Engineer builds tiny PS5 that looks like a souped-up Wii

Engineer and YouTuber Not From Concentrate was disappointed with the PS5 Slim, so took matters into his own hands and built his own tiny version of the PS5.

When the new model of the PlayStation 5 was announced, it was mocked by many, as it had acquired the ‘Slim’ moniker familiar from previous PlayStation consoles, but didn’t appear to be that much smaller. One YouTuber and engineering channel named Not From Concentrate or NFC took it further, making his own tiny version of the PS5.

“I’m disappointed that Sony didn’t live up to my expectations. So I decided to do it myself,” said YouTuber NFC at the start of his video. The custom build puts most of the PS5 components inside an NFC Skyreach 4 Tiny micro ATX PC case, achieving a 60% reduction in size. The size and form factor of the PC case makes it look somewhat like a Nintendo Wii.

A “Tiny” PS5 made with pro-grade engineering

More than 20 custom parts were crafted for a build, made using CNC, 3D printing, and a laser cutting service. Stock PS5 parts were incorporated to retain functionality. The end result features a detachable vertical stand with a built-in controller charging dock and an external disc drive. The charging dock is wired to the 5V standby power supply, so it can still charge the controllers even when the console is turned off.

During the video, NFC was honest about his issues with the standard PS5: “My biggest complaint about the PS5? The fan. It’s huge.” NFC went on to identify the large cooling fan as the main reason the PS5 can’t get much smaller. Instead, NFC decided to use a combination of a Blackridge cooler, and a PC fan, along with changing the design of the plates holding the motherboard to make them thicker, and with more surface area for better cooling. The PS5 does not have a temperature monitor feature, so he needed to attach embedded heat probes so the custom fan controller could react to the temperature. This allowed it to be set so the fan does not turn off until the internal temp drops below a certain value, even after the console is turned off

After all that work, it would be logical to think the disc drive would be the easy part by comparison, as it would just involve extending the cables, but that isn’t correct. The disc drive motherboard is paired to the mainboard in the PS5. They cannot be easily swapped out. NFC ended up needing to use a breakout board to make sure the resistance on the cables fell within the parameters set by Sony to ensure it functioned.

“It took a lot of prototypes,” NFC said, “but I’m pleased with how it turned out.”