The uConsole Is The Coolest All-New DIY Handheld We've Ever Had Our Hands On

The ClockworkPi uConsole Is Here and it’s Awesome! This is a DIY Linux powered Handheld that dubs as a PC, Game Console, Dev unit, Terminal emulator and much more! If you're a gaming enthusiast or just curious about the latest in portable gaming technology, you won't want to miss this! Join us as we uncover everything you need to know about this unique handheld gaming device. Don't forget to hit that subscribe button and ring the notification bell to stay up-to-date with our latest tech reviews and gaming content!
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00:00 Introduction
00:11 uConsole Unboxing
01:14 uConsole assembly
05:25 Powering it up
05:59 Overview
06:38 Is This Handheld For You?
#gaming #linux #handheld

[@Amin2k]

Imagine if smartphones never got invented, and instead we went the route of portable computers that look more like this thing

[@orinsafko]

I think our present would be a very different place. Smart phones and their functionality have been designed for the entire population. If our present was as you described, I think we would have a lot less people addicted to the screens in their pockets and only the most hardcore computer nerds would be walking around with these. At the same time, the cellular networks probably wouldn't be what they are today and the web wouldn't be as fast or accessible on our pocket computers.

[@nerdicusx]

@@orinsafko You get it!

[@ichirotaniguchi]

if the iphone never came out and blackberry continued to dominate the smartphone market, it definitely would be like this

[@j.0x00n4]

The coolest thing about the uConsole is if you're not a creator it takes more than 2 years to ship.

[@Kazekoge101]

Damn, thats a buzzkill

[@drizzdrazz]

brutal

[@Thesavagesouls]

lmao

[@flosa1995]

How do you come to that? Its up to 90 days unless the company is lying?!?

[@j.0x00n4]

@@flosa1995 Company is lying. It's been 4-5 years of "90" day shipping on their FAQ due to "Supply chain Issues". However, if you go to their forum, the owner and admins have a thread with shipping updates - most of which is full of users who are complaining about 450+ day wait times.

[@M419.99]

The aesthetic of this device is incredible! It reminds me of the pocket hacking gadgets in spy movies. I would buy just because of that design 😅

[@bbloomfield6497]

I was just thinking how well it would be as a working prop in some kind of sci-fi or apocalyptic setting. Weathering on the metal shell would really sell it as a hard piece of tech.

[@maxoverridemax]

Looks like it came out of a Aliens movie. Like the pocket hack tool from Alien isolation.

[@XenoXorpse]

It's just a calculator 😂😂😂

[@Ucceah]

abso-fucking-lewdly! i have my eyes on cool niche handheld computers ever since open pandora was first teased way before 2010. this looks almost to good to be true, especially at that price point, and in a full metal case. ..and that kickstand is the icing on the cake!

[@Ucceah]

@@bbloomfield6497 if you wanna make aluminium parts look war torn and withered, good old NaOH based drain cleaner is your best friend. caustic lye eats right into alu. also concider a coat of crincle paint, before scuffing it up, and some chemical warfare, to REALLY make it look like a spy agent relic from the cold war era. (stop giving me ideal like that .. dammit! :D )

[@BlindTrustProject]

The aesthetic design is OUTSTANDING. Simply beautiful.

[@_Turbocat777]

This thing is really nifty, I love how it looks and would have loved using this when I was a kid.

[@CommieGIR]

I got mine, absolutely love it. By far my favorite Linux Handheld I've had yet.

[@TandNGamers]

been wanting to buy one of these for a while but didn't see anyone cover them, so it's nice to see you cover it!

[@ruffark]

I hope this receives better support than the Gameshell. They never came with new modules and the software support was dropped very quickly.

[@krux02]

it's raspberry pie, so it's just the raspberry pie software, seems good enough to me.

[@quarteratom]

@@krux02 But has a custom screen, custom keyboard, other custom hardware. These might break at any time, will most likely break when you need to run OS version updates (if you can even do that with Raspbian).

[@spv420]

@@quarteratom keyboard is connected over usb (regular hid), as is the trackball, so it should be fine display is MIPI iirc, which does require a couple patches to the kernel but shouldn't be too much of an issue i'm planning on maintaining patches & shit even if clockworkpi goes under, for the record.

[@geffreycaruso2411]

The use case for this thing is some niche I don't doubt they'll never sell enough for it to be anything much.

[@anthonypimentel7218]

@@geffreycaruso2411 Well, I certainly want one, and am definitely not the only one. Yeah it is a bit niche, but it's super cool

[@JayDubster]

That's a great little device, and priced damn well too. Nice one dude.

