Since the console’s release, we have seen some spectacular Steam Deck mods, including the “Steam Brick” and the Steam Deck 32GB RAM mod. Michaelthatsit on Reddit has created another wild mod for the Deck by using the console’s internals to create a makeshift “all-in-one” Steam Deck keyboard called the Bento.
Michael’s Bento mod turns the Steam Deck into a highly mobile SteamOS desktop system with an integrated keyboard. In images on Reddit, Michael demonstrated one way of using the keyboard computer: connecting the Bento to Type-C-powered display glasses (rather than a conventional display).
To make it all work, the modder removed the Deck’s internal motherboard and other necessary components from the console’s original clamshell and placed them in a custom-made 3D-printed chassis to fit underneath an Apple 10-keyless Magic keyboard.
Introducing Bento, a steam deck in a keyboard. from r/SteamDeckModded
The chassis consists of two chambers: a larger chamber on the left and a smaller chamber on the right. The left chamber holds all of the Deck’s internal hardware, including the battery, and features two vents on the left and top sides to ensure the internal fan has enough fresh air to cool the Deck’s custom Van Gogh AMD APU.
The right chamber is simply an extra compartment for housing additional items; in images, the modder shot on Reddit, he used the right compartment to hold a Type-C USB hub. When pieced together, the 3D-printed chassis fits perfectly underneath the Apple Magic keyboard, with rounded edges that perfectly align with the Apple keyboard’s rounded design.
The mod is allegedly in its first fully working version, but it has some flaws. Michael was forced to create the 3D-printed clamshell in two parts due to the form factor of his 3D printer. There are also no mouse controls embedded in the design. For his next update, Michael (apparently) wants to create a unified body for the 3D-printed clamshell and dedicated modules for the design that will incorporate mouse functionality.
Michael’s Bento mod is yet another demonstration of what the Steam Deck’s hardware is capable of with creative minds. His mod, in particular, is helpful for those who love SteamOS and the Steam Deck because of its desktop capabilities more than anything else.
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