Anyone who said you can’t teach an old dog new tricks is apparently a liar, because a Florida-based modder has taught Sony’s first PlayStation console to do something pretty unexpected. Specifically, the inventor turned the home-based system into a handheld console using a bunch of hot glue and magnetic wires.
YveltalGriffin, an electrical engineer who has previously built an adorably cute and portable Wii in April 2021, is back with another creation. This time they took an OG PlayStation, removed the motherboard, and turned it into a portable console. It’s a cool hardware innovation as YveltalGriffin had to get really creative to make the build even possible. They “christened” itthe PS Hanami.”
First, think about the PS1 itself. YveltalGriffin had to fit his large motherboard into a small case cut it in half And Fold it like a book. This allowed them to squeeze it into a portable console that’s only about seven inches long. With “lots of hot glue” and “lots and lots of magnetic wire” YveltalGriffin “hugged the idiot” to complete the entire project in a single month.
Even more impressive is the way the PS runs Hanami games. Since the device is too small for a disc drive, YveltalGriffin installed Xstation on it, an optical drive emulator that launches games from an SD card. Combined with an open source resolution scaler called Shinobi (for a sharper image) and the DualShock’s rumble feature, this feels like a retro gamer’s dream handheld.
YveltalGriffin admitted that the PS Hanami is currently having some major problems. It doesn’t have volume controls, the power button is “fiddly” and turns off the console if you bump into things, and it doesn’t include analog sticks (although YveltalGriffin may one day have a “edited version” for games that require them, such as Monkey escape). Plus, battery life is only about two and a half hours on a single charge, and because it’s super fast without a heatsink, it’s said that it “gets nice and warm after a while.”
My city asked YveltalGriffin for comment.
Despite these flaws, YveltalGriffin’s PS Hanami is a remarkable achievement. Just look up They uploaded this video to YouTube Indicates handheld operation Final Fantasy VII. Now I only have one question for her: How can I buy it?
