PiStation One

I was searching for a micro-hdmi to full-sized hdmi adapter for my Raspberry Pi 4 on Amazon, when this PiStation One case caught my eye. I previously own the RetroFlag’s NESPI case and I love it. What made that NesPi case unique is that the cartridge was, in fact, an enclosure for a SATA SSD. It works, but I found my self not really using it – as all my ROMs were on the SD card, so having an extra 1TB storage wasn’t needed. I put some movies on the SSD, but it’s quite annoying to transfer the cartridge back and forth from my computer, so basically that SSD is currently not utilized. I may eventually remove the SSD and put it in my computer, so I can use it for extra storage.

Anyway, with the PiStation One case, there are some needs that I’m looking for.

The portable screen (with sound) is actually very cool. I’ve been looking for a portable solution for my Raspberry Pi 4, and this seems to fit the bill.

I have read some reviews that the case does not include a fan, which I think you can easily fix with a tiny fan like the FanShim (which is actually pretty expensive now) or adding in your own fan solution. I won’t know what kind of clearance I have to work with until I get the case.

The other problem I have read is that the full HDMI output is limited to 720p. In my mind, I feel like it may default to 720p, but you can always reset the resolution to a higher one once you connect to a larger display. Again, I have to get it in hand to test out my theory.

The last problem is that it is expensive. It’s $90. $30 for the bare case, meaning that it’s $60 for the portable screen. I think it’s a fair price, considering that if you add up all the parts by itself, the screen, full HDMI, speakers, and attachment design… I think it’s worth it.

Now for the bad news. Because of the supply world shortage, the Raspberry Pi are sold out everywhere. You can find them, but they are usually well above $35. Most of these will come in a bundle, and their prices are never worth it. $130 to $150 for a case with a RP4 is not worth it. I only have four Raspberry Pi 4 and planning on giving one as a gift to a friend. I would ideally like to have another Raspberry Pi 4 to put in this PiStation One case, but seeing as it’s sold out – I would have to use one of my three Pi’s.

It’s going to be a tough choice, as I have one in a NesPi case, one in an Argon m.2 case, one with an OLED hat and RGB fan, and one in a BowPi case with tiny 3 inch screen hat.

Honestly, I wish I had known about this PiStation One case earlier… I wouldn’t have bought that 3 inch screen.

Yours,