Hi guys, this is my build log for my take on the Concept UFO that Alienware showed off earlier this year.
I'm not aiming for a 100% copy, but I want it to be quite similar in appearance since I love how it looks and the idea behind it. I've had a little bit of a head start as I've been planning to build a larger handheld since late last year and seeing this concept in January really kicked me into gear on working on my design. This will also be my first go at designing something "ergonomic" so it will be interesting to see how it goes!
The reason I chose this as a project is that a lot of the games I played when I was younger were on the PC. We had a playstation but aside from that my only other option was a PC. My first portable covered all the Sega and Nintendo stuff I missed out on as a kid and now I'm looking for something to re-live some of my favorite older games and what better way to do it than on a system that will run them natively? After quite a bit of research I decided that my best bet price/performance wise was to purchase an 8" windows tablet, gut it and design a housing for it. There were plenty of other options but to get any more power in a package this small I would be looking at A LOT more money and I'm just not willing to spend that much at the moment.
So with all of that in mind, here's my proposed features list:
I've mostly finished the external design of the housing, still a lot of work to do on the controller PCB's and internals but here's a picture to give you an idea what I'm aiming for.
I'm not aiming for a 100% copy, but I want it to be quite similar in appearance since I love how it looks and the idea behind it. I've had a little bit of a head start as I've been planning to build a larger handheld since late last year and seeing this concept in January really kicked me into gear on working on my design. This will also be my first go at designing something "ergonomic" so it will be interesting to see how it goes!
The reason I chose this as a project is that a lot of the games I played when I was younger were on the PC. We had a playstation but aside from that my only other option was a PC. My first portable covered all the Sega and Nintendo stuff I missed out on as a kid and now I'm looking for something to re-live some of my favorite older games and what better way to do it than on a system that will run them natively? After quite a bit of research I decided that my best bet price/performance wise was to purchase an 8" windows tablet, gut it and design a housing for it. There were plenty of other options but to get any more power in a package this small I would be looking at A LOT more money and I'm just not willing to spend that much at the moment.
So with all of that in mind, here's my proposed features list:
- Windows based with enough power to play games up to the early 2000's
- Touchscreen
- Multiple external full sized USB ports
- Internal speakers and headphone support
- Hand grips similar in design to an Xbox for comfort
- Button layout and overall design close to concept UFO
- Enough battery for a couple of hours play time
- Addressable RGB joystick surrounds and maybe a few buttons too
- Active cooling
- Plenty of internal storage for games
I've mostly finished the external design of the housing, still a lot of work to do on the controller PCB's and internals but here's a picture to give you an idea what I'm aiming for.
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