Modded iPhone 4s becomes a retro console with PS Vita buttons and PlayStation emulation

A modder has turned an iPhone 4s into a one-of-a-kind retro console with PlayStation support, outfitting the nearly 14-year-old phone with a custom shell, PS Vita buttons, and emulators installed via jailbreak.

Posting the build on Reddit, the creator showed how the compact iPhone 4s was rolled back to iOS 6.1.3 and jailbroken to run RetroArch, an emulator that supports systems up to the original Sony PlayStation. For comfortable controls, they integrated physical PS Vita buttons and a PCB from a Bluetooth keyboard, achieving tactile input without deep surgery into the phone’s internals.

The phone sits in a metal case with laser engraving in a Kirby motif, and inside there’s an additional battery along with the circuitry that drives the buttons. The author notes the device feels more like a collectible than a fully fledged gaming gadget, yet it does launch retro games convincingly. It’s hard not to appreciate the craftsmanship behind a build like this.

Projects of this sort are rare—jailbreaking and working around Apple’s proprietary hardware is a steep hill to climb—but the result here is unusual and, in its own way, functional, standing apart from a crowded field of mini handhelds like the Miyoo Mini and GKD Pixel.