Globalscale Case8 – A MediaTek Genio 520/720 cyberdeck for gaming, home automation, and education (Crowdfunding)

Globalscale Technologies has launched the Case8 series of open-source cyberdeck-style computing platforms based on MediaTek Genio 520 and Genio 720 processors. The platform is offered in hacker (PCBA only), gaming, home automation, and education variants.

The Case8 is built around an OSM-L compute module with a MediaTek Genio 520 or Genio 720 SoC with up to eight cores, a Mali-G67 GPU, and a 10 TOPS NPU. Depending on the configuration, it comes with 4GB, 8GB, or 16GB LPDDR5 memory and 64GB or 128GB UFS storage, along with Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.4, stereo speakers, microphones, and optional 4G/5G connectivity. Display options include a 5-inch panel for the gaming model and 7-inch touch or non-touch displays for the home automation and education variants, with camera configurations varying by model.

Case8 cyberdeck platform specifications:

• OSM-L compute module (one or the other)
  • MediaTek Genio 520
    • CPU – 2x Cortex-A78 up to 2.2GHz,  6x Cortex-A55 up to 2.0 GHz
    • GPU – Arm Mali-G57 MC2 up to 880 MHz
    • VPU
      • Video Decode – Up to 1920 x 1200 @ 60fps
      • Video Encode – Up to 1920 x 1200 @ 60fps
    • ISP – 1x ISP
    • NPU – NPU850 AI accelerator up to 9 TOPS
  • MediaTek Genio 720
    • CPU – 2x Cortex-A78 up to 2.6 GHz,  6x Cortex-A55 up to 2.0 GHz
    • GPU – Arm Mali-G57 MC2 up to 1.1 GHz
    • VPU
      • Video Decode – Up to 1920 x 1200 @ 60fps
      • Video Encoder – Up to 1920 x 1200 @ 60fps
    • ISP – 2x ISP
    • NPU – NPU850 AI accelerator up to 9 TOPS
  • Memory – 4GB, 8GB, or 16GB LPDDR5 (base models include 4GB)
  • Storage – 64GB or 128GB UFS storage (base models include 64GB)
• Storage – MicroSD card slot
• Display
  • MIPI connector
  • eDP LCM connector
  • LCM ID configuration header (0-eDP / 1-MIPI)
  • USB 3.2 Type-C with DisplayPort (DP) alt mode
  • 5-inch Display (Gaming edition)
  • 7-inch eDP touch display (Home automation edition)
  • 7-inch non-touch display (Education edition)
• Camera
  • 2x camera interfaces onboard (CAM0 and CAM1)
  • Front-facing camera (Gaming, Home Automation editions)
  • Front and rear cameras (Education Edition using CAM0 and CAM1 interfaces)
• Audio
  • 3.5 mm audio out jack
  • 2x speaker headers (Speaker 1 & Speaker 2 polarity)
  • Mic config header
• Networking
  • Gigabit Ethernet RJ45 port on the bottom side
  • Optional WiFi via M.2 E-Key socket
  • Optional 5G module via M.2 B-key socket and micro SIM card slot
  • M.2 wireless module (Zigbee, Z-Wave, Thread, and Matter) for home automation
• USB
  • 1x USB 3.2 Type-C port with DP Alt. mode
  • 1x USB 2.0 Type-C port
  • 1x USB Type-C Console port
  • 1x USB 2.0 Type-A vertical port (dedicated for 2.4GHz keyboard dongle)
  • 1x USB 2.0 P2 header (unpopulated, bottom side)
• Expansion
  • 40-pin Raspberry Pi-compatible GPIO expansion header
  • M.2 B-key 2242 (unverified) socket for 5G Module
  • M.2 E-key 2280 socket (for home automation wireless module)
  • M.2 2230 socket (For Wi-Fi Module)
• Debugging
  • USB Type-C console
  • JTAG header
• Misc
  • Power On, VOL+, VOL-, and Reset buttons
  • RTC battery socket
  • Gaming keyboard integrated into the enclosure (Gaming edition)
  • QWERTY keyboard integrated into the enclosure (Education edition)
• Power
  • 20V/3A Power Delivery via USB-C
  • Li-Ion/Polymer battery connector (bottom side)
  • 5,000mAh battery (Gaming and home automation editions)
  • 10,000mAh battery (education edition)
• Dimensions – TBD

Software support varies by model. The Gaming Edition runs Android 15 AOSP with Linux kernel 6.1, while the Home Automation version uses a Buildroot-based OS running Home Assistant in a Docker container with Matter over Thread support. The Education/General Compute model supports IoT Yocto v25.1 (Scarthgap) with U-Boot v2022.10 or NixOS 26.05. The onboard NPU can also run local AI applications such as OpenClaw and speech-to-text tools, and Globalscale plans to release the software source code through its GitHub account.

This is not the first time we have seen Globalscale Technologies launch a product, as they previously launched the Marvell Armada 3700-based ESPRESSObin gateway and the 10GbE-enabled MochaBin-5G SBC. We have also recently seen MediaTek Genio 520-powered products, such as the Radxa NIO 5A SBC, come to market. Unlike those systems, the Case8 is a cyberdeck-style computer with an integrated display and an OSM-L compute module.

At the time of writing, the Globalscale Case8 Kickstarter campaign has raised over $13,600 toward its $18,500 funding goal. Early bird pricing is listed as follows:

• Case8 Hacker edition – $299 + $40-50 estimated shipping – Case 8 PCBA with 7″ screen and one camera module; includes a Genio 520 OSM-L module with 4GB DDR5 and 64GB UFS.
• Case8 Gaming Edition – $329 + $40-50 estimated shipping – Smaller Case8 board, Genio 520 OSM-L Module with 4GB LPDDR5 and 64GB UFS, WiFi 6, gaming keyboard, and 5-inch Panel.
• Case8 CyberDeck for Education –  $349 + $40-50 estimated shipping – Case8 CyberDeck community board with Genio 720 OSM-L module (4GB + 64GB + wireless), QWERTY keyboard with trackpad, enclosure with stand, 7-inch non-touch display, speaker mic, 2x camera modules
• Case8 Home Automation Version – $399 + $40-50 estimated shipping –  The Home Automation version includes a Genio 520 OSM-L module (4GB + 64GB + wireless), 7-inch touch-enabled display, one front-facing camera, and the home automation wireless card supporting Zigbee, Z-wave, Thread, and Matter.

More details can be found on the KickStarter campaign and the company’s website.

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