Raspberry Pi’s head of social, Ashley Whittaker, acknowledged the cyberdeck trend today, saying “we haven’t been able to get away from cyberdecks this year.” Tiny portable computers made out of things like purses, jewelry boxes, and other thrifted or recycled parts have gone viral on TikTok and other social media platforms over the past year, and Raspberry Pi now has its own guide to building one of the homemade computers.
Raspberry Pi has also increased its prices multiple times this year due to rising costs for RAM and other components, which could be another reason to support this growing market of active and would-be hobbyists. The 16GB version of the Raspberry Pi 5 included in the company’s official cyberdeck guide got a $100 price hike in April, nearly as much as the board’s original $120 price.
Raspberry Pi’s cyberdeck guide includes a parts list and detailed assembly instructions, but sticks to a fairly simple design using a plain black Pelican-style case. As content creators are proving, though, you can make a cyberdeck out of just about anything. Annike Tan, whose cyberdecks have attracted millions of views on TikTok, continues to upgrade her “mermaid” purse cyberdeck with new design details and even added a USB hub.