Have you ever dreamed of playing Halo on an original Xbox, but you didn’t want to use a big TV? And you also wanted to risk damaging your game disc and/or fingers in the process while holding a large technological monstrosity in your hands? Well, that’s a strange dream you have, buddy, but I got just the video for you.
On September 16, as spotted by GamesRadar, YouTuber, retro console enthusiast, and modder James Channel posted a new video to his wonderful channel all about his wild and wacky experience turning an OG Xbox into a portable handheld console in the most janky way possible. It’s a fantastic video that involves Channel getting shocked, ripping apart multiple electronic devices, and covering the entire beast in a bunch of duct tape. Here’s the video, which is admittedly 33 minutes long, but totally worth watching.
Something I really appreciate about this video is how committed the modder is to making sure this handheld Xbox looks and feels hacked together. It’s like a Frankenstein’s monster of a console, with pieces and parts from an old iPod dock crammed on top of an Xbox’s motherboard. And while it takes him a few attempts and a lot of tinkering, he does eventually pull it off and is able to play Halo in one of the wildest ways possible. It also seems very dangerous, as there is a DVD spinning incredibly fast just a few inches away from his fingers and face at all times.
This monster of a thing even sports a relatively impressive 9 minutes and 40 seconds of battery life. That might not sound like a lot, but keep in mind this slapdash device relies on nearly 20-year-old batteries from an iPod dock. The fact that it can even run at all on just those ancient chemical husks is incredible. And if you were then wondering, “Can this thing play Steel Battalion?” well, yes. Yes, it can.
