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Bento: A Steam Deck in a Keyboard

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Re: Bento: A Steam Deck in a Keyboard

#51

Post by LoveMortuus »

WithinReason wrote: post #49

Why did Valve not do this, or something similar with just the Deck MB in a box with USB-C?

Probably because the AR/XR glasses are not yet at a stage where they could be used by the general populace.

I have Viture XR Pro, the edges are still blurry and even though glasses have a miopia adjustment it has been difficult for me to get a clear image, not to mention the issues of IPD. Having a display at arms length still has many advantages over the face mounted displays.

That being said, as someone who feels the need to wipe any and every speck of dust off the display, the glasses have resolved that issue, it's just that they get heavy and painful after just a few hours of use.

In my opinion, we're not there yet, but I'm very optimistic for the future.

Re: Bento: A Steam Deck in a Keyboard

#52

Post by LoveMortuus »

stavros wrote: post #9

I was thinking of entirely removing the screen on my Framework, and using the Xreal Air instead. This is a really cool build, and it's inspired me to give the screenectomy a shot! I just hope I don't break anything.

I wonder if you could replace the display with just more batteries, that way you can still close up the laptop for travel while having a lot longer battery life.

Re: Bento: A Steam Deck in a Keyboard

#53

Post by LoveMortuus »

MichaelThatsIt wrote: post #17
sxp wrote: post #11

> Primarily out of frustration. The dominant players in XR keep promoting their hardware as “computers”, when really they’re an iPad for your face. The most you can do is browse the web, play games, and consume content. They’re overweight and over constrained. I'm a fan of HMD programming in general so I love this project. But it should be noted that AOSP-based XR headsets can run pseudo Linux environments via termux…

So I’ve actually been in XR for nearly a decade now. So I’ve tried every version of “dev in XR” I even spent the last 2 years trying to build an XR native dev platform. The feedback was always “this is too heavy” for all devices excluding XREAL. Also I wanted a device that didn’t feel like a hack. Something tailored to the experience.

>excluding XREAL

You mean you haven't tested XREAL or you didn't find XREAL as too heavy?

I'm asking because I have Viture XR Pro which are basically a clone of XREAL and I find them too heavy after a few hours of use.

I would really like a solution that wouldn't be as heavy and that would have clear displays where text would be readable from edge to edge.

Re: Bento: A Steam Deck in a Keyboard

#54

Post by marci »

MichaelThatsIt wrote: post #5
starkparker wrote: post #4

This project mentions a Framework-based version as a future idea. A similar Framework 13 build popped up in r/framework a few months ago: - https://www.reddit.com/r/framework/comments/1jo7m8c/framewor... Updated with a new mainboard from the Ryzen AI line: - https://www.reddit.com/r/cyberDeck/comments/1kjknh4/vrxr_cyb... GitHub repo with STLs and build details, with it running Linux and Stardust XR with non-spatial i…

Ay love it. There’s quite a few similar ideas on r/cyberdeck. I just wasn’t satisfied with their look. I wanted something very clean. Something that blends in and could theoretically be used on a plane without drawing too much attention, but still nice to look at. That guy commented in the Reddit thread I posted and I’m hoping to collab with him on the framework version if he’s down.

And here someone went the other way. She took a framework board and made a steam deck out of it https://www.printables.com/model/1051411-framework-portable-...

A bento/transformer type would be neat. One that can Switch between the 2 modes. Not clamshell or slide.

Re: Bento: A Steam Deck in a Keyboard

#55

Post by marci »

MichaelThatsIt wrote: post #2

This is a project that had been eating away at me for a bit, sitting in the back of my mind. It's a computer that fit's perfectly underneath an Apple Magic Keyboard, and has a compartment to store peripherals like a dongle or small mouse. It has no display, instead opting for XR display glasses. The internals are the main board, cooler, and battery from a Steam Deck OLED. I bought the parts separately rather than gut…

Instead of carrying a small mouse, the case itself could be a trackpad :D

https://ploopy.co/trackpad/

Re: Bento: A Steam Deck in a Keyboard

#57

Post by regularfry »

nottorp wrote: post #45
MichaelThatsIt wrote: post #2

This is a project that had been eating away at me for a bit, sitting in the back of my mind. It's a computer that fit's perfectly underneath an Apple Magic Keyboard, and has a compartment to store peripherals like a dongle or small mouse. It has no display, instead opting for XR display glasses. The internals are the main board, cooler, and battery from a Steam Deck OLED. I bought the parts separately rather than gut…

> I started using the XREAL glasses a few months ago. How's your eye sight? Any signs of fatigue? I've seen people saying that they're fine for gaming and movie watching but too fuzzy for work...

The Air glasses are a bit fuzzy. The Xreal One Pros are far better. I can work all day in them, if I'm not going to be on any video calls.

Re: Bento: A Steam Deck in a Keyboard

#58

Post by HelloUsername »

MichaelThatsIt wrote: post #39
HelloUsername wrote: post #38

Oh I posted this yesterday too https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44309248

Out here trying to steal my thunder. Not today (or yesterday) sir! But seriously appreciate the enthusiasm to share it. This was meant to be a small side project for myself and it blew up. Glad other people are getting a kick out of it.

Someone else posted it even sooner (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44217204 8-jun-2025, with a better title than mine), but also without discussion. Very cool project!

Re: Bento: A Steam Deck in a Keyboard

#59

Post by devnullbrain »

WithinReason wrote: post #49

Why did Valve not do this, or something similar with just the Deck MB in a box with USB-C?

Valve already failed with Steam Machines. There's not a compelling enough reason for them to split production of the Deck into two divergent streams with lesser economies of scale.

Also, 'just' the deck in a box still needs the same regulatory approval.

Re: Bento: A Steam Deck in a Keyboard

#60

Post by bee_rider »

MichaelThatsIt wrote: post #43
bee_rider wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Probably not, even something really fast like a 3D print still takes hours to “compile” so to speak. But, it looks to be a whole lot easier than it used to be!

Most of the iteration process was just me staring at the printer waiting for it to screw up or to find out if I screwed up.

We need a really good physical simulation of the 3D printing/curing (or whatever they call it) process to plug in to the modeling software, somehow.
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