Cyberdeck Trend Explained (+ Build Ideas, Cost, & More)

Download Article

Tech expert Carter Keel explains what you need to build this sci-fi-inspired DIY

Co-authored by Carter Keel and Elaine Heredia, BA

Last Updated: June 1, 2026 Fact Checked

Download Article

• Cyberdecks Explained
|
• What can it do?
|
• Cyberdeck Build Supplies
|
• Build Ideas
|
• Cyberdeck Build Cost
|
• Popularity Explained
|
• Video

|Show more |Show less

Cyberdecks are all over TikTok, and if you've seen it, you're probably wondering, "What in the world is a cyberdeck?" At its most basic level, it's just a laptop you make yourself at home—but it's also so much more. It represents a return to homemade electronics, creative expression, and tactile hobbies. Ultimately, it means spending less time on your phone and more time interacting with the real world around you. Sound interesting? If so, keep reading—we partnered with a tech expert to explain what a cyberdeck is, what it can do, what you need to build one, build ideas, and so much more!

What is a cyberdeck?

Tech expert Carter Keel says a cyberdeck is a homemade portable computer that consists of a Raspberry Pi, a battery pack, a display, a keyboard, connecting cables, and housing. It costs around $35 to $135 to build. Cyberdeck builders are encouraged to be creative and use spare parts to bring their cyberdeck to life.

Steps

Section 1 of 6:

Cyberdecks Explained

Download Article

1. 
   A cyberdeck is a custom, homemade computer inspired by cyberpunk. Cyberdecks are DIY, all-in-one computers that typically have a screen, keyboard, computer, and other input/output interfaces built in, explains Keel. All you need to build one is a handheld Raspberry Pi computer, a battery, a screen, and a keyboard. But it's this setup's customizability and the fact that you can put it in whatever housing you want that make it unique, fun, and most of all, cyberpunk.

   • Where does the term "cyberdeck" come from? The term "cyberdeck" was first coined in the 1984 cyberpunk novel Neuromancer by William Gibson. It refers to a portable device that allows the user to plug their consciousness into cyberspace, Matrix-style.
     • "Cyberpunk" is a science fiction subgenre about authoritarian technology vs humans. Cyberpunk stories imagine a dystopia where technology is super advanced, but is being used by an authoritarian government or artificial intelligence (AI) to oppress the lower classes. People who want to resist the regime must cobble together computers from whatever spare parts they can find in their crumbling society. It's not anti-technology, but it does show how oppressive tech can be in the wrong hands.
     • With AI and big tech corporations taking over more of everyday life, many people believe humanity is rocketing toward a cyberpunk reality (or that we're living in one right now).

   Meet the wikiHow Expert

   Carter Keel is a tech expert and content creator. On his YouTube channel Random But Cool, he focuses on tech education, building home servers, and repurposing old hardware.
Advertisement

Section 2 of 6:

What can a cyberdeck do?

Download Article

1. 
   A cyberdeck can do anything a normal laptop or computer can do. Remember that a cyberdeck is just a basic computer. That means it can do anything your regular laptop or even your smartphone can do, from word processing to coding to network security threat assessment. However, some people also build cyberdecks just to be creative, not necessarily for a practical purpose! Here are some other entertaining or productive ways you might use a cyberdeck:

   • An emulator to run old games and software from the early 2000s and 1990s.
   • An ethical hacking device to find vulnerabilities in security systems.
   • A pocket computer with a built-in calculator, smart watch, and other productivity programs

Section 3 of 6:

What do you need to build a cyberdeck?

Download Article

1. 
   1
   Raspberry Pi A Raspberry Pi is a small computer that fits in your hand. Despite its size, it's incredibly powerful! It has a fast processor and up to 4 GB of RAM, which basically means it can handle most of your daily needs. From browsing to coding to watching movies, this baby gets it done.

   • Keel agrees that a Raspberry Pi is a good option for a cyberdeck, but adds that any small computer will work.
2. 
   2
   Display To use your Raspberry Pi, you'll need some type of display. You can use a tiny LCD screen that's one a few inches square, or hook it up to a big screen 4K television. It's entirely up to you and your preferences.

