Turning the Raspberry Pi into a portable console

It seems like every time we turn around there’s another incredibly cool project involving the uber-mini Raspberry Pi development board.

Of all the Pi projects thus far, my favorite is probably a cool little retro gaming cabinet made out of a clear plastic material. However, that’s no longer my favorite Raspberry Pi project; as the Pi-to-Go is my new initiative of choice.

Basically, the Pi-to-Go is a DIY project created by Nathan Morgan. He wanted to turn the Raspberry Pi into a portable machine that is much smaller and easier to take transport than a notebook. So he designed a device that is actually more similar to a portable game console than your typical notebook computer.

Yes, Morgan built a custom 3D printed case to house the board, along with a wireless keyboard and a little LCD display. The project specifically used the model B Pi, an LCD with a resolution of 640 x 480, and a QWERTY keyboard with an integrated touchpad. Storage for the little portable gadget is facilitated via a 64 GB SSD.

Power for the little portable device comes from an internal rechargeable battery – promising 10 hours of use per charge. Other hardware features include a 4 GB SD card, along with support for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

Best of all, the builder even has full instructions, 3D printer files, and a parts list necessary to build your own version. This isn’t exactly a cheap project though, with the parts list totaling $400 – not counting the costs of 3D printing the case. Of course, you could probably save some money if you went with wood or metal.