DIY experiment turns OG Xbox into a handheld

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The dream of a true portable Xbox is about to level up, thanks to the upcoming ROG Xbox Ally, which hits shelves on October 16. 

But why wait for Microsoft and ASUS to drop their official handheld when you can build one yourself, if you don’t mind something that looks like it crawled out of a late-night garage experiment?

YouTuber James Channel recently unveiled what he proudly calls a “portable monstrosity”: a first-generation Xbox gutted and reassembled into a handheld-ish contraption. 

The project is part DIY brilliance, part Frankenstein nightmare. James started by stripping the OG Xbox of its famously chunky plastic shell and thick tangle of cables, salvaging only the motherboard and disk drive. 

He then grafted in a flash drive and a small display ripped from an old iPod video accessory.

The end result? Imagine an original Xbox split open and sandwiched between the two halves of an Xbox controller, all held together with alarming amounts of super glue. 

It’s not exactly pocket-friendly, more “lunchbox with buttons” than sleek gaming gadget, but it works. 

The thing boots games and plays them like a champ, proving that with enough patience (and adhesive fumes), you can take Microsoft’s 2001 console on the go.

Of course, no one needs to do this. Modern Xbox games can already be streamed to phones, tablets, or just about any handheld PC that can run Game Pass. 

But with the ROG Xbox Ally still unpriced and Microsoft keeping details close to the vest, James’ creation stands as the cheapest portable Xbox around.

Compared to YouTuber Millomaker’s famously polished Xbox 360 handheld, this DIY build is rougher than a Halo LAN party at 2 AM. 

Still, it scratches that nostalgic itch for anyone who ever wished they could take their original Xbox on the road. 

It might not be pretty, but it’s proof that sometimes “good enough” is all it takes to make gaming history or at least a viral YouTube video.

Is this DIY Xbox handheld mod an impressive feat of engineering creativity, or does it highlight how desperately gamers want portable Xbox hardware that Microsoft has been slow to deliver? Do you think the upcoming ROG Xbox Ally will satisfy the demand for handheld Xbox gaming, or will its likely high price point leave room for more budget DIY solutions like this one? Tell us below in the comments, or reach us via our Twitter or Facebook.