[@Ben-vu4jn]

This is literally SO COOL. Thank you for this video! I love this kind of content, more please!

[@tombstoner6360]

l i t e r a l l y

[@iSlammedMyKindle]

Oh man, this is really giving me those pocket C.H.I.P vibes. It looks so much like a spiritual successor to it I still got mine from back in the day, wish I could keep using it but upgrading firmware isnt as easy as it used to be. But truly, this kind of handheld experience is underrated, it is a lot of fun to type away and have a Linux computer with no compromises. Having the pi in there too is an excellent upgrade, way more capable than C.H.I.P, hope it is something people can enjoy for years to come

[@FEO]

Heyo! Fellow pocket chipper here. Yeah, mine unflashed and I can't get an image back onto it. Still a cool little device to display in the studio 😜 I had the exact same thought when I saw it.

[@JimLemmers]

My pocket chip was dusting away from after a few weeks. Typing was horrible

[@liberatumplox625]

My pocket C.H.I.P self-destructed for no discernable reason.

[@galopeian]

Same here. When the company fell apart I even managed to get the rescued firmware. Its great for Pico-8 and terminal use. I've used it as a portable Piratebox node.

[@protonh3099]

I'd love to see more videos about it! I pre-ordered mine roughly 10 months ago, and I'd be interested to see how much work is involved configuring this device for other Linux distros

[@maxhouseman3129]

Hey, on the website there is only direct buy now, do you think it’s now faster? They say something about 5 work days.

[@protonh3099]

​@@maxhouseman3129 I doubt it's any faster, they haven't fulfilled all the preorders yet and considering how slow they are (around 200 units per month) it will probably take until March next year before everyone gets their order. (Unless they dramatically ramp up production in the meantime, which could happen! I hope so at least)

[@BadBunny]

Great video as always. Please do more on the uConsole as I'm still waiting for mine to arrive, ordered it nearly a year ago now and hope it will be with me soon!

[@amigaworkbench720]

finally something for IT technicians!

[@MrZattack101]

i like how the boards snap together

[@jeroendenhertog4975]

I just ordered one, so excited!

[@Wingedmagician]

This thing is beautiful 😭 thank you for making this video. 100% going to buy it.

[@miscme7116]

I fell in love with this, I can see so many things I could do with it. Have to get one now.

[@DavidStruveDesigns]

What a fantastic and good-looking device! I love ultra-portable designs like this. And being metal cased means it's more durable than a tablet or phone, and a physical keyboard - even a dome switch one - will always feel better to type on that a flat piece of glass. I wish there were more types of cute small computers like this, sadly people are too invested in phones and everything being so thin that it really restricts what can be done. This whole thing reminds of the early days of computers, where home-builds and experimentation was king, before the mega-corporations took over the entire industry. Computers and even gaming consoles used to be a whole lot more accessible and customizable than they are today, with home-brewed games being a HUGE part of it, and this harkens back to those fun days!

[@pastarhythm2762]

I was dreaming about a device exactly like this the other day, Googling to see if it existed. My plan was to find the tiniest keyboard I could, do a whole ton of research, 3D print a case, get a Pi 4, and make my own PC handheld. That all sounds very hard so I'll probably just get this instead. Really would have preferred a proper rocking D-Pad, but this is more of a tinker toy than a serious gaming device, so I can probably look past it.

[@coqfier]

Let's say you could use it for hack coding or seriously use it as a phone/pocket computer 🤷🏻🙈😂

[@-TheRealThing-]

The pocket popcorn (Pocket P.C.) is way better, 1080p touchscreen plus physical keyboard.

[@pastarhythm2762]

@@-TheRealThing- Thanks for the tip. I just looked it up. There are some things about it that I like more than the uConsole, but there are other things I prefer about the uConsole. Good to have options!

[@trillboulevard]

I’ve been waiting for this review 🎉

[@MooMooCow95]

I'm obsessed with this already

[@L4marca]

I would love a flip cover for this. And since it's a DIY thing, It might be possible to 3D print one (just gotta rethink the cooling).

[@driftercarbon]

This seems awesome. Please do more content on this thing, I’d love to know more. How bright is the screen? Can it easily be used outside? I’m curious how well different Raspberry Pi operating systems work with this hardware.

[@michaelbmw1931]

Can it run windows 11?

[@rattlznake]

@@michaelbmw1931 I don’t think it can because of it’s ARM architecture. I can’t say fully for sure, but as far as I’m concerned, the answer is sadly no.

[@innuendoz]

I ordered mine in Oct, can't wait to get it. Its nice to see the enter button is in the right place too

[@johnsteward4792]

How long did your order take to arrive??

