If you are attracted to the mix of Cyberpunk culture, electronic DIY, and Raspberry PiCyberdecks are a veritable bottomless well of ideas. In just a few years, they've gone from being a science fiction concept to becoming fully customized small laptops, created by makers around the world with retro-futuristic aesthetics and highly specialized functions.
Although each project is unique, they all share a common core: a a board like Raspberry Pi, a screen, some kind of keyboard and a very particular chassis, often 3D printed or mounted on recycled boxes. From there, the possibilities explode: from SDR radio and penetration testing equipment to development stations with dual screens or technological survival kits for a hypothetical internet outage.
What exactly is a cyberdeck with Raspberry Pi?
The term “Cyberdeck” was born with the novel Neuromancer William Gibson's novel describes terminals that hackers use to connect to cyberspace literally from their brains. In the real world, the maker community has adopted the concept to name those homemade, highly customized laptops that often use Raspberry Pi as their brains and draw on cyberpunk aesthetics and philosophy.
Unlike a conventional laptop, a cyberdeck is understood more as a modular, open and repairable platformIt is common to see unusual screen sizes, compact mechanical keyboards, decorative LED indicators, radio frequency antennas, accessible connectors, and structures that make it easy to open the device to modify it whenever desired.
One distinctive feature is that many designs They do not follow the classic "screen + foldable keyboard" designThere are cyberdecks in portable console form, others in waterproof cases, some carried in a shoulder bag, and others mounted in laser-cut metal boxes or recycled laptop cases. The real limit is usually the creator's imagination and time.
Raspberry Pi has become the favorite base because it allows you to have a complete Linux computer on a tiny boardWith excellent software support, available GPIO pins for sensors and modules, and a robust ecosystem of accessories and communities, this solution offers the power to handle graphical desktops, web browsers, networking tools, SDRs, and complete development environments, unlike microcontroller-based solutions like Arduino.
In practice, a cyberdeck with Raspberry Pi can function as mobile systems administration workstation, pentesting lab, software-defined radio console, embedded development equipment, terminal for controlling robots or, simply, as a technological toy to enjoy tinkering with.
Retrofuturistic Cyberdeck SDR with Raspberry Pi 5
One of the most striking projects of recent times is the Nicholas LaBonte's portable Cyberdeck SDRIt uses a Raspberry Pi 5 and boasts a distinctly retro-futuristic aesthetic. It's not just a pretty case: it's an all-in-one computer designed for software-defined radio and other technical tasks on the go.
The design combines dark plastics, bright red details, and polished metal partsachieving an industrial console look that seems straight out of a science fiction film, but with an extremely meticulous finish. Visually, it departs from typical 3D-printed boxes and opts for more original materials.
Instead of limiting himself to plastic, LaBonte uses Richlite (a phenolic material) on the front and sapele wood on the backcreating a very attractive contrast. This is complemented by fine aluminum details and a large bronze heat sink, which is not only functional but also reinforces the look of a professional technical device.
The device integrates a Waveshare display connected via DSI with a resolution of 800×480 pixelsIt is sufficient for lightweight interfaces and terminals, and is operated with a fully customized keyboard and a repurposed mouse joystick from a PSP 1000, giving it a classic handheld console feel.
The keyboard electronics are based on a Custom PCB with ATmega32U4 microcontroller and QMK firmware, which also manages the joystick's analog input. The keys are engraved on Gravitech material, which imitates aluminum, and are activated by a matrix of carefully wired microswitches.
Beyond the input, this cyberdeck includes a detachable SDR antennawhich can be attached or removed as needed. The Raspberry Pi 5, with its CPU and GPU improvements, allows for the smooth operation of software-defined radio applications, spectrum analysis, and networking tools on Linux.
One of the project's strengths is its autonomy: it integrates a Internal UPS that provides approximately 5 hours of useThis makes it truly portable. Thermal risk is mitigated by the bronze heatsink and careful heat management, ensuring that the Pi and other components remain within safe operating ranges.
