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The Steam Machine Inkterface is a magnetic, DIY e-ink faceplate—not an internal screen replacement. Install it by printing and assembling the faceplate, wiring an ESP32-S3 Feather to an e-ink breakout, then flashing firmware and pairing the companion software over Bluetooth. The wiring map and firmware target must match your Feather revision.
Parts and tools to gather
The assembly guide calls for these hardware components:
- One 5.83-inch monochrome e-ink panel
- One Adafruit eInk Breakout
- One ESP32-S3 Feather with 2MB PSRAM; identify whether it is V1 or V2 before wiring
- One LP803860 battery
- Four K&J SB443-OUT magnets
- Thirteen machine screws
You will also need soldering equipment, a USB cable for the Feather, and access to a 3D printer. The project files include the faceplate, left and right midplates, board plate, and battery retainer. See the iFixit Steam Machine Inkterface Assembly Guide for its parts list and assembly instructions, and the Inkterface: Now Playing Edition repository for the community project’s hardware details and software.
Print the parts and prepare the boards
Print the faceplate, both midplates, board plate, and battery retainer from the project files. The iFixit guide recommends PETG or ABS, a 0.2 mm layer height, and 20–30% infill. Its fit notes relate to the magnet slots and print tolerances, so check those notes against the parts before assembly rather than assuming every printer will produce an identical fit.
#1 Best Overall
- 7.3″ Color E Ink Spectra6 Display - Enjoy vibrant colors and sharp text with the 7.3-inch 800×480 E Ink Spectra 6 display. It stays clear in bright light and uses almost no power while holding an image—perfect for home dashboards, smart displays, reminders and daily information boards.
- Ultra-Low Power with Up to 3-Month Battery Life - The built-in 2000mAh battery and ultra-efficient design allow the reTerminal E1002 to run for up to 3 months in deep-sleep mode (6-hour refresh interval). Place it anywhere—on your desk, bedside table or wall—without worrying about wires or frequent charging.
- No-Code Dashboard Design with SenseCraft HMI - Create beautiful custom dashboards using SenseCraft HMI, an AI-powered no-code platform. Simply drag and drop UI elements, choose from ready-made templates or let AI generate layouts for you. Connect live data from sensors, APIs or smart home systems and deploy your design to the E1002 with just a few clicks.
- Works with Home Assistant, ESPHome & Maker Tools - Enjoy smooth integration with popular smart home and developer ecosystems. Build TRMNL dashboards with 300+ plugins, connect instantly to Home Assistant via ESPHome, or create your own applications using Arduino, PlatformIO or ESP-IDF—ideal for makers and DIY smart home enthusiasts.
- Customizable Hardware & Flexible Expansion - Designed with makers in mind, the reTerminal E1002 supports GPIO/I²C/SPI expansion and Grove modules, allowing you to easily add buttons, sensors or other accessories. Perfect for smart home displays, creative DIY builds, educational projects and personal productivity boards.
Mount the Feather and e-ink breakout on the board plate. Assembly requires soldering. Use the diagram for your exact Feather revision and keep connections short and direct. The panel’s flex cable is fragile: do not bend or fold it.
Assemble the faceplate
- Seat the display in the matching recess in the faceplate, aligning its ribbon cable with the cutout.
- Fit the left and right midplates and install the four magnets in their slots.
- Position the wired board plate over the midplates. Route the wires through the intended channel so they are not pinched.
- Fasten the plate gently. The screws cut threads into the plastic; overtightening can strip them.
- Route and retain the battery as shown in the assembly guide.
- Carefully open the breakout’s flex-cable connector, insert the display ribbon, and lock the connector. Connect the battery after securing the cable.
Use the wiring and firmware for your Feather revision
Feather V1 and V2 use different logical pin mappings, even though the physical positions used are the same. Do not choose a wiring diagram or upload environment based on appearance alone: check the board revision and use its matching map. Both revisions are documented as supported when configured correctly.
Rank #2
- Provide online user manual (examples for Raspberry Pi/Jetson Nano/Arduino/STM32), please check the manual carefully before using!
- This is an E-Ink raw display, 7.5inch, 800×480 resolution, with embedded controller, communicating via SPI interface.
