A creator known online as Budget-Builds Official put together a budget alternative to a portable Steam Deck. The project cost roughly £30 to assemble, about 2100 rubles, and was built to show that portability and gaming could live on a shoestring price tag.
In this setup, an older Windows tablet was repurposed with a docking station from Microsoft described as unusual and rare by the builder. The Steam Big Picture mode was then added, transforming the tablet into a living room friendly gaming device.
Compared with the genuine Steam Deck, this homemade gadget doesn’t pack flagship specs. It relies on an Intel Atom Cherry Trail T8300 processor and 2 GB of DDR3L RAM at 1600 MHz. Still, it can run several popular titles at modest settings, delivering playable frame rates on a tight budget. For example, Skyrim runs at around 48 FPS at 480p with low graphics, and Minecraft holds about 45 FPS at 720p.
During the video, the creator tested a wider lineup of games, noting the performance differences and what each title could manage on the hardware:
- Half-Life 2 runs at 50 FPS on medium settings at 720p;
- Don’t Starve stays smooth at 60 FPS on high settings at 800p;
- GTA 5 manages around 26 FPS on low settings at 240p;
- CS:GO experienced slowdowns, even in the menu;
- Counter-Strike: Source hits about 89 FPS on medium settings at 720p;
- Fable: The Lost Chapters runs between 40 FPS on low to medium settings at 720p;
- Red Dead Redemption 2 is launched through cloud streaming rather than native performance.
With a battery life of roughly three hours in gaming mode, the device extends to about 6–8 hours when used as a regular tablet, depending on workload and brightness. The comparison with a real Steam Deck is clear in the benchmark results, though the budget build remains a fraction of the price.
When evaluated as a tiny, $35 console, the device performed surprisingly well. The official Steam Deck price starts higher, with the base version offering 64 GB of storage at a much larger cost. This underlines how affordable components and clever use of existing hardware can deliver a satisfying gaming experience at a fraction of the price.
News about the Steam Deck continues to surface, including reports that Valve is preparing a new version of the handheld. The conversation around updates and new features is ongoing for fans who want improved performance and flexibility from their portable gaming devices.
Times