Frankenstein's monster actor Jacob Elordi passed the time in the SFX seat by whipping out a custom-shell Steam Deck

I know it shouldn't really be a factor, but learning that an actor or other celebrity is a PC gamer makes me take notice. I remember the furore when everyone discovered Henry Cavill was a PC gamer, for instance. So I have certainly noticed Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein, because Jacob Elordi, the actor who plays Frankenstein's monster in the new Netflix movie, likes to pass the time by gaming on his Steam Deck.

In the Netflix promo material showing Elordi transforming into 'The Creature' for the role, we can see him busting out a Steam Deck to pass the time on, in addition to checking his phone and reading. Apparently, the transformation into Frankie's creature took 10 hours, so bringing a Deck to the makeup/SFX seat was certainly prudent.

The Steam Deck in question has a black-and-green housing shell, which threw me off at first. But you can see that it's a Steam Deck from the shape, button positions, and so on. Plus, there are pictures of him holding a Valve carry case. The distinctive orange on Elordi's carry case means it's likely the OLED model too.

One diligent Redditor has also made my job much easier by finding what looks to be Elordi's Steam Deck's green-black shell, though it's currently unavailable. I rate it, but I also tend to judge things by whether they'd make a good CS:2 skin or not, so I might not be the most reliable aesthetician. It's similar to Razer's Acid Sludge shell, but there's more black to Elordi's, which fits the former Amazon one better.

Apart from the Steam Deck—which we still reckon is the best budget handheld gaming PC, despite its age, by the way—all this has drawn my attention to Frankenstein, which, as a rock dweller, I'm embarrassed to say completely passed me by. Judging by the trailer(s), the del Toro movie seems like it might have that thankfully gritty and now-in-vogue Robert Eggers vibe, which would be fitting after last year's Nosferatu.

But that's judging from the trailer alone; I'll have to watch the movie to find out. It's a fitting time to rekindle the Mary Shelley classic anyway, with AI being the new big thing.

The quote from the trailer, 'only monsters play God', might seem like a warning for our age as much as the fantastical one in the movie. That's all a bit bleak, but on the plus side, it's nothing a bit of handheld gaming can't distract me from.

Best handheld PC 2025

1. Best overall:
Lenovo Legion Go S SteamOS

2. Best budget:
Steam Deck

3. Best Windows:
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X

4. Best big screen:
Lenovo Legion Go

5. Best compact:
Ayaneo Flip DS

👉Check out our full handheld gaming PC guide👈