Ningtendo PXBOX 5: Modder builds 3-in-1 console from Playstation, Xbox and Switch
A Chinese modder has packed Playstation 5, Xbox Series S and Switch 2 into a single device - with shared cooling, shared power supply and a switch button.
The modder «小宁子 XNZ» has built a console that accommodates three systems simultaneously: a Sony Playstation 5, a Microsoft Xbox Series S and a Nintendo Switch 2. The three mainboards sit in a common housing, share a power supply unit and a single heat sink specially cast from aluminium. A button on the top determines which platform is currently running.
In order to accommodate the three systems, the modder reduced all the devices to the essentials. All that remained were the mainboards, which she arranged in a triangular layout. The power supply is provided by a single 250-watt power supply unit, which supplies both the PS5 and Xbox Series S with 12 volts. The Switch 2 is connected separately to the dock and requires significantly less power.
The heat sink: moulded instead of milled
The most striking part of the project is the solid aluminium block that cools all three consoles simultaneously. CNC milling would have been too expensive, which is why the modder cast the heat sink using the lost wax process. She produced a wax model, embedded it in a mould and melted out the wax. The resulting hollow mould was filled with liquid aluminium.
Source: 小宁子 XNZ
Several casts failed because the metal did not flow evenly or air pockets formed. In the end, however, a usable block was created. The side that will later support the Switch still has visible indentations - not critical, according to the modder, because the Switch generates significantly less waste heat than the PS5 and Xbox Series S. The shape of the heat sink is reminiscent of the triangular core of the cylindrical Mac Pro from 2013.
Source: 小宁子 XNZ
Switching with a button
Only one console runs at a time. A button on the top switches between the three systems. The modder has installed a small control board that only passes the power supply to one mainboard at a time. As soon as one platform is activated, the board completely disconnects the other two from the power supply. Switching only takes a few seconds because neither HDMI cables nor peripherals need to be reinitialised. The HDMI output remains the same, the signal simply comes from a different mainboard.
Source: 小宁子 XNZ
The modder wanted fewer devices, fewer cables and less space consumption - without having to sacrifice exclusive titles. The result is a device that is technically impressive, but above all shows how far hardware can be reduced if there is a willingness to disassemble and reassemble three consoles.
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