[@gavinthecrafter]

This looks really cool, I've always wanted a device like this

[@RyneLanders]

Ahhh, I love the design. It looks like someone took my Blackberry Passport and added some game console keys to it. Shame the screen isn't touch, but the trackball is a fun addition.

[@Beauc4652]

Always enjoy your videos, finally subscribed today. This device looks like a lot of fun to put together. I'm always playing with my Rpi devices, and this looks fun for on-the-go stuff.

[@late.student]

Would love to see a DIY "Ruggedized" form of this. Would also be great if solar charging or crank charging could be added for outdoorsy purposes :P.

[@Ucceah]

it probably wont be long, before *.stl for printable bumpers are up on thingyverse. and for solar/crank chargers, you just need something with a USB output or slot for 18650 cells. have fun hand cranking LiIon cells to full charge, tho! lol. just dont hope for a waterproof version, unless you apply the conformal coating yourself.

[@Heowolf]

@@Ucceah You got me curious thinking about how long it would take to crank charge something like this and I happened to have the stuff lying around (old vape with USB c charging w/ 2 battery slots and a hand crank). It took 30 minutes to get to 5% lol - that being said frantically cranking to get enough power to save a game/trading off between cranking and playing isn't out of the realm of possibilities and I find that novel and amusing.

[@rays5163]

Just coat the case in truck bed liner before you assemble it

[@BeyondPC]

@@Heowolf The trick would be to mount the handcrank charger on a stationary cycle with a gear attaching the crank to the chain. Then you could exercise and power the thing simultaneously. Imagine if kids had no option but to ride the bike to play the game...

[@Heowolf]

@@BeyondPC Would be a "fun exercise" at least.. lol. Adding a flywheel to a gear ratio like that though would be a nice start.

[@Kaless_Liu]

I really love this kind of things which is small and beautiful. Really cool!

[@Vaskomyr]

would be cool to see more older pc games running, definitely thinking of snagging one of these.

[@ManuelDornbusch]

This is one of the most impressive Pi pieces I have seen in a while. My fingers are itching

[@Lee-rn5wl]

this is the absolute great content from u i luv , not the main stream stuff

[@laserboneful]

That’s really cool, I’m quite impressed!

[@ryandary]

this thing is GORGEOUS omg

[@jamesantonywhitehead2814]

Thanks for an insight and links to the product... I want one just to experience putting it together.. Can not wait for the touch screen.

[@colly6022]

All of Clockwork's devices are beautiful and I 1000% plan to buy one eventually. I really hope they do well, like a Teenage Engineering of Linux devices.

[@murillonoob]

This is really beautiful. Id have one just to put on a shelf to display

[@FunkyDeleriousPriest]

I ordered one of these a while back. Still waiting for it. Happy to see this review, it's even better than I expected it would be. I'm not sure how I missed it, but I had no idea the thing was aluminum!

[@iammunemrahman]

Can you use home assistant in it??

[@cpt_vodka611]

Love the phone texts in the background

[@Metroidam11]

This device is so intriguing but I’m struggling to find a use case for it. I feel if I were a developer, I would rather use a laptop. And for a retro game device, I would not want that style d-pad nor buttons. Yet, I would still love to have one lol

[@XakariahFox]

I ordered one as a portable computer to use when I am out and about and dont wanna lug out my laptop at work. I can use my phone for a lot but when I am entering information or trying to configure something really quick the keyboard always gets in the way and the mobile websites dont always like to cooperate. Hoping this will fix that and I have something else to tinker with.

[@zerohours.]

I think this would be a good use if you were an Admin or Pentester

[@over9000713]

​@@XakariahFox I was thinking of using mine (non CM4 edition) to possibly ssh into my phone, as I have Linux installed on terminus and I'm sure ssh server can be ran all without pulling my phone out, and the entering information mentioned with dedicated keyboard

[@biomassfreak]

If the problem is the keyboard on the phone, wouldn't a solution just be something like this that you slot into? Would be fantastic with Samsung Dex

[@usertwelve979]

@@XakariahFox isn't something like Samsung DEX, or native Android Desktop, better for this usecase? There is no extra device you carry, the power is similar, if not greater on higher end phones... It is true that on DEX you don't have as many professional tools, but then again, the the power limitations of the handheld device creates similar bottlenecks

[@utkua]

This is exactly how they imagined computers we will have in 2000s. It is retro futuristic, and I love it.

[@mamaharumi]

Very cool, and I love that they're using 18650s.

