How to build a Windows gaming PC in an Xbox One S case

A YouTube enthusiast from the channel PhasedTech has showcased an unusual mod: he installed a full Windows gaming PC inside an Xbox One S chassis while preserving the console's original appearance and even keeping the optical drive functional. Unlike many similar projects, this one doesn't require an external power supply, glue, or radical case modifications—only the bottom and rear sections were altered, leaving the front panel completely untouched.

The biggest challenge was the Xbox One S's extremely limited volume of about 4.4 liters. To fit within these constraints, the project's creator selected compact and relatively energy-efficient components. Inside, you'll find a mini-ITX motherboard, an AMD Ryzen 5 3600 processor with a low-profile Noctua cooler, 16 GB of DDR4 RAM, an NVMe drive, and a single-slot, low-profile Nvidia RTX 3050 graphics card. Power comes from an internal 250-watt Flex PSU, a rarity in builds this small.

The optical drive implementation deserves special mention. The modder connected it to the Xbox's original disc eject button by carefully rewiring the contacts and installing a microswitch. As a result, the drive works just as it did in the original console, and the system continues to look and function like an Xbox—even though it now boots into Windows.

To mount the components, PhasedTech used custom brackets and a four-lane PCIe riser—a compromise that didn't impact the performance of the chosen GPU. In games like Counter-Strike 2 and Valorant, the system achieves up to 200 FPS at Full HD with medium settings, with temperatures under load reaching around 80 degrees Celsius. This isn't a flagship PC, but it's an impressive example of how to blend a console's aesthetics with desktop computing power in a single chassis.