Valve’s Steam Machine launched with a considerably hefty price tag and pretty middling specs, so it’s no surprise that PC builders and gaming enthusiasts have resorted to building their own. The latest entry in this string of DIY projects is something a little different: a pint-sized version powered by the RedMagic 11S Pro.
ETA Prime’s video details the process of putting it together, as well as how the setup fares in terms of performance. The YouTuber refers to the phone as the RedMagic 11 Pro S throughout the video, but that’s neither here nor there. More importantly, this handset was purpose-built for gaming, boasting a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Leading Version SoC. The model used in the video comes with 16GB of RAM. For heat management, it leverages a hybrid system composed of an active cooling fan and a fluorinated liquid loop.
To create the miniature Steam Machine, ETA Prime 3D printed a case for the smartphone. This rectangular cuboid shell is big enough to house the device along with a USB hub and a thermoelectric cooler. Apparently, the original plans included a rear fan for airflow, but the 3D print for the rear fan mount did not turn out well. The final piece of hardware is an external monitor.
On the software side, the YouTuber used DroidDeck, an open source app that runs the Steam Linux client’s Big Picture interface directly on Android devices. It also leverages translation layers, so it’s not emulation per se. The point is, this software doesn’t stream games to the device, but runs them natively. In any case, ETA Prime’s project pairs the app with the RedMagic 11S Pro’s console mode, which enables dual-screen functionality, so the phone’s display can be used for secondary tasks.
Now, the mini Steam Frame isn’t comparable to the real deal in terms of performance, but the YouTuber asserted that it is on par with the Steam Deck when running certain titles. Among the games tested are Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Injustice 2, with the latter attaining 60fps at 720p resolution. ETA Prime also demonstrated that Cyberpunk 2077 could run at 30fps on low settings.
That said, there are some shortcomings. Although many games were playable, a few titles encountered glitches or crashes. This could be due to compatibility issues. Beyond that, thermal throttling remained a major problem, even with the phone’s existing solutions and additional cooler. It’s also possible that the case design hampered the cooling effectiveness.
ETA Prime’s setup is by no means perfect, nor is it meant to be for everyone. But the experimental build does offer a glimpse of what’s possible with Android devices.
(Source: ETA Prime via YouTube)
