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.
Three gamecubes? Damn, man.
This guy cubes
GameCube cubed
GameCube³
Broken game cubes are cheap and an easy fun repair. Only the Pokemon themed one is connected.
TRICUBES OF WISDOM.
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.
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.
Oh wow I think that level of modding is way beyond my means.
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.
Is there a resource or community you can recommend for someone who is interested in learning more about the console nodding scene?
Thanks in advance!
Of course!
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.
Here is an alternative Piped link(s):
Piped is a privacy-respecting open-source alternative frontend to YouTube.
I’m open-source; check me out at GitHub.
Thanks for the great list! Cheers!
Well I just found one at a thrift store for 30 bucks. Feels like our conversation may have been great timing.
Very cool! If open that system up and try to identify the revision, if its not a 1.6 cut out the clock cap and clean the area with ipa. If you want to try going the softmod route, take a look at this tool https://github.com/Rocky5/Xbox-Softmodding-Tool (eg guide https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lW6QsGXTrFQ)
Thanks so much. I will definitely be doing this when I can.
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
Edit: This wiki also has pretty much anything you’d want to know about modding the Xbox https://consolemods.org/wiki/Xbox:Original_Xbox_Mods_Wiki
Here is an alternative Piped link(s):
https://www.piped.video/watch?v=lW6QsGXTrFQ
Piped is a privacy-respecting open-source alternative frontend to YouTube.
I’m open-source; check me out at GitHub.
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 https://stoneagegamer.com/vertical-stand-for-xbox-retro-frog.html .
that is such a sick way to display gamecubes
Yeah I’m very happy with the stands https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4735302
where did you get the zelda themed one? Is that custom or was it like a twilight princess cube?
This was custom. I did the painting and wiring the LEDs, the jewel came from RockerGaming and I themed everything around it. https://www.etsy.com/listing/658194838/legend-of-zelda-master-sword-custom
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) https://docs.flippydrive.com/
Ah yes, The Nintendo GameDiamond
Please let your consoles breathe.
The shelves are deep and the door is open when on, no heat issues even with the PS5.
All of that is sick as hell, and as a fellow home assistant user I respect all the work you must have put into the automation.
For the GameCubes tilted on display, do you run them like that? I feel like it would increase the risk of damage to the discs.
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.
The Gamecube is a beautiful piece of equipment
I see that white PS2 slim poking out at the corner there. If you’ve modded it, I’m curious to hear what you’ve done to it.
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.
Nice and neat. Well done. But how does it work heat wise?
Heat wise is fine, there is about a foot of space behind all the consoles and the door stays open when in use. No issues with the PS5.
I love that green GameCube! I can’t zoom in well enough to 100% tell, is that a triforce and master sword?
That’s beautiful! Zelda is one of my all time favorite game series, just had to compliment that one!
Thanks. It’s one of my favorite ones I’ve done. You might also appreciate the colors it defaults to https://i.imgur.com/TlI16CZ.jpg
My first thought was Four Swords but the order should be Green, Red, Blue and Purple.
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.
Fair enough, it’s not like it wasn’t immediately apparent anyways, so in that sense the order doesn’t matter.
Is it painted or is the shell custom as well?
The shell is painted (used to be a very faded purple) and the jewel is from Rocker Gaming on Etsy.
If I may ask, how did you do the automations with Home assistant?
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.
@MrSilkworm @v1605 It depends,my automations are very basic,bit i use also nodered or automations in homeassistant
What’s the N64 wireless controller and do you really like it? I might play mine more if I didn’t have wires for kids to ensnare themselves.
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.
I appreciate how concise it is but am worried about airflow
There’s a foot of space behind all the consoles and the door is always open when in use, no issues with heat
