Nintendo’s Switch gaming console is the first to officially take its gaming on the road. For anyone who is into Microsoft’s Xbox platform or Sony’s PlayStation 4, however, it’s not necessarily an attractive alternative.
That is why some industrious engineers have worked to create portable versions of otherwise stationary consoles like the Xbox One. Some are even offered for sale at extravagant prices. Recently, however, illustrious console modder Ben Heck provided some details on how to make your own Xbox One S “laptop” as Episode 217 of Element14’s video series.
The result isn’t a fully mobile Xbox One S, in the sense that it still needs to plug in to get its power, but it’s definitely a highly portable version of Microsoft’s latest console. Heck essentially took apart an Xbox One S, which is already smaller in stature compared to its predecessor the Xbox One, and used a variety of fabrication methods to create an Xbox One S laptop that can be easily carried from one location to another.
Some of the tools used to create the various case and other components are a 3D printer and a CNC machine. Heck provides a fairly complete overview of how he started drawing up the design ideas in Microsoft OneNote and Adobe Illustrator, using parts from a previous Xbox One S teardown. He needed to make some significant changes in his design, such as incorporating a larger power supply to accommodate the Full HD display.
While the entire process isn’t for the faint of heart — nor the technically challenged — it’s a great look into how modders can create one-off creations from commonly available parts. The portable Xbox One S isn’t for sale, but it would make for a great project for anyone with some engineering chops and a really strong desire to carry the console from location to another.