To gain internal space, the creator decided desolder the dual USB ports of the Raspberry Pi 5freeing up space for the keyboard and SDR antenna. Looking ahead to future revisions, they plan to add a camera module, GPS chip, and 4G modem, which would require incorporating an additional USB hub to restore connectivity.
The best thing for those who want to replicate it is that LaBonte has published a very detailed construction guideaccompanied by a video demonstrating its operation. With time, patience, and some experience in welding and machining materials, it's possible to build your own version of this retrofuturistic cyberdeck.
Pi Slate: A compact, Raspberry Pi 5-based cyberdeck for mobile Linux
Another interesting example of a type of cyberdeck with Raspberry Pi is the Pi Slate, an ultra-compact laptop focused on Linux and in technical tasks. It doesn't aim to replace the traditional laptop, but rather to offer a mobile work tool for system administration, ethical hacking, embedded development, and experimentation with open hardware.
The Pi Slate combines a 5-inch widescreen touchscreen with 1920×720 pixel resolution and a keyboard integrated into a body reminiscent of a modern handheld console. It's all built around a Raspberry Pi 5, taking advantage of the power boost provided by its 2,4 GHz Cortex-A76 CPU and VideoCore VII GPU.
The result is a very small but surprisingly capable team for programming, managing servers, launching automation scriptsIt allows you to connect via SSH or run network tools. It's not designed for demanding gaming, but it's suitable for lightweight graphical environments like XFCE or KDE Plasma with reasonable performance.
The Raspberry Pi 5 provides integrated connectivity: Dual-band WiFi, Bluetooth 5.0, USB 3.0 and microHDMI outputsSome similar designs even add NVMe SSDs via PCIe adapters, taking advantage of the Pi 5's PCIe link to multiply the speed compared to traditional microSD cards.
This performance improvement over previous generations makes a Pi 5-based Cyberdeck feel much less limited: The CPU can perform more than 150% better than the Pi 4 Under certain workloads, the GPU handles modern interfaces and 4K60 HEVC video playback better.
The Pi Slate's screen is one of its key differentiators. The ultra-wide 1920x720 format offers many more columns of text visible It's better than an 800x480 or even a similarly sized 1280x720. It's a delight for terminals, code editors, htop, or technical dashboards.
The very high pixel density makes the text look sharp, which is key for those who work constantly with the terminal in Linux. However, it is necessary adjust interface scaling in the desktop environment so that icons and menus don't look ridiculously small on a 5-inch screen.
In terms of uses, a cyberdeck like Pi Slate serves as portable remote administration terminal, cybersecurity node Lightweight with Kali or Parrot OS, IoT monitoring station using GPIO and sensors, or embedded development equipment to program ESP32, RP2040 or Arduino directly from the device itself.
Within the world of compact cyberdecks, Pi Slate is positioned alongside projects such as Pilet, HackberryPi5 o Pi Flux by Carbon ComputersSome prioritize battery life, others experiment with square screen formats or recycled Blackberry keyboards. Pi Slate seeks a more "usable" balance between size, ergonomics, and resolution.
In these very small formats, the challenges of refrigeration and energy consumption These are important. The Pi 5 can heat up above 80 °C under load and consume between 8 and 12 W, which necessitates the integration of heatsinks, compact fans, and batteries between 5000 and 10000 mAh to achieve between 3 and 6 hours of real-world autonomy.
Beyond the hardware, what gives meaning to the project is Linux. Power run full distributions such as Raspberry Pi OS, Ubuntu, Kali, Manjaro ARM or DietPi In a handheld device, it remains very attractive to technical users. And the community often publishes STL designs, schematics, and firmware under open licenses, facilitating repairs and modifications in the long run.
Differences between a cyberdeck and a conventional laptop
Given all of the above, the question arises: if a cyberdeck carries Screen, keyboard and battery, why not just call it a laptopThe answer lies in the design philosophy and the intended use, rather than mere functionality.
A laptop is designed as a closed product: a thin box, difficult to open, with little room for reusing components or adding extras. A cyberdeck, on the other hand, values that... the internal parts are accessible, interchangeable and easy to maintainOpening it to change a motherboard, a keyboard, or add sensors is usually just a matter of a few screws.
