A remarkable feat in the world of gaming mods has emerged, thanks to the creative talents of hardware enthusiast and woodworker, Redherring32. This genius has crafted the very first handheld Xbox console by transforming the motherboard from an original Xbox into a portable gaming device. It’s paired with a 9-inch 480p screen and boasts features such as Wi-Fi 6 Xbox Live connectivity and 100W PD USB-C for rapid charging.
This mod stands out as one of the boldest endeavors the Xbox community has encountered, marking a departure from the typical handheld or compact mods usually seen with PlayStation and Nintendo systems. It’s a true milestone—the first attempt to turn an Xbox into a full-fledged handheld console.
With whispers in the industry about Microsoft potentially launching a handheld Xbox—despite the likes of Steam Deck already filling that gap and recalling the handheld legacy of Sony PSP and PS Vita—it’s amusing that a passionate individual has beaten them to the punch. If such a device were ever officially released, it would likely target today’s gaming landscape, offering features far beyond the capabilities of the original Xbox, which was once modified to run Halo 2 at 720p on another occasion.
Redherring32’s commitment to this project is astounding. His Twitter thread offers a glimpse into the complex process involved—trimming down the original Xbox motherboard and drafting a new guide for this groundbreaking mod, alongside crafting 12 custom PCBs tailored for the task.
Moreover, Redherring32 is planning to embrace the open-source community, with a GitHub page ready to host the complete PCBs source code once it’s finalized. Enthusiasts are eagerly awaiting a video demonstration of the device in action, though it wasn’t available at this writing.
While this Xbox mod is unprecedented, it echoes similar trends where home consoles have been resized into more portable editions. Redherring32 isn’t new to this scene, having previously worked on open-source projects like “TinyTendo” and “PicoPad,” which brought forth a handheld NES and the world’s tiniest NES controller, showcasing his extraordinary ability to innovate and inspire within the modding community.
