Microsoft hasn’t decided whether to make an Xbox handheld yet. Admittedly, this has never actually been attempted, but if the Redmond tech giant is looking for inspiration, look no further than this DIYer who built his own beautiful handheld based on the original Xbox from the halcyon days of 2001. there is no. Things like the Xbox Steam Deck use the console’s actual motherboard and can play every game released during its eight-year lifespan. Before you ask, the creators are working on adding WiFi connectivity so you can return to Halo 2 multiplayer via the revived version of Xbox Live.
The handheld Xbox is a big black brick machine, but it takes so many design cues from the original console that it could have come straight from the drawing board of Seamus Blackley and other Xbox creators. The console’s creator, known online as Redherring32, said the handheld has a large 9-inch 480p display. This project required trimming the original Xbox motherboard to size, which took a full four months. Now he offers a guide for those who want to do the same.
© GIF: Redherring32
Redherring32 told Gizmodo via Discord that he primarily uses it to play Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2. It took a lot of effort to get to this point, he said. “The idea of playing Halo: CE portable is what kept me going with this project.”
The developer first became interested in the “porting” scene after watching YouTuber Shank Mods’ 2018 video porting the Wii to the Altoids can. While the Nintendo Wii has proven to be incredibly expandable, the Xbox hasn’t received the same treatment. Redherring decided to take on the project last year in preparation for the 2023 BitBuilt Summer Building Competition, and is back on board this year. Finalists for the Indie Developer Contest will not be revealed until November 8th.
Looking at this project now makes me nostalgic for the weird black and white buttons on the original Xbox controller. The designer said the shell is an original design 3D printed from industrial-grade plastic. If you want to print it yourself, Redherring will provide you with the files. Inside, a streamlined motherboard combines 12 custom PCBs with all the various controls and components. This project is completely open source and you can download all the files for your own handheld on the creator’s GitHub.
Of course, size limits functionality. The device typically has a playtime of around 1.5 hours and supports up to 100W USB-C charging. There’s no disk drive included, but Redherring says you can load games onto the built-in 128GB microSD card. The designer added that he plans to build CompactFlash and eventually M.2 SATA SSDs for storage.
Redherring speculated that the USB-C port could be used to connect another controller for local multiplayer, but perhaps on a friend’s shoulder to make room on the 9-inch screen. It will happen.
WiFi connectivity is also a difficult task that requires an additional PCB, but the handheld can connect to Xbox Live with the PCB installed. Well, you can’t connect to the original version, which went offline in 2010. There’s a project founded by a group of original Xbox fans called Insignia that is bringing back the Live servers along with some external leaderboards.
In fact, the promise of Xbox Live connectivity and a return to multiplayer on Halo 2 consoles makes me nervous. Yes, Halo: The Master Leader Collection solves the problem, but for the sake of purity, there’s nothing better than going back to the original. I wonder if people still play ad hoc zombies based solely on the honor system.
