You can save your DVD movies and games to your HDD and play from there (faster loading times)ĥ. You can upgrade your HDD to something largerĤ. Ability to run in HD (720p and even 1080p)ģ. The developer scene is still going strong and new versions of popular emulators are released weeklyĪ modded XBox also has the following advantages:Ģ. Unlike an Xbox 360, the original Xbox is very reliable – almost bombproof.Ħ. I use Macs, have done since 1988 (Mac Plus, SE-30, IIx) and as Mac users will know we are the poor relation to PC users when it comes to emulation.ĥ. eBay is another good source of cheap XBoxes.Ĥ. A classic XBox is cheap, I saw them being sold with a controller for £14.99 recently at my local GameStation. The unit fits under your telly, unlike a PCģ. The XBox is relatively easy to mod yourself (soft-modding a standard 8gb XBox takes minutes once you know how and have the tools/software)Ģ. Of course you can use an XBox as a great networked Media Centre and it does many more things besides but as this is RGC I will concentrate on the subject of retro computer and console emulation.Ī modded Xbox is my choice over PC/Mac emulation for the following 6 reasons:ġ.

Many of you will have already heard of or use XBMC on other hardware (Apple TV etc.), well it all started on the humble XBox hence it’s name (XBox Media Center).

Almost every emulator ever made has been ported to XBox and in most instances has been enhanced still further by enthusiasts with the addition of video sets and artwork. I chose to use this particular hardware after stumbling across websites run by enthusiasts and finding just how big the XBox mod scene still is and what a capable machine they are for emulation purposes. I have been asked on numerous occasions about how to mod an XBox and what a modded XBox is, so in this series of posts I will show you the capabilities of my 2 units and show you how to go about getting your own.

My choice of emulation tool is a self-modded original (some call it ‘classic’ now) Microsoft XBox. Emulation lets you experience games in near pixel-perfection that you may not ever be able to afford or find and from a historical perspective it is a great way to archive and catalogue titles that would otherwise disappear. Yes, I know many purists will be hitting the back button in disgust – but I am of the opinion that emulation has a place in every retro gamer’s life.

What is RGC? What is Retro Games Collector and who is behind it?Īs some of you may know I am not only a big fan of gaming on original systems but also like to dabble in the dark art of emulation.

Original xbox roms