Another important difference is creative freedom. A cyberdeck allows for... using unusual screen sizes, ortholinear keyboards, LED matrices, visible antennasOld panels from other devices, industrial connectors… Anything that breaks with the “smooth” and minimalist aesthetic of the commercial laptop comes into play.
Nor is it uncommon to resort to recycled electronics and casingsOld laptops, obsolete tablets, instrument cases, toolboxes, or even camera cases are repurposed as cyberdeck chassis. Besides saving money, this reinforces the repurposed technology aesthetic so closely associated with cyberpunk imagery.
Finally, many projects incorporate elements that would be unthinkable in a standard laptop: Environmental sensors, radios, dedicated physical buttons, secondary displays, unusual power supply systems, modules for SDR, LoRa, GPS or custom internal USB hubs.
The community around these devices is very active. Spaces like Cyberdeck Cafe or the r/cyberDeck subreddit They serve as a showcase for constructions, an exchange of ideas, and a shared culture. It's not just hardware; it's also a way of understanding computing as something malleable and personal.
Cyberdeck Raspberry Pi Recovery Kit: Prepared for the “end of the world”
Among the most unusual types of cyberdecks with Raspberry Pi, the following stands out: “Raspberry Pi Recovery Kit” by Jay DoscherIt is a mini PC specifically designed for emergency scenarios, intended to function as an autonomous network core when everything else fails, without depending on the Internet or external infrastructure.
The team is built within a Pelican case resistant to water and shocksIt's typical for transporting cameras or delicate instruments. Inside, it houses a Raspberry Pi 4, an official 7-inch touchscreen, an internal battery, and various carefully organized network and control components.
The chosen keyboard is a Plaid 5z6p compact ortholinear modelwhich fits perfectly with the philosophy of low power consumption and simplicity. The Pi 4 acts as the heart of the system, while a 5-port Netgear Ethernet switch handles the wired connectivity.
One of the curiosities of the design is the use of a copper sheet as protection against electromagnetic pulses (EMP)This adds an extra layer of robustness against extreme events that could damage electronic equipment. The idea is that this cyberdeck can survive where other devices would fail.
The front panel features USB connectors, a barrel connector for power, and Ethernet ports, each with independent analog switches which allow them to be manually disconnected to save energy or isolate network segments.
Its purpose is to act as a independent core networkIt is capable of handling DNS, DHCP, and web server services, similar to an advanced router. In the event of a total wireless communications outage, it could maintain a functional local infrastructure.
Doscher details all the components and the assembly process on its website, including the 3D printed parts needed to fix and join the internal modulesAlthough the aesthetic remains distinctly Cyberdeck, here the practical and resilient approach is just as important as the visual design.
RPI DEV: Fully open source dual-screen modular cyberdeck
At the most advanced corner of the spectrum we find the project RPI DEV of Sector07A dual-screen, modular cyberdeck with a futuristic aesthetic reminiscent of devices from video games like Cyberpunk 2077. This design stands out for both its technical ambition and its radical open source approach.
RPI DEV is designed as a portable development station for electronics and softwareIt can function as a mobile laboratory, robot controller, or STEM education tool. It is completely 3D printable, with press-fit parts and tolerances worked down to the millimeter.
The creator modeled each part of the chassis in CAD, printing multiple test pieces until achieving a robust yet easy-to-assemble and disassemble fit. The casing aims for a A balance between robustness, ergonomics, and a retro-futuristic touch very marked, with angular lines and flat surfaces.
At the electronic level, the project incorporates several Custom PCB boards designed in KiCadThese are responsible for power distribution, connection to the physical buttons, linear slider, rotary encoder, and expansion of the GPIO bus via a 40-pin flexible flat cable (FPC).
The plates were manufactured by a specialized supplier and then hand-welded by the author himself, which had to solve typical development problems: confused resistors, failures on the first start and long testing sessions until everything started up properly.
In terms of interface, the cyberdeck has two screens that can rotate from landscape to portraitEquipped with mechanical stops to prevent strain on the cables, this allows for flexible configuration depending on the type of work: one for the console and another for documentation, for example.
