EmuDeck developer now has everything you need to build a Steam Machine with a $100 SBC

EmuDeck is a certified legend among gaming handhelds, originally offering a quick way to configure emulators on the Steam Deck before becoming the de facto way to emulate on just about any handheld. Now, the developer is working on a side project under the name Playnix, and their first project is a custom Arch Linux image built around Steam's Gaming Mode, plus a handful of nostalgic covers built to project the ODRIOD-H4 single-board computer (SBC) — a $100 board that's capable of emulation most retro games at up to 1080p.

Build your own retro console for around $100

Plus a 3D printer

There are two parts of this project. First is Playnix.io, which is a new brand from the EmuDeck developer Rodrigo Sedano for "hobby hardware projects." If you recall, Sedano previously announced the EmuDeck Machine, which was a prebuilt emulation machine that promised a "plug and play" experience. Although it was an exciting project, Sedano didn't get the support they needed in order to actually produce the machine, and they pulled the plug around a year ago. Now, it seems Sedano is revisiting the idea as a DIY project.

Playnix.io is the first part of that, which has two projects available on GitHub. The first is an Arch Linux ISO, and the second is a shell script that enables Game Mode in Steam. Together, they should give you a console-like experience out of the ODRIOD-H4. EmuDeck itself has offered Gaming Mode to Patreon backers for years, which provides a console-like gaming experience on Windows.

Secondly, you can pick up a series of SRT files that allow you to 3D print your own cover for the ODRIOD-H4, transforming it from a PCB and hintsink into something that looks like a mini retro console. There are five SRT files available, and they're $3.50 a piece. However, you can get some or all of them for free by joining EmuDeck's Patreon. At the free tier, you get one cover for free, while at the early access tier, you get one cover for free plus the GameGube-style cover. If you're part of the fan tier, you get all the covers for free.

Sedano says they plan to offer a full kit in the future that combines the SBC, a cover, the custom version of Arch, and an SSD and RAM if you want an all-in-one solution — it looks like that will only be offered via Patreon.

As for the ODRIOD-H4 that this project is designed around, it's a $100 SBC packing an Intel Core N97, and it comes with a single M.2 SSD slot and support for up to DDR5-4800 memory. If you need something more powerful, you can scale up to the ODROID-H4 Ultra, which comes with a Core i3-N305 chip and additional SATA ports for more storage.