This AMD gaming handheld is packing a huge ultrawide 32:9 screen

If you've ever wanted to own an ultrawide handheld gaming PC, then this Chinese hardware hacker is prepared to give you a taste of what is possible. They've managed to put together a custom handheld with a ridiculously wide 32:9 screen, with the specs reportedly including an AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme gaming CPU, as well as a set of detachable controllers.

You'd expect this DIY handheld's massive screen to be the biggest surprise, but that AMD processor can't be ignored, either. The AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme is new enough that we've not seen it too widely just yet, with only the MSI Claw A8 available with it so far, along with the soon-to-be-released Lenovo Legion Go 2. Powerful processor aside, this intriguing piece of PC games hardware looks so professionally made that, if there was a strong market for ultrawide handhelds brewing, we could see it being mass-produced.

This unusual creation was shared in a video on the Chinese social media site Bilibili by PureDIY, being used to play two different driving games. The gameplay seems stable, although the on-screen overlay does seem to suggest that a 60fps frame rate lock is in place.

This is an unusual format for a monitor, but one example that we can find with a similar size and resolution is this Asus ProArt touchscreen display. For $499, you're getting a display with a 14-inch display with a 1,920 x 550 screen resolution and a 60Hz refresh rate limit.

It's unclear if this handheld uses the same panel, but we can't imagine there are too many display manufacturers out there making displays like this one. If a similar refresh rate limit exists with this DIY handheld, it could explain the frame rate lock in-game, even if it is disappointing for gaming.

Potential tech limitations aside, the 32:9 screen does show the benefits of this format for driving games, which benefit from the expanded field of view. Arcade racer Asphalt Legends and truck driving sim SnowRunner are shown to benefit, with the latter game showing both the left and right side windows in view. I also like the addition of the removable controllers, which slide onto the screen, seemingly with ease.

Is a 32:9 handheld practical? Probably not, but it's still pretty cool to see. There's no information shared about how much this thing cost to make, but given what we know about the parts, it can't have been cheap. Kudos to the creator for making it, because it's certainly one of the more intriguing Steam Deck rivals that we've seen so far.

We won't be expecting anything quite this big to go on sale, but if you still want a powerful and portable gaming rig with a fantastic screen, you can't go wrong with the Ayaneo 3. You can check out our Ayaneo 3 review to see why that 7-inch OLED is such a great option for playing your favorite games.

You can also check out our best gaming laptop guide next if you're keen to ditch the desktop rig, with a solid selection of options to suit any budget.

Got your eye on a DIY handheld build that's as ambitious as this one? Make sure to share it, or any others you find, in our Discord server with other readers and staff.