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

Some inventive modders in China have taken Sony’s PlayStation 5 and turned it into a sort of portable gaming machine. This creation, showcased on Weibo, resembles a bulky laptop, sans battery. Dubbed the BBook AI, it boasts a massive 17.3-inch display and a design that harkens back to the old, hefty gaming laptops. Weighing in at over 9 pounds, it certainly stands out visually.

The custom-made BBook AI Original Edition encloses the PS5’s components within a 3D-printed case. The main draw here is the impressive 17.3-inch 4K IPS screen that boasts full 100% DCI-P3 color coverage. However, with a refresh rate stuck at 60 Hz, it might not be enough to satisfy the picky gamers among us.

On the side, you’ll find an HDMI 2.1 port for hooking up an external monitor, but that somewhat defeats the purpose of the whole setup. There’s no battery, meaning you’ll be tethered to an AC outlet whenever you want to game on this machine. This isn’t due to a lack of creativity from the modders, but rather the PS5’s roughly 200W power draw, suggesting that a 100Wh battery would only run it for about 30 minutes.

Let’s break it down: the BBook AI sports the same hardware as the PlayStation 5, including an eight-core CPU based on Zen 2 and a 36 Compute Unit RDNA 2 GPU. You also get 16GB of unified GDDR6 memory and an 825GB PCIe 4.0 drive. At a price point of $2,750, this custom laptop will set you back about 5.5 times more than a standard PS5. And while the pictures suggest it comes with a built-in keyboard, it’s unclear if it’s of the membrane or mechanical variety.

Though the BBook AI’s claim to fame is its portability, in reality, this device and its adapter are twice as heavy as a Lenovo Legion 9i Gen 8 packed with an RTX 4090. If you’re aiming for a more practical solution, consider pairing a portable monitor with a standard PS5. This combo could cost you between $700 and $1,000, depending on the monitor you choose. Still, the BBook AI stands as a fun, albeit impractical, DIY project for those who love tinkering with tech.