The control panel includes a linear slider, a rotary encoder with push button and four programmable buttons, opening the door to a wide variety of uses: real-time parameter control, navigation through custom menus, script launching, etc.
In addition, the device offers a external GPIO port accessible from the outsideIdeal for connecting shields, sensors or actuators without disassembling the equipment, and an auxiliary USB port perfect for plugging in additional WiFi modules, dongles or memory.
One of the most practical features is the system of “quick eject” from the Raspberry PiThis allows it to be removed for reprogramming, updating, or reuse in another project without having to disassemble the entire chassis, something highly valued when working with multiple configurations.
To demonstrate its potential, Sector07 conducted an experiment using I2C-connected sensors to measure light, temperature, and pH in a container. First, with water, it obtained neutral readings; then, when hot coffee was added, the temperature rose, the luminosity decreased due to the opacity of the liquid, and the pH dropped, showing the acidity.
This practical example demonstrates how RPI DEV can serve as citizen science tool, education or experimentationBeyond being a mere flashy toy, it's a real work environment, designed for serious projects with a strong visualization and physical control component.
The most interesting thing is that the entire project has been released as open source on GitHub3D models (.step), KiCad files, bills of materials, GUI code, and basic documentation. Anyone can replicate, modify, or extend it, multiplying its impact on the community.
The creator himself is already working on other equally striking projects: a Functional biomimetic robot, a thermal katana inspired by Cyberpunk 2077 with real nichrome resistance, and mechanical “mantis blades” with pneumatic system and gesture control, capable of generating around 100 pounds of force in a quarter of a second.
Other types of cyberdecks with Raspberry Pi and creative approaches
Beyond these specific cases, the community has shaped an entire gallery of cyberdeck types with Raspberry Pieach with its main function and particular style. Some examples illustrate the range of possibilities very well.
A practical example is the Subir Bhaduri's "Raspberry Pi projector box"It is designed as a low-cost computer for classrooms with limited resources. Instead of an integrated screen, it uses a projector, so that a large group of students can share the same image and work together.
This design uses a Raspberry Pi 3B+ or 4B, taking advantage of its Wireless capability to connect mouse and keyboard via WiFiEverything is housed in a robust, portable, and relatively simple-to-manufacture laser-cut metal case. The design aims to be affordable, open-source, and easy to replicate.
There are also cyberdecks with shoulder bag and dual operating systemThese systems combine an i7 NUC with a Raspberry Pi, allowing users to switch between operating systems with a physical button. They also integrate multiple displays (touchscreen, e-ink, LED matrix) and a compact mechanical keyboard, resulting in a boutique computer with a distinctive aesthetic and high performance.
Another very popular idea is to recycle old laptopsThe enthusiast known as Alta repurposed the chassis of an old notebook, installing a Raspberry Pi Zero, an iPad mini as a screen, and an Apple Magic Trackpad. Without the need for advanced 3D printing or significant expense, he created a fully functional cyberdeck with plenty of personality.
At the purely aesthetic extreme, projects like the Hosaka MK1, inspired by the novel NeuromancerThis build features a 7-inch touchscreen, audio and radio modules, and a 3D-printed chassis with a very distinct retro style that looks like it came from a megacorporation's corporate terminal.
To discover even more examples and get ideas, the best sources are the Cyberdeck Cafe community, with a wide gallery of projects and cultural documentation, and the subreddit r/cyberDeck, where users share their builds, technical questions and progress.
Taken together, these projects demonstrate that a cyberdeck can be positioned in an intermediate point between desktop and laptopBut with such a distinctive design that it forms its own category. From survival machines without internet access to dual-screen graphics workstations, the common denominator is creative freedom and absolute control over the machine.
This entire ecosystem means that if you get the itch to build your own kind of cyberdeck with Raspberry Pi, you have plenty of references: designs focused on SDR, portable Linux, network resilience, embedded development, or technical education show that there's room for almost any idea you can think of, as long as you're willing to invest time, patience, and a good dose of enthusiasm for experimenting.
