Over in China, some inventive modders have taken the PlayStation 5 and transformed it into what can best be described as a portable gaming machine with a vibe that might remind you of an old-school, bulky laptop. This creation, shared over on Weibo, is called the BBook AI Original Edition, and it’s a beast in size, sporting a whopping 17.3-inch display. Weighing in at over 9 pounds, this hefty device certainly turns heads with its distinctive look.
Housed within a 3D-printed case, the BBook AI packs all the PS5’s guts, providing one big differentiator – its grand 17.3-inch 4K IPS screen, which impressively covers full 100% DCI-P3 color spectrum. However, if you’re a stickler for refresh rates, you might be let down by its 60 Hz cap. There’s an HDMI 2.1 port on the side for connecting an external monitor, though doing so kind of defeats the ‘portable’ part of this product. Bear in mind, it doesn’t have a battery, meaning you’ll need a power outlet close by to get your game on. That’s because the PS5’s hefty 200W power requirement isn’t too kind to battery life, potentially draining a 100Wh battery in about half an hour. So, cut the modders some slack in that dept!
Here’s a quick rundown of the specs you’re getting: The CPU is an eight-core beast based on Zen 2, while the GPU features 36 Compute Units following the RDNA 2 architecture. It also houses 16GB of unified GDDR6 memory and 825GB of PCIe 4.0 storage. The BBook AI’s overall thickness is about 31.3mm, it weighs a total of 9.5 pounds plus an added 1.1 pounds for the adapter, and it’ll cost you 19,999 Yuan, which translates to around $2,750.
The laptop features a USB Type-A 10 Gbps port for connecting peripherals, but don’t expect a silent operation; this thing reportedly roars up to 71.3 dB – similar in volume to a sports car. Interestingly, it’s built to fully emulate the PlayStation 5 experience, even going as far as running the PlayStation OS. Imagine playing something like Astro Bot on a contraption like this! What typical gaming laptop can make that claim?
Now, while impressive, the BBook AI’s price tag is substantially more than a regular PS5, precisely 5.5 times higher. The package appears to include a keyboard based on the visual evidence, though we aren’t quite sure of its type – it could be either membrane or mechanical.
Let’s be real, while this innovation aims at portability, it’s not winning any prizes for lightness. It’s actually twice as heavy as a Lenovo Legion 9i Gen 8 equipped with an RTX 4090 and a 99Wh battery. If you’re looking to save some bucks, consider snagging a PS5 and complementing it with a portable monitor, something that might set you back about $700 to $1,000 all in. Ultimately, the BBook AI comes across more like an ambitious DIY project—a novelty, really, rather than a practical purchase.
