Modder transforms Xiaomi Poco F7 Ultra twin into dedicated gaming handheld with improved cooling
The volume of Android gaming handhelds has exploded in the last few years. Typically, manufacturers have opted for lower-powered chipsets produced by Allwinner and Unisoc. More recently the likes of Ayaneo, Ayn and Retroid have turned towards flagship chipsets though, whether that be the Snapdragon 865 inside the Pocket 5 or the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 that underpins the Odin2 (curr. $449 on Amazon).
However, the chipsets chosen are often at least a generation behind. Alternatively, dedicated gaming handheld chipsets like the Snapdragon G3x Gen 2 are not as well optimised as their smartphone and tablet counterparts. Meanwhile, the popularity of portable smartphone controller solutions continues to rise thanks to companies like 8BitDo and Backbone, among others.
Now, these two worlds have been smashed together by a modder who has repurposed a Redmi K80 Pro to create a dedicated gaming handheld. The basis of the Poco F7 Ultra that debuted earlier this week, both the Redmi K80 Pro and its Poco sibling represent some of the cheapest ways to obtain Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset. Although Xiaomi boasts that the Poco F7 Ultra outperforms even the Xiaomi 15 Ultra in benchmarks, the modder's decision to include small fans should help push the Snapdragon 8 Elite harder than a stock Redmi K80 Pro or Poco F7 Ultra could.
As the video below shows, the project leverages a 3D-printed case and features all the buttons one would expect from a modern controller like a pair of joysticks and shoulder buttons. On top of that, an 18650 battery has been added to prolong battery life when gaming. Ultimately, we only recommend treating the project as a proof of concept for now; unfortunately, the modder has not shared 3D print files or even a walkthrough for recreating the project.
