Chinese Modders Convert PlayStation 5 into a $2,750 Portable Laptop with a 17.3-Inch 4K Screen, Weighing Over 9 Pounds

In an intriguing twist for tech enthusiasts, a group of talented Chinese modders has ingeniously transformed Sony’s PlayStation 5 into a portable gaming rig, giving it a look that’s somewhat reminiscent of a laptop, albeit without a battery. Revealed on Weibo, this creation, dubbed the BBook AI, sports a hefty 17.3-inch screen and an unmistakably solid build that harks back to the bulky gaming laptops of yesteryear. Weighing over 9 pounds, this device is bound to catch some eyes.

Inside its 3D-printed chassis, you’ll find the core components of a PS5. The standout feature of this custom contraption is undoubtedly its large display – a 17.3-inch 4K IPS panel offering full 100% DCI-P3 color coverage. However, there’s a bit of a letdown as it only supports a 60 Hz refresh rate.

The device includes an HDMI 2.1 port on the side, allowing you to hook up an external monitor, but this somewhat undermines the essence of having a portable gaming solution. A notable absence is the lack of a built-in battery, so you’ll have to depend on AC power. This isn’t the modders’ fault – the PS5 demands about 200 watts during gameplay, meaning even a 100Wh battery would only sustain it for roughly 30 minutes.

The BBook AI Original Edition packs a punch with specs identical to the PS5. It features an eight-core processor built on the Zen 2 architecture, a 36 Compute Unit GPU derived from RDNA 2, along with 16GB of unified GDDR6 memory and 825GB of PCIe 4.0 storage. The laptop also presents a USB Type-A port for fast 10 Gbps connectivity. A report notes that the device is quite noisy, reaching sound levels of about 71.3 dB — imagine the roar of a sports car. Interestingly, this custom laptop runs the PlayStation OS, making it technically the first “PC” capable of running titles like Astro Bot. Can your regular gaming laptop claim such a feat?

Priced at a steep 19,999 Yuan, or around $2,750, the BBook AI could lighten your wallet considerably, costing about five and a half times more than a standalone PS5. Images suggest the inclusion of a keyboard, though it’s unclear whether it’s a membrane or mechanical type.

While the vision behind the BBook AI is portability, it still sits heavy on the scale — the laptop and its adapter together weigh twice as much as a Lenovo Legion 9i Gen 8 with RTX 4090, which includes a 99Wh battery. If you’re thinking about saving some cash, you’re probably better off purchasing a PS5 along with a portable monitor, costing you between $700 and $1,000 — far more budget-friendly than the BBook AI. Nonetheless, this experimental project remains an exciting DIY venture, even if it leans toward the impractical side.