How do I even start with this? So, there’s this whole thing with the Steam Deck, right? It’s kind of like opening a present where you don’t really know what’s inside. Since this gadget popped into the scene, people have been busy — like, seriously busy — turning it into all sorts of Frankenstein-like projects. You’ve got the “Steam Brick” (yeah, I don’t get the name either), and that time someone thought, “Why not just chuck in 32GB of RAM?” Madness, I tell you.
But hold on. Enter Michaelthatsit from Reddit, who decided the world needed something else. So he takes this usual gaming console and — boom, it’s a keyboard now. Yeah, exactly. It’s not just any keyboard though; it’s got the guts of a Steam Deck living inside it and he’s calling it “Bento.” Maybe it’s a nod to those compact little lunchboxes, who knows?
Now, Michael didn’t just slap this thing together for laughs. Nope, he’s made it into a portable SteamOS desktop with a clacking keyboard underneath it all. So instead of a regular screen, he’s hooking this “Bento” up to these funky type-C display glasses. Imagine walking around with a keyboard hooked to your face. Why does this stick in my head? I really couldn’t say.
So here we go. To put it all together, he’s yoinked out the Deck’s motherboard from its original shell — imagine performing surgery on a console — and neatly tucked it into a custom 3D-printed case. This thing sits right under an Apple Magic keyboard, side comments and all.
If you peek inside, the chassis is like two-part storage: on one side, you’ve got all Deck’s important bits and battery (ventilation and all, because otherwise, it’s like a mini oven in there), and then a spare area where he tosses in a USB hub. It all cuddles nicely beneath the Apple keyboard, looking like it was always meant to be there. Kind of like peanut butter meeting jelly.
Now, let’s not rush to conclusions. Michael didn’t just wave a magic wand to get here. There were hiccups — the 3D print wasn’t one seamless piece because, frankly, the printer wasn’t up to it. Also, no mouse. Imagine trying to work a computer without a mouse. It’s like holding a sandwich with no filling. Michael’s planning updates (probably?) to sort these little glitches, hoping for a sleeker body and maybe some mouse controls so you don’t feel all thumbs.
So, this isn’t just a mash-up of bits and bobs. It’s another feather in the cap of folks who look at the Steam Deck and see more than a gaming device. Sounds brilliant if you’re into turning a console into a… keyboard? Definitely cool if you’re in the SteamOS fan club. Crazy or genius? Both, probably. Anyway, back to finding more random inventions — or lunch, whichever comes first.
