Building the OG Xbox That Should Have Been

Concepts and prototypes are always a treat. That doesn’t just apply to the automotive industry, because consumer electronics prototypes can be wildly interesting, too. The original Xbox prototype definitely was. It was basically a big aluminum X, which is very cool — just obviously impractical to mass produce. Macho Nacho Productions recreated that prototype a while back and now he has released a 3D-printable DIY version for you to make.

For the original prototype replica, Macho Nacho essentially had the entire console milled from a massive block of aluminum. That looks amazing, but it also costs thousands of dollars for the enclosure alone. It mimicked the real Xbox prototype quite well; you would just have little hope of making one yourself.

This new version is much friendlier to hobbyists. As a bonus, it perfectly matches the original Xbox prototype dimensions. This version has a 3D-printable enclosure that you can print that yourself if you have a large enough printer, or you can use a 3D printing service. Getting that made in resin will give you a particularly nice look.

On the electronics side, the star of the show is that circular screen in the center of the X. That is a round LCD from Waveshare and it gets its HDMI signal from a Raspberry Pi Pico 2 that wears a DVI sock.

The rest of the electronics are fairly typical in the original Xbox modding scene. Macho Nacho designed it to be disc-less, but you can build a version with an optical drive if you want. The design also calls for several popular mod boards, which improve usability and allow for the unusual positioning.

The assembled console looks amazing — maybe even better than the “accurate” aluminum version. It might not have the historical authenticity, but knowledgeable Xbox fans will understand what it references. Everyone else will simply appreciate the amazing style for what is now a “retro” console.

If you want to build one yourself, you can purchase the design files from Nacho Engineering.