Unveiled at this year’s E3 event, the Xbox One S takes the power of Microsoft’s flagship home console and puts it in a smaller, more refined package, even if it doesn’t provide a bump in performance. That gave one DIY-minded gamer the idea to take the company’s efforts to streamline the system to their logical conclusion.
Eddie Zarick’s “Xbook One S” transplants the console into a notebook-inspired clamshell design. It’s still not as convenient as whipping out a smartphone or a Nintendo 3DS to get in some gaming on-the-go, but it’s a novel idea for anyone who absolutely, positively needs a portable Xbox One.
The project uses a 19-inch Samsung display, which unfortunately is limited to 720p resolution, according to a report from Engadget. A previous iteration used the standard Xbox One with a 1080p, 22-inch Vizio monitor, but the overall build was much larger and more unwieldy.
Zarick says this decision was made to ensure that the device could take advantage of the smaller profile of the Xbox One S console. Users can still watch 4K content by attaching the console to an external monitor or television via the HDMI connection.
The system’s chassis is made from a combination of laser-cut acrylic and 3D-printed parts. It’s perhaps best to handle the “Xbook” with care — while Zarick describes it as “sturdy,” it’s not rugged enough to withstand too many heavy hits.
Zarick is selling his creations to anyone that needs a video game system to entertain them on the go. It’s ideal for anyone that spends a lot of time on plane flights, or packed into a tour bus. The device is available in black and white, and is priced at $1,495 for the 500GB model, and $1,545 for a console with 1TB of storage.