- Due to the advantages like ultra low power consumption, wide viewing angle, clear display without electricity, it is an ideal choice for applications such as shelf label, industrial instrument, and so on.
- No backlight, keeps displaying last content for a long time even when power down
- Ultra low power consumption, basically power is only required for refreshing
| Feather revision | Wiring configuration | Firmware upload target |
|---|---|---|
| V1 | Use the V1 pin map in the project documentation. | pio run -e featherv1 -t upload |
| V2 | Use the V2 pin map in the project documentation. | pio run -e featherv2 -t upload |
Connect the Feather to a computer over USB and run the command for its revision from the project firmware directory. The iFixit guide notes that the computer account needs permission to access the serial device; if the upload cannot open that device, resolve the permission issue before retrying.
Pair the panel with the Steam Machine
- Enable Bluetooth on the Steam Machine.
- Run and register the Inkterface companion app, then install its background service as described in the project readme.
- Select the discovered panel in the app. Discovery can take 10–20 seconds after service installation, according to the repository readme.
For the software’s exact setup instructions and the revision-specific pin maps, consult the project readme.
Rank #3
- Provide online user manual (examples for Raspberry Pi/Jetson Nano/Arduino/STM32), please check the manual carefully before using!
- This is an E-Ink display module, 1.54inch, 200x200 resolution, with embedded controller, communicating via SPI interface, supports partial refresh.
- Due to the advantages like ultra low power consumption, wide viewing angle, clear display without electricity, it is an ideal choice for applications such as shelf label, industrial instrument, and so on.
- No backlight, keeps displaying last content for a long time even when power down. Ultra low power consumption, basically power is only required for refreshing
- SPI interface, for connecting with controller boards like Raspberry Pi/Arduino/Nucleo, etc. Onboard voltage translator, compatible with 3.3V/5V MCUs
What the display can show
The project describes system telemetry readouts. The “Now Playing Edition” is a community fork that also offers game box art, playtime, and achievement progress; do not assume those additions are part of every Inkterface setup. Its achievement display depends on public game details being available on the Steam Community profile. The fork also notes that a game process can sometimes remain active under Proton after quitting, leaving the artwork displayed until Steam or the machine is restarted.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- This is 2.13inch E-Ink display HAT with Raspberry Pi 40PIN GPIO extension header, compatible with Raspberry Pi series boards, Jetson Nano. 250x122 resolution, Black and White Two Display colors, with embedded controller, communicating via SPI interface, supports partial refresh.
- No backlight, keeps displaying last content for a long time even when power down. Ultra low power consumption, basically power is only required for refreshing.
- SPI interface, for connecting with controller boards likeArduino/STM32, etc. Onboard voltage translator, compatible with 3.3V / 5V MCUs.
- Version Notice: The driver board is Rev2.1 (Version 2.1), which is independent of the screen version. Currently, there is only Rev2.1 (Version 2.1) for the driver board and QC label V4 is for the screen version, QC label V4 is currently being shipped.
- Comes with online development resources and manual (driver board circuit diagram, examples for Raspberry Pi/Jetson Nano/Arduino/STM32): bit.ly/3hZh77i
Rank #4
- Built-in ESP32-S3 Controller & SPI Interface - Comes with ESP32-S3 as the main MCU (up to 240 MHz) and standard 3-/4-wire SPI (default 4-wire) for easy integration. Supports the classic e-ink reader feel and responsive development flow
- Ultra-Low Power & Power-Off Retention - This epaper display only consumes power during refresh. Static content stays visible without a continuous power supply, ideal for battery-powered devices, smart labels and always-on displays
- Reflective, Sunlight-Readable - The pure reflection mode means no backlight required; the content remains clearly readable even under strong sunlight. Hard-coated anti-glare surface ensures excellent visibility and durability
- Rich Interfaces & Ready for Development - Includes BAT interface (2.2 V-3.7 V), UART0, GPIO header, back/menu/reset/boot buttons, hard-coated anti-glare surface. Compatible with Arduino IDE, and suitable for DIY makers alike
- High-Resolution e-ink Display - This 2.13″ e-paper display with 122x250 resolution delivers sharp black/white contrast and a wide viewing angle. Provides crisp clarity and a paper-like reading experience for smart tags and DIY devices
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