FrameDeck

The FrameDeck is an open-source handheld gaming PC powered by the Framework Laptop 13 mainboard, created by Steven Bergeron Meza (redglitch2) and announced in January 2024¹². Inspired by the Valve Steam Deck, it repurposes a Framework 13 mainboard, battery, and other components into a 3D-printed portable gaming form factor with hot-swappable mechanical face buttons, analog joysticks and triggers, and a 7-inch 1200p touchscreen¹³.

Design

The FrameDeck is designed as a DIY project that users can assemble from readily available parts — Framework Laptop components, off-the-shelf electronics, and 3D-printed enclosure pieces — using basic tools¹³. The design goal is to let people repurpose old Framework mainboards and batteries into a functional handheld gaming device¹.

Key Features

• Framework 13 mainboard — The core compute platform, upgradable as newer mainboards are released¹³
• 7-inch 1920×1200 touchscreen display — Higher resolution than the Steam Deck's 1280×800 panel¹⁴
• Framework stock battery — Repurposed from the Framework Laptop 13³
• Hot-swappable mechanical face buttons — Using Kailh Choc low-profile switches with hotswap sockets, allowing users to customize feel and actuation¹³
• Dual analog joysticks — 10K potentiometer-based joysticks³
• Analog triggers — Using potentiometers with torsion spring assemblies³
• Two external Thunderbolt 3 ports — For docking, external GPUs, or peripherals¹
• Arduino Pro Micro controller — Handles gamepad input over USB-C³

Thermal Management

The mainboard and battery are separated by a 1.5 mm thick divider piece. Bergeron Meza reported that the Framework mainboard stays sufficiently cool as long as airflow intake and exhaust vents are not blocked, even during gaming¹. The primary thermal concern is the display's controller board (a Wisecoco HDMI driver), which runs warmer than the mainboard and uses the screen panel as a heat sink¹.

Technical Specifications

Specification	Details
Compute	Framework Laptop 13 mainboard (11th Gen Intel tested)3
Display	7" 1920×1200 IPS touchscreen (HDMI + USB digitizer)13
Battery	Framework Laptop 13 stock battery3
Memory	DDR4 SODIMM (up to what the mainboard supports)3
Storage	M.2 NVMe SSD3
Wi-Fi	Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX2013
Controller	USB-C Arduino Pro Micro3
Face Buttons	Kailh Choc switches, hot-swappable3
External I/O	2 × Thunderbolt 31
Weight	~952 g4
Enclosure	3D-printed (transparent resin planned for final revision)1
Source	redglitch2/FrameDeck (GitHub)3
License	GNU General Public License v3.03

Development

Bergeron Meza documented the build process across two YouTube videos¹⁵:

• Part 1 (January 2024) — Initial prototype with functional hardware
• Part 2 (January 26, 2024) — Final revision with improved design, released alongside PCB files and 3D-printable parts on GitHub¹²

Framework VP nrp (Kieran Levin) praised the project on the community forum¹. The project received coverage from Hackster.io, Dexerto, and Windows Report⁴⁵⁶.

Display Limitations

The initial Wisecoco display has several drawbacks: it is not laminated (air-gapped from the touch layer), requires two USB connections (non-standard USB-C for power plus micro-USB for the digitizer), and runs warm. Bergeron Meza planned to switch to a 7-inch eDP display for a future revision to eliminate the HDMI adapter and extra USB connections, simplifying the design¹.

Software

Community members recommended running gaming-focused Linux distributions such as ChimeraOS or Bazzite on the FrameDeck¹. The Bazzite project ships a dedicated image for Framework mainboard handhelds¹.

Comparison with Steam Deck

Feature	FrameDeck	Steam Deck (LCD)
Display	7" 1920×1200	7" 1280×800
Compute	Framework 13 mainboard (upgradable)	Custom AMD APU
Face Buttons	Hot-swappable mechanical (Kailh Choc)	Fixed membrane
Weight	~952 g4	~669 g
Open Source	Yes (GPL-3.0)3	Partially (SteamOS open, hardware closed)
Upgradability	Mainboard, RAM, SSD swappable	SSD swappable only

Related Projects

• Framework Gaming Handheld Video — Framework's own exploration of a handheld concept
• Beth Deck — Another community-built Framework mainboard handheld by Beth Le
• Framework AIO Desktop — Another Framework mainboard repurposing project

Footnotes

1. My Open Source Framework Powered Handheld — Framework Community (Steven_Bergeron_Meza, January 2024) ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵ ↩¹⁶ ↩¹⁷ ↩¹⁸ ↩¹⁹

2. FrameDeck Final Revision Video — Steven B (YouTube, January 2024) ↩ ↩²

3. redglitch2/FrameDeck — GitHub (GPL-3.0) ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵ ↩¹⁶ ↩¹⁷ ↩¹⁸ ↩¹⁹

4. Steven Bergeron Meza's FrameDeck Is a Valve Steam Deck-Inspired Handheld for On-the-Go PC Gaming — Hackster.io (February 2024) ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

5. Modder builds Steam Deck-like handheld out of Framework laptop — Dexerto (February 2024) ↩ ↩²

6. FrameDeck: this functional homemade handheld console was made using laptop parts — Windows Report (February 2024) ↩