulator cannot reproduce, even if it’s pretty flawless. But how do you reap the benefits of portable console gaming without using emulation? Fret no more, as someone has proven that with a little ingenuity and a little bit of sawing authentic hardware in half, you too can make your own portable PlayStation 1 console using the real stuff.
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A PlayStation 1 crammed into a Steam Deck-like shell
This awesome feat is the brainchild of YveltalGriffin on BitBuilt. Called the PS Hanami, the build wasn’t as simple as stripping a PlayStation of its parts and shoving them into a case; for instance, the builder had to cut the PS1’s motherboard in two, fold it in on itself, and then use magnet wire to get it running again. It also uses Shinobi Scaler to make the picture quality the best it can be. Other than that, it’s essentially a PS1 squeezed into a tiny shell.
Here’s everything that YveltalGriffin managed to get working:
181 x 91.5 x 30.25 mm, case printed in white PLA
Original PU-18 PS1 motherboard, cut in half, folded and rewired
2S1P 3500mAh 18650s with “red board”— ~2.5hrs of battery life
Trimmed Xstation ODE by Robert Neumann (ramapcsx2) with push-push SD card slot and disc tray button
Shinobi Scaler
running GBS-Control by ramapcsx2 for impeccably crisp integer scaled 480p VGA (scanlines in 240p mode!)Dualshock controller with rumble, but no analog sticks. All buttons/triggers use orange squishy tacts
PicoMemcard+
with 16GB microSD for unlimited game savesBeefy enclosed stereo speakers and PAM8803 amp
Wriststrap loop with official Sony Pocketstation strap!
Unfortunately, it’s not perfect. The system has no volume controls, it sometimes requires a reboot to sort out some video noise issues, and its lack of a heatsink means it’ll start to get hot if you use it for long enough. But these are all perfectly acceptable and fixable issues for a project as cool as this.
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