In an eye-catching move, a group of Chinese modders have transformed Sony’s PlayStation 5 into something portable, giving it a laptop-style makeover without the convenience of a built-in battery. Dubbed the BBook AI, this creation is turning heads on platforms like Weibo with its massive 17.3-inch display, despite its old-school bulky build that weighs over nine pounds. It might bring back memories of those hefty gaming laptops from the past.
Housed in a 3D-printed shell, the BBook AI Original Edition encapsulates all the internal magic of a PS5. The major perk here is indeed the 17.3-inch 4K IPS panel, boasting a full 100% DCI-P3 color gamut. Unfortunately, it’s a bit of a letdown with only a 60 Hz refresh rate, which doesn’t quite match up to the thrilling specs you might hope for in such a large screen.
Adding to its quirks, this unique device includes an HDMI 2.1 port, perfect for hooking up an external monitor if you want, although that kind of defeats its all-in-one purpose. There’s no battery inside, so you’ll need to keep it plugged into a power source. Why? Well, the power-hungry PS5 needs around 200W during gaming sessions. Even if you had a 100Wh battery, it’d barely last half an hour.
Here’s a closer look at what this modded marvel holds: The BBook AI sports an eight-core CPU based on Zen 2 and a GPU with 36 Compute Units leveraging RDNA 2 technology. With these specs, it matches the PS5 in power, packing 16GB of unified GDDR6 memory and 825GB of PCIe 4.0 storage right into its frame. Priced at 19,999 Yuan or about $2,750, this dream would set you back significantly more than a regular PS5.
Connectivity-wise, you’ll find a USB Type-A 10 Gbps port on its side. But brace yourself for the noise – it’s reported to hit an astounding 71.3 decibels, akin to the roar of a sports car. At its heart remains a fully functional PS5, so you get to run PlayStation OS and enjoy games like Astro Bot directly on this portable machine. How many gaming laptops can boast that?
Despite packing the same hardware guts as a PlayStation 5, with the inclusion of a keyboard (though not sure if it’s membrane or mechanical), this portable console rings in at about 5.5 times the cost of the base PS5. And even though it’s meant for on-the-go gaming, the BBook AI, along with its adapter, is shockingly twice as heavy as something like Lenovo’s Legion 9i Gen 8 with an RTX 4090, which even comes with a 99Wh battery included!
While the novelty of the BBook AI intrigues, let’s face it: it’s more of a fun, ambitious DIY project than a practical purchase for everyday portability. If you’re looking to save some cash and still want that game-on-the-go experience, snagging a PS5 alongside a decent portable monitor might be the smarter route, keeping costs in check between $700 to $1,000 depending on your monitor pick. Even so, the BBook AI is a testament to modders’ creativity and willingness to push boundaries for the love of gaming.
