DIY E-ink – A DIY design called Inkterface lays out how to build a wireless, self-contained E-ink faceplate for Valve’s Steam Machine, using a 5.83-inch display, an ESP32 controller, and a magnet-mounted 3D-printed frame—fully documented with files for customization.
Valve has always leaned into hacker-friendly hardware, and this latest project takes that spirit straight to the surface of the device.
NaKyle Wright released Inkterface, a design for an E-ink faceplate built to fit the recently released Steam Machine. The goal is simple: give the Steam Machine a readable display that can be configured and updated without turning the build into a wiring nightmare.
At the core of the system is a selection of components assembled into a clean setup. The build calls for a 5.83″ E-ink panel and a driver board, powered by a small lithium-polymer battery. An ESP32-based controller board handles the logic. while a carefully designed 3D printed frame and bezel hold everything in place for a snug fit.
What makes the project feel especially maker-friendly is how updates are handled. A small service can be configured to control how the display updates. Communication runs over Bluetooth between the host machine and the faceplate, and then the service pushes updates to the display.
There’s also a practical detail for anyone who wants to try it before everything is fully polished: an app for configuring and talking to the display will be available on Steam eventually, but in the meantime the Steam-side configuration can be installed manually.
The faceplate is wireless and self-contained, attaching with four magnets. That magnet mount isn’t just about convenience—it’s the difference between a “project that works once” and something you can actually live with while iterating.
Wright’s documentation is detailed enough that it includes a bill of materials with specific components. Even so, the design is described as modular. If builders want to swap out hardware or change components, they may need to alter the 3D printed parts as well.
Those files are part of what makes the project stand out. Wright includes .step files alongside .stl models. which makes tweaking and customizing much more accessible than designs that only offer a single format. For makers considering a homebrewed complement to a homebrewed Steam machine. that matters: you can adapt the physical parts to whatever display or setup you’re trying next.
The broader maker ecosystem is also right there in the same direction. The repository of Steam hardware includes drawings and 3D models of the Steam Deck and Steam Controller, which can be useful for designing holders or custom brackets—anything from simple mounts to a fully custom build.
Inkterface turns a display idea into a buildable plan, with the kind of documentation that invites people to change things rather than just replicate them. For anyone who likes the “hands-on” side of gaming hardware, it’s the sort of project that doesn’t just show what’s possible—it makes it doable.
Valve Steam Machine E-ink DIY electronics Inkterface ESP32 Bluetooth updates 3D printed frame hacker-friendly hardware Steam hardware repository
So it’s like a hacked Switch screen but for Steam? Kinda cool I guess.
Wireless E-ink faceplate sounds pointless when the Steam UI is already on the TV. But I mean… if people wanna tinker let em. Also magnets?? Seems like it’ll fall off the first time.
Wait, I thought E-ink was for like slow reading not fast updates, so how does this work with Bluetooth? And wouldn’t an ESP32 fry the battery? Idk maybe I’m mixing it up with those cheap e-readers.
Valve is always “hacker-friendly” until you try to use it and it breaks. Magnet-mounted 3D printed frame sounds like it’s gonna crack the first drop. Also “Steam-side configuration can be installed manually” like that doesn’t scream headache for normal people. Still, I’ll give props to the DIY person for posting files and BOM, even if half the stuff in there is gonna be out of stock.