Commodore 64 Laptop Is The Ultimate DIY Retro Geek Project

Fans of retro computing have had a lot to digest lately, with several companies reviving classic hardware such as the Amiga A1200 and the Commodore 64. It’s not just larger companies getting in on the action, though. Individual makers have also been releasing custom projects as of late, with the most recent being a wild, custom Commodore 64 laptop.

The project comes by way of YouTuber Kevin Noki, who was inspired by the vintage SX64, which was a luggable version of the Commodore 64. However, to make his creation a true laptop, Noki borrowed heavily from the design of another laptop from the same era--the Apple Macintosh portable.

At a glance, the Mac Portable DNA is unmistakable, but Noki made sure to adorn the machine with numerous details that nail the Commodore 64 look and feel. He spent countless hours 3D printing the keycaps and even scanned and vectorized the lettering from an original keyboard for an accurate recreation. Additionally, the device sports the iconic beige of the original breadbins, that fans will immediately recognize.


While the design is appropriately retro, the hardware inside the shell is modern. The device is powered by a Raspberry Pi 5 running the Versatile Commodore Emulator, or VICE, which emulates a variety of 8-bit computers over and above the original C54, such as the C64DTV, the C128, and the VIC20.

Although it’s running on a modern platform, the device has the ability to use original hardware accessories. Noki uses some custom adapters to make this possible. The 1541 5.25 inch floppy drive, joysticks, and datasette all work as intended.

It’s always fun to see what the DIY community comes up with when breathing new life into older hardware, and this project in particular is as impressive as they get.