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Framedeck, a Framework mainboard based cyberdeck with clear acrylic and brass influenced by TRS-80 Model 100.
Mainboard Terminal, a retro-style round display PC that uses the Framework‘s mainboard with Ubuntu.

A cyberdeck or cyber deck is a custom-built, portable personal computer, often one designed for a particular individualized purpose and usually with a cyberpunk aesthetic.[1] These devices are typically individually crafted, powered by single-board computers (SBCs), such as Raspberry Pis, and include a display and keyboard.[2][3][4]

Terminology

The term “cyberdeck” is a shortened form of “cyberspace deck”, which first appeared in William Gibson‘s 1984 novel Neuromancer. It has become shorthand across multiple forms of cyberpunk media for a personal mobile computing device used to enter cyberspace in some form or fashion. For example, cyberdecks (often shortened to decks) appear throughout the Cyberpunk table-top roleplaying (TTRPG) series and the video game series it subsequently spawned,[5] as well as in the science fantasy TTRPG Shadowrun.[6]

Individuals who create or utilize cyberdecks are known as deckers.[7][8]

A cyberdeck created specifically for writing is known as a writerdeck.[9]

History

In 2022, Hackaday.io ran its first Cyberdeck Contest, leading to individuals submitting more than 100 such creations.[9] They would run a second such contest in 2023.[9]

In 2026, TechCrunch reported that cyberdeck communities “have exploded in popularity thanks to women on social media” who have created “artistic, hyper-feminine” cyberdecks.[10]

Applications

Given the personalized nature of cyberdecks, they are often created to fulfill specific, individualized use cases. Such computers have been created for the preservation of knowledge in a post-apocalyptic scenario,[2] for radio frequency surveillance,[2] for cybersecurity work,[3] or for hacking satellites.[11] Alternatively, some cyberdecks appear to be created for purely aesthetic purposes,[3] such as to mirror the appearance of devices in the Alien franchise.[12]

References

  1. ^ Dodds, Claire. “What Is a ‘Cyberdeck’: Meet Gen Z’s New DIY Obsession”. Newsweek.
  2. ^ a b c Butler, Sydney (2025-03-06). “Building Cyberdecks Is the Geek Hobby You Need to Check Out”. How-To Geek. Retrieved 2026-01-26.
  3. ^ a b c Hutcheon, Andrew Leighton (March 2025). The Things of the Internet: Participatory Object Culture and the Maker Movement (PhD thesis). RMIT University. pp. 4, 11, 18, 66, 152. Retrieved 2026-01-28.
  4. ^ Odley, Jeni (2025-12-11). “What is a Cyberdeck?”. Acer Corner. Retrieved 2026-01-26.
  5. ^ Lambertsen, Carrie (2024-01-14). “Every Cyberdeck in Cyberpunk 2077, Ranked”. Screen Rant. Retrieved 2026-01-26.
  6. ^ Cameron, Hamish (2019-11-27). “Shadowrun (Case Study)”. In McFarlane, Anna; Schmeink, Lars; Murphy, Graham (eds.). The Routledge Companion to Cyberpunk Culture. New York: Routledge. ISBN 9781351139885. Retrieved 2026-02-03.
  7. ^ Nielson, Seth James (2023-08-11). “Classical Network Security Technology”. Discovering Cybersecurity. Berkeley, CA: Apress. ISBN 9781484295601. Retrieved 2026-02-03.
  8. ^ Coward, Cameron (2020-07-06). “Sendai7 Is a Cyberdeck Purpose-Built for WiFi Pentesting”. Hackster.io. Retrieved 2026-02-03.
  9. ^ a b c Nardi, Tom (2022-10-13). “2022 Cyberdeck Contest: Picking The Best Of The Best”. Hackaday.io. Retrieved 2026-01-26.
  10. ^ Silberling, Amanda (2026-06-02). “Cyberdecks are having a moment, rejecting big tech surveillance with style and substance”. TechCrunch. Retrieved 2026-06-03.
  11. ^ Coward, Cameron (2024-06-17). “A Cyberdeck Built for Hacking Satellites”. How-To Geek. Retrieved 2026-01-26.
  12. ^ Butler, Sydney (2026-01-22). “Alien fan builds a better Raspberry Pi cyberdeck — The MU/TH/UR of all homages to a classic movie series”. Tom’s Hardware. Retrieved 2026-01-28.