[@Trevbot911]

I've been looking for a handheld with a keyboard for DOS emulation and rougelikes for a while and, other than the fact that the RPI4 isn't great with 486/pentium emulation and some liberties with the keyboard layout maybe causing issues with a few games, this is probably the best option I've seen

[@Suicoo]

The whole time I thought "I need this" - and now I know, why I want this! thanks :D

[@englishwithphil42]

For DOS Emulation I use GPD 4 - it's on the expensive side, of of course, but it's simply stellar.

[@Henry-oe2tn]

Can it run n64 games? The thumbnail shows mario 64 but he never played that in the vid

[@Trevbot911]

@@Henry-oe2tn I don't have this yet but it's a RPI4 inside so it should be able to run some of the easier to emulate games. But since there's no analog stick and this device is more focused around the keyboard, it's not really the best for this.

[@SynthOSphere]

Really REALLY cool !! I can’t believe all the cool stuff coming out these days. Reminds me of the 80’s and then advent of digital.

[@D3nchanter]

open standards really give me hope. like the fediverse, peertube, mastodon (read fediverse again), etc. even dnd went that way with pathfinder reigniting the OGL (open gaming license).

[@RedMageGaming]

Been waiting for this for a while.

[@skydelight]

Wow, this design brings back so many memories 😭 It’s crazy how history can repeat itself, and so do the prices 😅😂

[@sagbag856]

coding/programming with this should be awesome looks like the old school types loving it

[@theoriginalrecycler]

Tasty piece of kit, love the form factor

[@maarkaus48]

As an older guy, these things remind me of the old Radio Shack portable devices. I really like the look.

[@arunavamalo]

I had seen this device on the web a month ago and even searched for it on youtube but there were not much quality unboxing videos of this beauty..until today when I saw one of my favorite youtube channel (spoiler: it's ETA PRIME) uploaded this! The quality of your video and detailed feedback on the initial impression convinced me and I ordered it just now. May be I will now have to wait for a year to get it delivered, who knows. But it's indeed a wet tech-lust for any linux enthusiast! I even got the 4G option just to get the complete UMPC vibe! Really hope it arrives soon!

[@Helios.vfx.]

Beautiful I'd love to have one

[@KtotheL]

That's pretty awesome I definitely want it !

[@Leo-pd4fc]

I've been interested of making my own Handheld gaming device so this video about DIY the u console handheld is awesome. I have want's making my own console a long time because I really like technology and because of that Ive been trying find a good Rasperry pi what you need for make a handheld console. Thank you for this awesome video ETA PRIME. 🔥🔥

[@hellmen54]

call me crazy but as someone who used a blackberry I can only love the fact that there is a trackball instead of a touchscreen. It always worked great for sites/applications that where never made for small screens. Like my iphone 12 pro max is harder to navigate on desktop websites than the bold 9900 was. Seeing that this device comes with the default PiOS with XFCE DE the trackpoint seems like the right choice.

[@TomRowlandIsSnowblind]

I imagine this with Kali would be fun. Depends on the WiFi module tho.

[@mrwoodcat]

cool little device. hope they make one that is pocketable in the future

[@SilverXTikal]

Now this is something I’d 10000% bring back to the 80-90s if I got to time travel. You’d own the world especially if you bring a Flipper Zero

[@qeauxduis]

4:57 rip headphone users

[@gamingcow7796]

why?

[@borf42]

I want one of these so bad!! Hopefully I'll get to order one soon...

[@vampiro664]

Wow that thing looks amazing

[@schroedingerundkatze]

Why does this device remember me first ever touching a computer back in time - the ZX Spectrum. I also asked my friend what this "thing" might be good for 😄

[@liamodell7191]

Just preordered mine.

[@maxgood42]

Would be interesting to see how Twister OS looks on the hand held . Looks like fun.

[@skwashua]

No idea what I would use this for, but I want one!

[@FernandoDCDuarte]

As a backed of the GameShell, I love their products!! Although I gotta say that it wasn't very easy to assemble... but once I managed, I was very happy with the result!

[@TheZerech]

Wow! Reminds me of making model airplanes, the ease of this is very attractive for someone like me with little knowledge of hardware.

[@xbiggxx]

Ordered one as soon as i saw this video when it came out, unfortunately I believe orders are backed up but I waited a whole year for the analogue pocket. I have no issue waiting for this. Had to watch the video again cause I cannot wait til I get mine.

[@phylosophymusic4865]

likewise

[@edmundlively2840]

Would have loved one of these, in the early 90s

[@benthompson4373]

What did you think about the screen size? The only thought on my end was that it is too small for a computer and not as game friendly as some other items on the market. I like the idea of a portable linux box though. PopOs would be kinda cool to see.

