Modder turns original Xbox into powerhouse Game Pass machine

A PC modder has transformed the original Xbox console into a pixel-pushing gaming PC able to run Game Pass and Steam games.

The original Xbox isn’t as beloved as its Xbox 360 or Xbox Series counterparts. However, it marked the first time a console had its own built-in hard drive and the introduction of Halo and other major game franchises.

While Microsoft has turned its attention elsewhere, you can always rely on fans to keep the memory of the old console alive. Now, one modder has transformed the original Xbox into a modern gaming PC.

Posted on r/ssffpc (Small Form Factor PC) user Subject-Historian-70 shared images of the impressively transformed Xbox console. At first, the iconic black form factor of the original looks unchanged. However, on closer inspection, it’s clear that the controller ports have now been cleverly replaced with USB ports.

The levels of ingenuity don’t stop there. Subject-Historian-70 modded the case itself, removing sections of the massive X that runs across the entire system. By using a Dremel tool, pliers, and Stanley knife, these sections have been replaced with PC mesh, to help with airflow and protect against any dust and debris.

According to the modder, the Xbox gaming PC “runs like a dream”, while outputting a low noise and being able to run most games on High/Ultra or Medium/High settings.

As revealed in the original post’s comments, it’s mostly used to run games through Xbox Game Pass or Steam, which judging by its specs, should be no issue. The modded Xbox ‘sleeper build‘ PC is powered by an Nvidia RTX A2000 GPU, which shares similar capabilities to the RTX 3050.

The seemingly unusual graphics card is built with the same GA106 GPU that powers the RTX 3050 and RTX 3060 and offers up ray tracing support as well as Nvidia’s own DLSS tech. Additionally, as a low-profile GPU, it’s small enough to fit into the modded Xbox.

Other parts include the AMD Ryen 5 3600 CPU, 2TB SSD, and ASRock AB350 motherboard.

The updated internals of the Xbox PC might outshine that of the original hardware. However, there remain signs of what came before. Other than the slightly modified original Xbox chassis, an original Xbox case fan is used to cool the modded PC.

Better yet, modder Subject-Historian-70 was able to use an original chunky Xbox power button, to power up the nostalgia-inducing build.