YouTube creator PhasedTech, who previously modded an Xbox One S console, transforming it into an entry-level PC with a working disc drive and GeForce RTX 3050 graphics card, is back. This time, he's modding the larger Xbox Series X console into a fully functional desktop gaming PC with a working disc drive and a beefier GeForce RTX 5060 graphics card.
Although the tower-like chassis of the Xbox Series X resembles some compact PC cases, it's still not large enough to house a mini-ITX motherboard and build a relatively standard compact gaming PC. Instead, PhasedTech sourced an Intel NUC with a Core i7 12700 processor, 32GB of DDR4 memory, and 1TB of NVMe storage to serve as the PC hardware.
From there, combining that with a low-profile GeForce RTX 5060 (specifically this GIGABYTE model) on a base board with custom 3D-printed parts, brackets, and other bits, we see the Xbox Series X transform into a gaming PC.
What makes this mod all the more impressive is that it keeps as much of the core Xbox Series X shell as possible, with only a custom back I/O. All the power buttons and ports work, and the disc drive does too (which has been replaced with a slimline model). And once you factor in all of the cables, the compact 600W power supply, and the exhaust fan, it's a fairly tight fit, but the result is a resounding success. Playing Arc Raider at 1080p at 100+ FPS, as well as Counter-Strike 2 running at 200+ FPS, the CPU and GPU temperatures hover at or below 75 degrees.
With Microsoft's next-gen Xbox Project Helix console set to be a PC and console hybrid, this mod shows that the company should be able to create a box with a similar physical footprint as the Xbox Series X with traditional PC components mixed with Project Helix's custom AMD APU.
