With exception of the Mister, all consoles have either been modded or repaired. Bonus, everything is automated through Home Assistant so it will turn on the TV, switch inputs, and turn on the console, all via voiced controlled.
That is a Ultra Slim PS2 mod. Its basically as PS2 Slim with the disc drive removed (this one had a faulty drive). I boot all my games off the network so I prefer the slim and the Mister handles any PS1 titles so no worries about backwards compatibility. I also added a esp32 with a transistor so that when the console gets powered via a smart switch, it automatically turns on.
I also use node red for a lot. I have a LG c7 TV which has integrations in home assistant for switching inputs and kinda supports wake-on-lan, but I built up an IR transmitter with an esp32 to trigger the power more reliability. I built more ir transmitters for my HDMI switches and the retrotink to change profiles. I have zwave smart switches on all the consoles except for the switch and PS5 since those come on with the controllers. The PS2 and Xbox have additional mods so after they get power they get a simulated power button press. I have the Google assistant integration configured so I can turn on individual devices via voice commands.
Thanks! Many hours and esphome devices have made this my ultimate setup. The ones on the stands are just on display but they do work (both of those are picoboot, the Zelda doesn’t actually have a disc drive since it was rusted beyond saving). You are probably right it would risk damaging the disc. It would also be very unstable with wired controllers so you would have to use either wavebirds or BlueRetro for wireless.
I use the 8bitdo kit paired with a BlueRetro adapter. I’d skip the hall effect joystick unless yours is in bad shape, it’s better than generic Amazon replacements but not as good as OEM.
That’s awesome! I have 3 N64 controllers in great shape. Not sure I’m looking to invest $70 into an N64 controller, but it does sound amazing. I’m going to save your comment in case I change my mind.
You can save a little money getting the adapter on alliexpress and the kit is $30 which puts the cost at a much more reasonable $47 per controller. The adapter also works with the NSO controller if they ever stay in stock.
holy moly, that is so badass! My gamecube was my whole world as a kid, I wish I still had it. Im glad that they are well appreciated and properly displayed by some people
Nows not a bad time to consider picking one back up if you can find one cheap enough. There’s a new ode in development that will be cheaper than the gcloader and requires no soldering. You can get one that no longer reads discs, through that in there and read games off an SD card (or just emulate, nothing wrong with that) docs.flippydrive.com
Really hope you’re not running the Xbox sideways like that. They’re not designed to do that and it can cause severe damage. Any tiny little bump or shake of that dresser can end its life forever if it isn’t modded to be always unlocked. Even then, it will take time to repair the disc drive or HDD.
I don’t use discs, I run off an SSD. That one has a stellar and XboxHD mod. Also that shelf isn’t going anywhere. It’s solid wood with a slate top, it takes two people to lift it just enough to get furniture sliders under it and the stand is very stable.
Edit: it also has the ram upgrade and an externally powered relay to control the power switch.
Even still, most of the people that see this image are not using mods that you are, probably have a default Xbox with the clock cap still (only okay for a 1.6), and will only look and this and say: “Hey, I didn’t know I could put the Xbox sideways like that, I can save some space,” and before you know it this picture has indirectly contributed to the shrinking number of functional Xbox consoles.
I get where you’re coming from and thats why I up voted the comment but I’m not too concerned about that. I printed the stand myself but the listing for it even gives a warning stoneagegamer.com/vertical-stand-for-xbox-retro-f… .
Did you do the modding yourself or buy it that way? I’ve been looking for an OG Xbox for sometime now and really want one. I was thinking with the cost of the console getting the ability to run backups from an ssd was non negotiable.
Yes I do all the modding and repairs myself. The OG Xbox needs a lot of TLC, multiple caps need to be replaced depending on the model (clock cap needs to be removed on all of them). You don’t really need Project Stellar, though I do like it’s modern interface on the console. A Aladin chip flashed with Cerbios (which does require soldering) along with a Startech IDE Sata adapter and 80pin ide cable.
