A Reddit user has given a second life to a Google Pixel 8 with a broken display, turning it into a retro gaming console.
The phone developed the vertical pink line issue, but the owner decided not to discard it.
Instead, he connected the Pixel 8 to a TV via USB-C, added wired controllers, and installed active cooling.
The setup uses a powered USB hub to link the phone to external controllers, a mouse, HDMI output, and a 50mm cooling fan.
The fan helps manage heat from the Tensor G3 chip, which can run warm during gaming.
For software, the user installed EmulationStation Desktop Edition (ES-DE) to create a console-like interface with cover art and metadata.
The Pixel 8 handles classic 16-bit and 32-bit systems well and can run some more demanding emulators depending on settings.
This project shows how modern smartphones with USB-C video output can function as tiny gaming PCs even with damaged screens.
It also highlights the processing power retained by flagship phones after they stop being practical daily drivers.