[@Freshbott2]

I’d love this thick industrial build for a Linux tablet + Android apps

[@matttorres8921]

As much as I wanted to hate this console... this looks really sharp. Love it.

[@kronicali24]

intro song reminds me of pokemon TCG audio for the gameboy, love the mellow vibe

[@Remigrator]

I will order this tomorrow.

[@John_Mack]

brings back memories of industrial handhelds running WinCE. Ah the 80's and 90's....

[@lil_crossgg1029]

It looks beautiful

[@piplup10203854]

This is really cool! If you could do video out for it, you could have it connect to an external touch monitor and use it to play those old school casino games :D that would be so much fun!

[@tylerjohns]

I'll get a uConsole asap and practice me some Leetcode. Love it.

[@camptube7621]

Wow. $189 for the top model! That’s great value. The fun you could have.

[@XiaOmegaX]

Love the OpenTyrian rep

[@Tb0n3]

Most products use the prefix u as a shortening of micro since the µ (mu) is very similar.

[@SnakebitSTI]

It says "uConsole" not "μConsole", so I am going to call it the "U console".

[@justsomeguyiguess]

Very neat. Would love to know what the battery life is like in practice. I figure a big stumbling block for all rpi based handhelds is the lack of a proper low-power sleep or hibernation mode. It means you're stuck either leaving the machine sipping energy the whole time or having to wait for full shutdown when your done and a full boot when you want to get started again... A definite barrier to using it on the go.

[@jagoob]

One nice thing about 18650s is you can get em with 3600mAH so you could have over 7200mAH on 2 of em. Not sure how much power the pi uses but pretty sure you could get good battery life off of that.

[@carbharharbcar5867]

it really shouldnt take too long to boot. if its for emulated games, then simply save stating then powering it off should be very quick. a script to do all this for you would be pretty easy

[@ducodarling]

Maybe it will run Mobian?

[@ericlawrence9060]

I love your videos!!

[@qquack1950]

Sick vid man :)))

[@bharath2633]

This is so cool! This is the direction I wish modern smartphones had.. imma buy one soon

[@calebnewton_]

Wow, I didn't know something like this existed. I want one!

[@mint-flvr]

looks really cool

[@HolyBlowhole]

This is the kinda stuff I imagine people using on orbital space stations and planetary bases in 50 years! Really cool.

[@GiuseppeGaetanoSabatelli]

I love the Texas Instruments / Casio aesthetic.

[@Oberkaptain]

I need this to run one of my small CNC machines.

[@jdubxi11]

Hahaha looks fun, but I did crack up at the comment about a Blackberry track ball being a good thing! Hopefully is better than the actual BB one, the physical ball style ones went bad so quickly with normal use. Was a god send for me when they updated to the touch pad, cleaning the old ones for customers back then was hell.

[@mikebogart9252]

I bought it for its aesthetics. Hopefully I get it in three months!

[@x-cardboardface-x3444]

This would be 10/10 if they made accessible cover for 18650 cell for easy swap and a front cover for keyboard to avoid accidental press while using d pad for gaming.

[@northernswedenstories1028]

Screw the games, make this into a phone! Looks perfect!

[@justinholmes5614]

I love the rubber keyboard. Reminds me of the Sinclair ZX Spectrum

[@ZacCarpenter]

It's like a modern Pocket Chip, but it runs on a Raspberry Pi CM, uses a higher quality shell (Aluminium instead of plastic), comes with built in speakers, has a trackball, lacks a touchscreen and you *have to assemble it yourself. I think this is really cool, it just needs a touchscreen and I'd get one.

[@danwake4431]

*get to

[@8-bit323]

Love the content

[@joelee24]

A very cool unit I can't wait to get my hands on it, I enjoy using BB type keyboard more than touch screen.

[@MarkDell]

I always love the look of these, but I can never think of good uses for them. I'd be curious to hear what you've been doing with it

[@fennsk]

I used to write blog posts on a BlackBerry while commuting via public transport, so that kind of use case may be great for people who spend a lot of time in transit (alongside gaming on it).

[@ReIigionlsForIdiots]

Make videos reviewing it on KZbin.

[@DowneyMax]

@@fennsk What's the difference of doing that with a phone?

[@joharakiri]

I think this is first and foremost a hobby developer's device as it combines pocketability with ease of use.

[@fennsk]

@@DowneyMax IMO it is easier to type quickly and more accurately on a physical keyboard than a touchscreen.

[@Danjovisagat]

ETA I am interested in your handheld collection, end of year video idea? Seen some cool tech on your channel.