Well wanting an OG Xbox is a good motivation to learn! I got into this hobby because I wanted an HDMI mod for the N64 but didn’t want to pay over $600 for a premodded one.
You don’t need to hardmod it to be able to play backups. There’s some softmod methods that work well and removing the clock capacitor that has a habit of leaking and eating through the board is as easy as opening up the console and wiggling it out. You don’t need to replace it on most models.
Whole process can be done in an afternoon. I’d check out MrMario2011’s video to see how challenging it is though to get a feel for it
That is true, I just prefer the hardmod methods for their reliability. Only the 1.6v needs either a replacement or another mod to keep it out. Some of the 1.0 and 1.1 have a habit of CPU caps going as well.
Totally get it. The biggest reason I would encourage someone to hardmod is a failing disc drive can cause the console not to boot. You don’t need a disc drive with a hardmod and buying an additional console is cheaper typically then buying just a replacement disc drive.
RetroRgb- great retro content in general, his weekly round ups and questions are incredibly useful. He also has a discord for patreon supporters which has a pretty chill group.
Voultar His videos are the best soldering tutorials on YouTube for consoles. Also his snes and N64 RGB mods are super simple to install for beginners. His video on the N64Digital really helped me install my own.
Macho Nacho He does pretty good coverage of newer mods and explains the features in pretty simple terms.
My Life In Gaming These guys have to be most in depth and unbiased reviewers of retro hardware.
Console Mods Wiki a pretty good site that covers a lot of information on retro consoles, still a work in progress
Console Repair Community this one is not too active (I’m most of the posts) but hopefully we can get more questions there.
And finally any of the individual communities on Lemmy for individual consoles. They aren’t the most active but if you post questions hopefully there are people to help answer (I subscribe to many of them and try to help when I can). The important thing is to ask detailed questions and provide pictures when it would help.
I wish there was an active OG Xbox community on Lemmy. The subreddit helped me get through my journey of doing a hardmod (TSOP flash) on my 1.0 version; I had an unfortunate disk drive failure at the EXACT wrong time (after the softmod), and it made things a LOT more complicated lol. But I also learned wayyy more than I anticipated, and have flashed 3 more since then without any issue (except for finding a roach infestation inside one of the cases, but I still salvaged the hardware and flashed it)
But regardless, you can message me too with any questions. I’ve never installed a chip to hardmod, but I can TSOP flash the hell outta them now. And if you’re able to hardmod, I highly suggest it mainly because of how much more stable it becomes
The softmod is pretty easy, especially if you have one of the exploitable games lying around (I had Splinter Cell). The flash drive-to-controller port converter-cable and a compatible flash drive (listed on that website) is all you need.
Just write down your EEPROM number after you softmod, for the love of god, even before trying to zero it or back-it up. That was when mine froze, restarted and the disk drive failed, giving me an “error code 7”… which not many people knew could be due to a dead disk drive, because it can be due to several things. A TSOP flash (if you have a version earlier than 1.6) allows you to run without a disk drive, and an unlocked HDD. It makes it pretty much brick-proof
I had no soldering skills when I tried it, so I was very intimidated too. But a $15 RadioShack soldering iron got the job done… the TSOP flash technically only has to work once. I even “lifted the pad” on my second xbox, but there are alternate points you can use a jumper wire on, if you fuck up the first attempt. .
For a $30 xbox at a thrift store, it might be worth your time to try. I say this from the other end of doing it, but it was also my first mod, first soldering job, and I was terrified I would fuck it up. Turned out, the soldering was the least of my problems after my disk drive failed lol
But either way, good luck! It was one of my favorite projects and is still in use as a balling emulator. The thing has a lot of potential once you get into it!
Hey! You can definitely use the cheaper one, it’s still a lead-free rosin core, but just doesn’t come with as much solder as the more expensive one. And you’ll use very little for a Tsop flash, not even a quarter of what’s in the cheaper one (even less than a quarter of it)
You are correct, I just thought this order looks nicer to have more contrast between the purple and blue. It’s all software control so it can be anything.
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