   • Keel notes that the screen you use should be small and portable.
3. 
   3
   Battery bank You'll need a USB battery bank to power your Raspberry Pi. Preferably, you'll want a battery that can last at least an hour without charging, but that can also charge using a wall adapter.
4. 
   4
   Keyboard and mouse (optional) If you decide to go with a touchscreen for your cyberdeck, you may not need a keyboard or a mouse. But many people enjoy typing on keyboards or clicking around with a mouse. It makes using their cyberdeck feel more retro!

   • Keel adds that you can also use a controller instead of a keyboard.
5. 
   5
   Housing You can use pretty much anything to house or carry around your cyberdeck. If you have a 3D printer, Keel suggests using it to make custom PLA housing for your device. Others use containers or items they have lying around their house. Some people even use old toys and fashion accessories!

   • For more building advice, Keel recommends checking out this YouTube video by Ben Makes Everything, where he builds his own cyberdeck.
   • Keel also adds that you’ll need cables to connect all of the pieces of the cyberdeck together.
Advertisement

Section 4 of 6:

Cyberdeck Build Ideas

Download Article

1. 
   Build a cyberdeck in a purse, a toy, a mint tin, or anything else you can think of. Part of the cyberdeck trend is challenging yourself to find a super creative way to house your computer. While you can always connect the monitor and computer to a keyboard via a hinge like a traditional laptop, there are so many more creative ideas out there! Here are a few popular build examples to inspire your cyberdeck project:

   • In this viral TikTok by @ubeboobey, the creator made a mermaid-themed cyberdeck using a gold-colored clutch purse as the housing.
   • Another TikToker used an old clamshell Polly Pocket toy to house their cyberdeck, as shown in this video by @rainbowsandbiscuits.
   • In this video by YouTuber Exercising Ingenuity, the creator explains how he fit a tiny cyberdeck inside an Altoids mint tin.

Section 5 of 6:

How much does it cost to build a cyberdeck?

Download Article

1. 
   Building a cyberdeck can cost as little as $35 to $135 for the main components. Raspberry Pi Zero W is the cheapest Raspberry Pi that can also run Linux and connect to WiFi. It costs just $15. A basic USB battery bank also runs about $20 at the cheaper end. Finally, if you settle for a tiny monitor that's only 1–3 in (2.5–7.6 cm) long, you can get away with spending only $15 for that, too. But for those who want to actually see what they're doing, you may need to pay closer to $90 to $100 for a 7 in (18 cm) display.

   • Note: Housing and peripherals (keyboard, mouse, etc.) are an additional cost. You can go cheap on these or spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars fully kitting out your cyberdeck. You can even just use whatever you have on hand already and not spend any money at all!
Advertisement

Section 6 of 6:

Why are cyberdecks popular?

Download Article

1. 
   1
   Cyberdecks are popular because they're seen as a way to digitally disconnect. Cyberdecks are part of a bigger social trend called analog. "Going analog" means reducing digital overload from smartphones and turning to older, cheaper, more hands-on technology (like listening to CDs instead of your Spotify app). Building a cyberdeck from scratch is a deliberate choice to spend less time glued to your screen and more time making things.

   • Some people also build cyberdecks as an act of rebellion against the rise of AI, which is now built into most store-bought laptops.
2. 
   2
   Another reason cyberdecks are popular is that they're easy to customize. “The reason I could see these devices being so popular is simply the do-it-yourself nature of them, especially since you can build a cyberdeck to your needs instead of relying on companies [that] need to cater to millions,” notes Keel. The cyberdeck is all about expressing yourself!

   • For instance, you can use almost anything you can imagine to hold your cyberdeck computer parts, plus load your preferred programs onto it.
   • While mainstream flagship computers, like Dells and iMacs, are convenient to use, they leave very little room for creative expression—they come prepackaged in a shell with preloaded software.
   • As Keel explains, a cyberdeck is completely DIY: you get to choose the keyboard, trackpad, computer, and operating system for the device.
   • On the other hand, Keel notes that a laptop is almost always prebuilt and has less modularity. You can customize PCs, but they’re still mostly prebuilt, and they’re not an all-in-one device (meaning the keyboard, trackpad, and screen are not built in).
Advertisement

Expert Q&A

Search

Add New Question

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Advertisement

Video

Tips

Submit a Tip

All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published

Name

Please provide your name and last initial

Submit

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!