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

[@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 )

[@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.

[@APEXGuerilla]

What in the Casio calculator

[@pedro4205]

First thing i thought when i saw the thumb

[@_Turbocat777]

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

[@BlindTrustProject]

The aesthetic design is OUTSTANDING. Simply beautiful.

[@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!

[@JayDubster]

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

[@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

[@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

[@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).

[@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!

[@miscme7116]

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

[@Wingedmagician]

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

[@CommieGIR]

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

[@Vaskomyr]

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

[@utkua]

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

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@amigaworkbench720]

finally something for IT technicians!

[@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)

[@trillboulevard]

I’ve been waiting for this review 🎉

[@MrZattack101]

i like how the boards snap together

[@gavinthecrafter]

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

[@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??

[@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!

[@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.

[@mrwoodcat]

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

[@TomRowlandIsSnowblind]

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

[@skwashua]

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

[@Lee-rn5wl]

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

[@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.

[@ManuelDornbusch]

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

[@Kaless_Liu]

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

[@maxgood42]

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

[@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??

[@mamaharumi]

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

[@nullsmack]

uConsole is probably meant to be pronounced micro console since that's what the "u" is short for.

[@borf42]

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

[@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. 🔥🔥

[@jeroendenhertog4975]

I just ordered one, so excited!

[@edboiio]

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.

[@sagbag856]

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

[@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.

[@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!

[@qeauxduis]

4:57 rip headphone users

[@gamingcow7796]

why?

[@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 😄

[@MooMooCow95]

I'm obsessed with this already

[@theoriginalrecycler]

Tasty piece of kit, love the form factor

[@kronicali24]

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

[@djstraussp]

Looks nice. It would be great to have compatibility with Orange Pi CM4 also. This will lower the final project price.

[@ryandary]

this thing is GORGEOUS omg

[@qquack1950]

Sick vid man :)))

[@KtotheL]

That's pretty awesome I definitely want it !

[@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.

[@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!

[@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.

[@RedMageGaming]

Been waiting for this for a while.

[@vampiro664]

Wow that thing looks amazing

[@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).

[@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!

[@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".

[@TheZerech]

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

[@ducodarling]

The back panel is the cpu cooler? How hot does it get? Can you run some 3D/HD and check the temp?

[@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

[@maarkaus48]

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

[@Max_Mustermann]

It does look pretty cool, although the battery type used seems to increase the thickness quite a bit. Also, the unit shown in the video appears to have a large scuff/chipped paint on the top cover out of the box.

[@another3997]

I'm fairly certain these are just review units, so who knows how many people have handled it before. I daresay other battery types could have been implemented, but price and availability are factors to consider. If people want ultra slim devices, there are plenty available, but they too have their downsides. Horses for courses.

[@Max_Mustermann]

@@another3997 Good point with the review units. As for the batteries, pouch type Li-Ion batteries are pretty inexpensive, but it is possible that they had a valid reason for not using them.

[@Danjovisagat]

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

[@cpt_vodka611]

Love the phone texts in the background

[@DigitalIP]

If anyone needs some 18650s, Walmart sells them in store for their solar lights, but with it nearing the end of summer they might be on clearance now wherever they keep their end of summer solar lights isle. And yes, they are legit 18650s and no they are not only for solar light usage.

[@tylerjohns]

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

[@Freshbott2]

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

[@NyhkolasFrost]

ordered one of these last week as a little portable computer for work and some tinkering. been wanting something i can carry around and use a browser on. I'm in IT and most everything I use has a URL i can go to and using a phone is such a pain in the butt when the keyboard take up most of the screen. Can't wait to get this into my hands.

[@John_Mack]

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

[@alexpasko1126]

Oh yeah; I would love to see if how other linux variants (alpine linux mainly) works with this amazing hardware.

[@calebnewton_]

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

[@EvilDaveCanada]

I hope the first thing that they add is a touch version of the roller ball. I have owned Blackberry's with both the roller and the touch version. The roller after a while needs to be disassembled for cleaning but the touch version only needs a whip with a cleaning cloth at the worst. Not until the touch pointer becomes available will I contemplate buying one as I well remember how much of a pain cleaning the roller ball was.

[@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!

[@skydelight]

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

[@laserboneful]

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

[@Oberkaptain]

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

[@lil_crossgg1029]

It looks beautiful

[@robertkluth2553]

I'd be interested in seeing Twister OS running on this. Thanks all you do.

[@microlinux]

Awesome product and review .I would love to see some box86 or box64 in action here with linux x86_64 or x86 games, AKA not wine.

[@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

[@NyhkolasFrost]

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]

​@@NyhkolasFrost 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]

@@NyhkolasFrost 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

[@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

[@liamodell7191]

Just preordered mine.

[@jaxibarton8602]

We need to see how some other os’s run on here I’d love to see how Manjaro mate or Ubuntu perform

[@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.

[@MinecraftAedda]

What is that intro song, is there more? Great review by the way!

[@inoodrakula]

How long from when you ordered it, did it take to arrive? Love your channel!

[@bharath2633]

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

[@justinholmes5614]

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

[@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!

[@dbjungle]

This looks cool. I want it for computing not gaming. How is the batter life with 2 cells?

[@manvanshugoyal275]

If calculators were pokemon they gonna evolve in this 😂

[@Remigrator]

I will order this tomorrow.