What simply occurred? Doubtless drained ready for a Microsoft transportable console, one artful modder took issues into his personal fingers. Redherring32 has managed to create the world’s first transportable Xbox primarily based on the unique console, whereas detailing all the method by means of a sequence of posts on X.
{Hardware} tinkerer Redherring32 took the center from a legit Xbox motherboard and packed all of it right into a surprisingly compact handheld kind issue.
To be clear – this is not a software program emulation or some knockoff PC handheld, it took some actual {hardware} abilities and customized PCBs to make this potential. It seems fairly effectively made, too, with a degree of polish you may solely anticipate from an officially-produced unit and the sort of design that’d go extraordinarily effectively with the Xbox mannequin that began all of it.
I constructed a conveyable Xbox.
This is not a PC handheld, it is not emulation, it is a actual motherboard from an actual Xbox. It has a 9″ 480p show, pure digital video/audio, 100W USB C cost and play, and I am at the moment including WiFi 6 for wi-fi Xbox Reside performance.Sure, actually. pic.twitter.com/yK7p0vPqUn
– Redherring32 (@redherring32) October 18, 2024
Upfront, the console rocks a 9-inch 480p show. It additionally options 100 watt USB-C charging that juices up a lithium-ion battery (capability unknown) and even an built-in, fully-functional Xbox controller.
In fact, pulling off this sort of modding was no stroll within the park. Redherring32 says he needed to reverse engineer and redesign quite a few printed circuit boards from scratch, to not point out determine reliably trim down the chunky Xbox motherboard into a conveyable footprint. Solely very particular motherboard fashions have been even suitable. The method took a whopping 4 months.
“I needed to analysis Xbox motherboard trimming fully from scratch, a activity that took me a bit over 4 months. No one had ever tried it earlier than,” he wrote. He additionally added that the undertaking is made potential by 12 completely different “totally customized” PCBs he designed.
Subsequent up, Redherring32 plans so as to add Wi-Fi 6 help for wi-fi Xbox Reside multiplayer on-the-go.
When you want to comply with on this legend’s footsteps, he has made your complete design open supply, together with an in depth information, schematics, and PCB supply recordsdata. Nevertheless, truly assembling considered one of these may very well be an enormous technical problem.
It is value mentioning that Xbox boss Phil Spencer has been dropping not-so-subtle hints about wanting a conveyable Xbox for years now. Simply final June, he name-dropped handhelds just like the Steam Deck and ROG Ally, praising their potential to play video games domestically.
“I feel we must always have a handheld, too,” he advised IGN in an interview.
Nevertheless, precise work on such a tool would not appear to have kicked off but over at Microsoft HQ. With the hand held gaming market persevering with to surge, although, the tease appears like the most important sign but. For now, this bodacious creation will suffice.
