Chinese YouTuber Builds All-in-One Gaming Console from PS5, Xbox, and Switch Components
A Chinese youtuber has achieved a remarkable feat of engineering, creating a single gaming console – dubbed the “Ningtendo PXBOX 5” – capable of playing games from the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch. The project addresses the growing problem of dedicated gamers needing multiple consoles, and the space/visual clutter that comes with them.
Until recently, dedicated gamers frequently enough needed to invest in multiple consoles to access the full spectrum of available titles. Though, the space requirements and visual impact of owning three separate machines presented a significant challenge. This ambitious project offers a compelling solution.
The foundation of the Ningtendo PXBOX 5 is surprisingly rooted in a discarded piece of Apple hardware: the 2013 Mac Pro, often referred to as the “Trash” due to its cylindrical design. According to the creator, the Mac Pro’s internal layout, specifically its dual PCB and dual GPU configuration, provided key inspiration for consolidating the three consoles.
The process began with disassembling each console, identifying the essential components – the fan, power supply, aluminum and copper heatsink, and crucially, the board itself. The YouTuber realized that the GPU, CPU, and RAM where all soldered onto the boards, simplifying the integration process. For the PS5 and Xbox Series X, the core idea was to share a single power supply, heatsink, and fan, leveraging the Apple Mac pro’s design as a blueprint.
Apple’s 2013 Mac Pro featured a double PCB system mounted on a central aluminum heatsink, allowing for efficient airflow and heat dissipation. replicating this design proved to be the biggest hurdle. Creating a custom aluminum heatsink was prohibitively expensive, leading the creator to explore alternative manufacturing techniques.
The solution was a return to ancient methods: a modern take on wax casting.A heatsink model was 3D printed using PLA,a material that vaporizes at high temperatures. This PLA “sink” was then encased in plaster and subjected to a 700-degree oven. The heat dissolved the PLA, leaving a cavity within the plaster that could be filled with molten aluminum. This process, requiring a vacuum machine to remove air from the plaster and a 12-hour cycle of dehydration, pyrolysis, and combustion, was not without its challenges.The first attempt failed, but a second 3D-printed mold and a refined process yielded a functional heatsink.
The integration of the Nintendo Switch presented a slightly different challenge. Requiring less power, the Switch utilizes a USB-C connection and a custom-printed dock designed to maintain its portability. This dock incorporates an HDMI connection for TV output and a spring-loaded mechanism, allowing the console to be ejected with the press of a button.
Controlling the entire system required a central “brain.” An arduino board was programmed to manage the HDMI output and power distribution, enabling seamless switching between platforms in under five seconds. A front-facing LED strip provides visual feedback, changing color to indicate the currently active console (red for PS5, blue for Xbox Series X, and green for Switch).
The resulting console is surprisingly compact, comparable in size to a small PC case. The creator notes the impressive heat dissipation, despite the presence of two powerful consoles and a relatively dense heatsink design.while the project doesn’t include support for physical game discs – a growing trend in the industry – it represents a significant achievement in DIY engineering.
However, the project isn’t without its limitations. The current design lacks a dedicated Ethernet port for each console, relying on Wi-Fi connectivity. Additionally, there’s no individual power button for the Xbox Series X.Despite these minor drawbacks, the Ningtendo PXBOX 5 offers a compelling vision of a streamlined, all-in-one gaming platform.
As one observer noted, the project is a “tremendous achievement” and a “very cool DIY project,” even if replicating it requires access to specialized equipment like a high-temperature oven and an aluminum foundry. It’s a testament to ingenuity and a reminder that, while ambitious, such projects are often beyond the reach of the average enthusiast. But we must admit that it is indeed a tremendous achievement, a very cool DIY project and the almost definitive gaming platform (it is not ‘StarCraft’, so it’s not perfect).
