Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjYhp6fW5kI

This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/sbcgaming by /u/ZCTMO on 2026-08-09 17:12:56+00:00.

Hello everyone! I am excited to share some new updates and video going behind the scenes of the process creating and building the functional prototype for my own dream handheld, the CG Deck! There is still a ton of work that needs to be done as I transition this early functional prototype of the device into our DFM version, then final iteration and end-product version of the CG Deck. But I am excited to share a look at the process up to this point nonetheless! Just under 7 months of work from the initial idea and concept, through the key moments of development up to this point with the functional prototype in hand!

The video goes over various aspects including the problems I wanted to solve with the CG Deck, giving back power, control and ownership to the consumer. And the process from step A-Z, bringing my dream device to life. Though the design & CAD process building the initial model of the CG Deck in Blender 3D, development of the design and form factor over time to fit my original vision, highlighting the use of consumer FDM 3D printers to create the prototype shell & various other components, the challenges with translating a digital design into a real world object and the iterative process, assembly of the engineering prototype itself, and many of the frustrations and annoyances which I encountered and delt with through during the process. All mixed in with my best attempt at presenting a complex and in depth engineering process in an entertaining and humorous way! I wanted the video to feel like a simple invitation over to hang out and build the device together, like we were simply hanging out and chatting while building the prototype together.

I also wanted to apologize for the lack of updates over the past month or so. I needed to spend as much time as I could preparing everything and editing down a few thousand hours of recorded footage concepting, designing, engineering, prototyping & assembly work down into a 30 minute long video. So my sincerest apologies for the lack of updates or presence in general. Being an engineer and designer first, video editing & presenting to the camera is still a skill set I am working on developing and improving at. Now that the video is live, I can get back to focusing on improving and polishing the CG Deck itself and start taking the next steps of the process! That being said, I am excited to be able to share a lens into the behind the scenes, creating the engineering prototype of the CG Deck!

For those that are seeing the CG Deck for the first time, it is a modular handheld x86 PC that is capable of running dual-boot operating systems including Windows & Linux distributions. My goal was to create my own "dream device" that was capable of adapting to whatever use case I needed. Whether I am playing Steam games, doing CAD work in Blender, coding, video editing, or whatever it is, I wanted to be able to simply be able to do it on the road or while traveling. I thought it would be ideal to have something that was portable enough to throw in a backpack or pants pocket, satellite/sim capable, and be used just as any other full scale desktop computer would. The entire device is modular and can be upgraded, repaired, or customized as you need. The CG Deck will release with 5 different modules, a variety of backplate designs and colors, and a variety of hardware and external accessories/upgrades. I wanted to make a device that grows with you as you use it and acts as a platform rather than just another device. I did not have enough time to go into much depth regarding any of the modularity of the device, or what it is capable of in the video. But I will have quite a few dedicated follow-up videos diving into various aspects of the CG Deck itself and individual aspects of the process, in addition to future plans and updates as the come.

From this point, I still have lots of work to do, but I am extremely happy with how progress is coming along so far! I would love to hear your thoughts on how you think everything is coming together and your feedback on the video! As for the CG Deck itself, I still need to make quite a few adjustments and further polish the design. First to accommodate the new custom display solution, further optimize the internal volumes, bringing down the overall weight of the device, and standardization of the module accessories so the community can start working on designing their own! As of now, I am currently in the process of redesigning the CG Deck with those improvements, and in a widely supported manufacturing format to give us as much flexibility as possible as we move toward and prepare for the manufacturing process and launch of the CG Deck.

Similar to this first phase of creating the engineering prototype, I will be documenting and recording everything giving an inside look on the entire process as we move towards launching the CG Deck and bringing it to market. The end device will use a diverse suite of various manufacturing techniques including but not limited to injection molded shells, advanced 3D printing for complex geometric internal parts and buttons, and an iterative system for compression molding and inking of the silicone rubber components.

I would love to hear all of your thoughts on everything so far, and if you have any questions about the CG Deck, the process so far, or the video itself, I look forward to answering them!

If you are interested in following along with the project or learning more about it, you can find everything from specs, more details, socials, links to the open source github repository and more on the website.

Throughout the process, I have been sharing daily active updates in our discord server, so if you are interested in joining our community and getting a better look at the behind the scenes action and being a part of the conversation, you can find a link to join on the website as well!

Once I start wrapping up the project, I will be launching a Kickstarter to help fund a full production run of the device for anyone interested in helping support the project and getting a CG Deck of their own. I am planning to release some build kits and pre-assembled devices with the Kickstarter, and if you have any questions about any of that, I would love to answer them!

Here is the link to learn more about the project and join the waitlist if you are interested: https://mogozen.com/