Apple’s Magic Keyboard becomes a game console

A resourceful modder has turned his Steam Deck into a unique mini-PC. The complete hardware now sits in a specially made cover under a Magic Keyboard from Apple. There is a special solution for the edition of the picture.

Crazy Steam-deck tinkering

Modder of game consoles always come around the corner with impressive creations. They fold motherboards like a book to build PS1 trading, the Wii U shrink to playing card size or feed a tiny handheld in the look of the Game Boy Advance.

This time, an innovative project in the Steam deck community causes a stir. A hobbyist has integrated the hardware of the popular Valve console into an Apple Magic Keyboard. The system, known as the “Bento”, combines the computing power of the Steam Deck with the functionality of the keyboard.

Development of the Bento project

Like the user Michaelthatsit Reddit reports, the idea came from a surprising knowledge: the Steam deck components fit amazingly well into the dimensions of a standard keyboard. The modder was apparently dissatisfied with the original design of his Steam deck and was looking for an alternative that was both functionally and aesthetically appealing.

The implementation required a complete disassembly of the Steam Deck. All main components including the mainboard with the AMD van Gogh APU, the 40-watt hour battery, the cooling unit and the connections had to be carefully removed from the original housing and adapted for the new form factor.

For the image edition, the developer relies on AR glasses that are controlled via a dongle hidden in the housing. This solution eliminates the need for an external monitor and makes the system even more compact. The keyboard retains its original functionality, while the Steam deck hardware runs in the background.

Technical challenges

The biggest challenge was in the heat dissipation. The Steam Deck has a sophisticated cooling system with a centrifugall fan and heat pipes that is optimized for the compact handheld design. A new solution had to be developed for keyboard format. The “Bento” therefore has ventilation openings on the left and upper side, which ensure the necessary air circulation.

The frame specially made in 3D printing is divided into two chambers. The larger chamber houses the steam deck hardware and battery, while the smaller one is reserved for additional components. The design had to respect the original dimensions of the Magic Keyboards in order to maintain keyboard functionality.

Outlook and improvements

However, the current design still has some restrictions on which the modder wants to work. The 3D printed housing currently consists of two parts due to printer restrictions. In addition, there has been no integrated mouse control elements. Future versions should fix these problems with a one-piece housing and dedicated mouse modules.