Behold: The Xbox 360 Portable

[Nathan Meunier]

Behold: The Xbox 360 Portable

Expert modder Ben Heck(endorn) takes great gaming devices, rips them all to hell, and then rebuilds them into functioning works of art. His sexy new Xbox 360 Portable is another one for the books.


Commissioned as a one-of-a-kind project for some lucky bastard, the extremely chic sister's kitty [http://benheck.com/12-02-2008/new-xbox-360-portable]. And that's a big damn (adorable) cat.

Aside from looking slick, the Xbox 360 Portable has a removable standard Xbox 360 hard drive to allow for quick data swapping, accessible memory card slots, a sleek, minimalistic button layout, and an internal wi-fi module. I'd sure love to keep one in my trunk, so I can plunk it down, plug it in, and get some on-the-go instant gaming action.

Hacking gaming consoles is a fun hobby for some, but Heck approaches the task like a sculptor attacks a solid block of stone. He has a vision, and it's pretty awesome. My personal favorite is the fully functioning computer he built out of an empty case of Miller Genuine Draft [http://www.techeblog.com/index.php/tech-gadget/mgdp-the-beer-box-computer]. Talk about style.


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[ElArabDeMagnifico]

I think the guy did the same with the PS3, then put it on e-bay for OVER 9000 dollars (he said the money was going to charity....hey...some people bought the damn thing)

 

[Dante_Alucard]

It's gonna suck when this thing red rings.

 

[TomNook]

It's gonna suck when this thing red rings.

If Heck has the knowledge to build the damn thing, I'm sure he can fix the red ring of death.

 

[JakalMc]

Quick question: can Microsoft sue this guy?
Or at least justify writing him an angry letter?

 

[Aura Guardian]

Quick question: can Microsoft sue this guy?
Or at least justify writing him an angry letter?

I've seen a lot of mods of wii's and Nintendo Praise them. They even put the picture in their Nintendo Power. I'm Sure Microsoft aren't jerks when it comes to creativity.

 

[JakalMc]

Yeah, I was just curious because technically it is 'modding' or 'hacking' (or whatever you want to call it), and usually it is frowned upon.

Personally, I hope this guy makes a killing selling these things. He's an amazing talent.

 

[GothmogII]

Yeah, I was just curious because technically it is 'modding' or 'hacking' (or whatever you want to call it), and usually it is frowned upon.

Personally, I hope this guy makes a killing selling these things. He's an amazing talent.

No...they just don't like you using the things for online play. Voids the warranty too I think.

 

[L.B. Jeffries]

Quick question: can Microsoft sue this guy?
Or at least justify writing him an angry letter?

That right there is text book case of fair use, not damaging the original license holders market, and even arguably expanding it.

Now modding the console so it can play outside region games, they get a wee bit fussy over.

 

[xitel]

Quick question: can Microsoft sue this guy?
Or at least justify writing him an angry letter?

Theoretically speaking, if it you bought the console, you own it. You can do anything you want with it as long as you don't affect the market. You could smash it to hell, and they can't do anything. You own the parts inside the machine, they can't tell you what you're not allowed to do with them.

 

[Smiles]

thats is so freakin cool... I want one... does anyone know how much it costs?

 

[SmoothGlover]

Would be pretty awesome, although i cant imagine it would last that long without an external power source. Still, well worth it for the time it did work.

So, wait, its like the Sega Nomad?

The sega nomad was awesome lol, i remember my friend had one and when i saw it, it was just about the most incredible thing i had ever seen. (sheltered childhood)

 

[thebobmaster_v1legacy]

Would be pretty awesome, although i cant imagine it would last that long without an external power source. Still, well worth it for the time it did work.

So, wait, its like the Sega Nomad?

The sega nomad was awesome lol, i remember my friend had one and when i saw it, it was just about the most incredible thing i had ever seen. (sheltered childhood)

My brother-in-law still has one. It's cool, but it sucks up batteries like mad.

 

[Anton P. Nym]

Would be pretty awesome, although i cant imagine it would last that long without an external power source. Still, well worth it for the time it did work.

I'd be greatly surprised if it ran at all without an external power source; the 360 is a power-thirsty beast in operation. I also think you'd probably get scorchingly-uncomfortable if you tried to play it on your lap...

I think this is more for making it LAN-friendly than for making it a road-warrior gaming platform. (Or maybe it's for the sheer joy of the craftsmanship.)

-- Steve

 

[Lvl 64 Klutz]

Er... nevermind, can't read apparently. Move on, nothing to see here.

 

[ThaBenMan]

If I was Microsoft, I would hire this dude and start making these. That is awesome.

 

[SmoothGlover]

Would be pretty awesome, although i cant imagine it would last that long without an external power source. Still, well worth it for the time it did work.

I'd be greatly surprised if it ran at all without an external power source; the 360 is a power-thirsty beast in operation. I also think you'd probably get scorchingly-uncomfortable if you tried to play it on your lap...

I think this is more for making it LAN-friendly than for making it a road-warrior gaming platform. (Or maybe it's for the sheer joy of the craftsmanship.)



-- Steve

I hadn't even thought about LAN, but yeah, now you've said that it does make more sense.

I guess there could be the opportunity for a little cottage industry there, i expect there's a few people who would pay to have one made for them. (as has been made glaringly obvious by the responses to this article).

Still, the maker seems to be happier moving from one thing to the next so i dont suppose it would ever be.

 

[Mstrswrd]

He makes a lot of cool stuff, but this is really close to the top.