Maniac turns Surface Duo 2 into gaming monstrosity — and it’s glorious
Why settle for touch controls when you can convert your Surface Duo into a custom gaming rig?
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What you need to know
Microsoft’s Surface Duo is many things. It’s a folding phone with two screens rather than one. It’s an incredibly light device built around productivity. It’s evenalmost the Xbox handheld dream, according to our Zachary Boddy. But one thing the Surface Duo is not is compatible with game controllers.
Because of the unique design of the Surface Duo, plus where its charging port is, it does not fit inside theRazer Kishi V2or similar devices. That leaves few options for those that want to use physical controls when gaming on the Duo. While you can use anXbox controller phone mount, those are top-heavy with single-screen devices. Holding up an unfolded Duo on a mount would be an arm workout.
Rather than settling for subpar options, a Reddit user calledSarspazzardcreated a custom Surface Duo 2 setup with physical controls, a fan, and even slots for a microSD card and a USB thumb stick.
The setup is about as elegant as one could create when working with form factor and design of the Surface Duo, especially when taking into account the fact that the goal of this build is game emulation.
The Surface Duo and Surface Duo 2 have niche followings due to their dual-screen designs. Many enjoy using them to emulate Nintendo DS games, since the extra screen better replicates the form factor of the DS. But most setups I’ve seen use on-screen controls rather than physical controls. That’s fine for some titles but isn’t the best for others.
The fan on the custom setup should also keep the Duo cooler, which is nice since phones can heat up during extended gaming sessions.
If you’re interested in replicating the setup, Sarspazzard sharedlinks to each one of the components.
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Sean Endicott is a tech journalist at Windows Central, specializing in Windows, Microsoft software, AI, and PCs. He’s covered major launches, from Windows 10 and 11 to the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT. Sean’s journey began with the Lumia 740, leading to strong ties with app developers. Outside writing, he coaches American football, utilizing Microsoft services to manage his team. He studied broadcast journalism at Nottingham Trent University and is active on X @SeanEndicott_ and Threads @sean_endicott_.
