Summary
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Someone built a PS2 handheld with an exposed spinning disk and a MadCatz controller, all held together with duct tape.
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The monstrosity features a 10,000 mAh power bank, offering five hours of runtime, which is longer than the Steam Deck and Switch 2.
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The video also shows repairing the PS2 optical drive using EEPROM edits with Sony clone calibration tools.
I’ve seen plenty of home retro console to handheld conversions over the years, but I don’t think I’ve ever come across one as strange as this one.
Noted video game console modder James Channel is behind the smashed PlayStation 2 that features a MadCatz controller, a built-in LCD screen, and of course, a fully exposed flying disc drive that spins like a portable circular saw. Naturally, the handheld retro monstrosity is held together with what appears to be an entire role of duct tape, including even its screen. I imagine this isn’t good for thermals, although Channel says “passive cooling” isn’t actually that bad.
Of course, the spinning disc doesn’t move fast enough to really hurt you, but it still looks a little wild in action in Channel’s video.
Say hello to JameStation 2
Extravagant handheld features surprisingly excellent battery life
The “JamesStation 2” seems like a kind of lazy antithesis to cleaner portable conversions like the little GameCube that I covered a few weeks ago. In a way, this makes it kind of cool. Other features include a 10,000 power bank that powers the build, allowing the handheld to run for an hour with 71 percent battery life remaining, bringing the theoretical battery life to the five-hour range. Interestingly, this means that the Frankenstein-like handheld has a longer battery life than the Steam Deck and Switch 2.
Channel spends a significant portion of the video fixing the PS2’s optical drive, a part that is famous for failing. The process involves using a clone of Sony’s internal calibration tools to change the console’s EEPROM data. If you like old school gaming, it’s a pretty fascinating watch, especially since it uses the motherboard from the original PS2 Slim.
