Design Your Steam Machine Faceplate. Free Online Tool
Every Steam Machine looks the same out of the box. BitPlate changes that, a magnetic faceplate with 357 snap-in colored pins that lets you create physical pixel art on the front of your console. Swap your design anytime. No stickers, no skins, no commitment.
But before you start snapping pins into place, you probably want to plan your design. That's why I built the BitPlate Designer.
What is the BitPlate Designer?
It's a free browser-based tool where you can design pixel art for your Steam Machine faceplate. The canvas matches the real BitPlate grid: 21 columns by 17 rows, so what you create on screen is exactly what you'll build in real life.
No account. No sign-up. No download. Just open it and start clicking pixels.
Try it now: design.getbitplate.com
Start from Scratch or Use a Template
If you want to jump right in, there are ready-made templates to get you started: Pac-Man, Nyan Cat, a retro heart, Tetris blocks, a knight, a Jolly Roger, and more. Load a template, tweak the colors, make it yours.
Or start with a blank grid and build something completely original. The full color palette gives you over 20 colors to work with, plus a custom color picker if you need an exact shade.
Upload Any Image
Don't want to draw pixel by pixel? Upload any image and the designer converts it to pixel art automatically, fitted to the 21×17 grid. It works surprisingly well with logos, game characters, and simple icons. You can fine-tune the result after conversion, move pins, swap colors, clean up edges.
Save, Share, and Export
Save your designs locally so you can come back to them later. Share directly to X, Facebook, Threads, or Discord. Or download your design as an image to post wherever you want.
Every design you share helps other people discover what BitPlate can do and might inspire their next build.
Why Plan Before You Build?
The physical BitPlate is satisfying to build by hand. But pixel art on a 21×17 grid benefits from a bit of planning. The designer lets you experiment with colors and layouts without committing a single pin. Try five versions of the same character, compare color palettes, or figure out where that one tricky pixel goes before you sit down to build.
It's also just fun to use on its own. Even if you're not ready to buy a BitPlate yet, the designer is a free creative toy. Make something cool, share it, and come back when you're ready to build the real thing.
Try It
The BitPlate Designer is live right now at design.getbitplate.com. Open it, pick a color, and start clicking.
What will you design first?