A YouTuber has done an extensive restoration mod to bring an original Xbox development kit back to life, and it looks just like a PC.
During the creation of the original Xbox, developers were faced with a problem. The hardware had not yet been finalized and built, so what could they use to test their games? Microsoft’s solution was a device known as the DirectXbox Alpha I, a machine that looked much like a PC from the early 2000s.
Now one YouTuber has found one of these rare devices and decided to take some time to restore it to full working order.
Bringus Studios is a YouTube channel focused on locating and modifying unusual and retro tech. He previously uncovered a prototype Steam Machine, and has also crafted a ‘GameCube mini’. The Xbox Alpha I project came about when a subscriber contacted Bringus to offer him an Xbox development kit for use in a project.
Of course, Bringus leaped at the chance, even though the machine was mostly just a shell. At some point previously most of the internal components had been removed for unknown reasons.
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Bringus set about to restore the Alpha I as completely as possible, disassembling an original Xbox to place it inside the shell.
The process was not quite as simple as moving the parts from one shell to another. Obstacles such as wiring routing needed to be dealt with, along with the difficulties of getting a standard PC power supply to work with the Xbox proprietary power connector.
In order to add a few extra bits of modern flair and take advantage of newer technology, Bringus elected to add in some new PC fans. The central fan was wired up with green lighting in an X pattern, to pay homage to the legacy of the machine.
Though not exactly an identical copy of the original dev kit, the rebuilt DirectXbox Alpha is now the perfect way to replay some OG Xbox classics.
