Ningtendo PXBOX 5: Modder builds a 3-in-1 console that switches between PS5, Xbox Series S, and Switch 2 with one button
A Chinese hardware modding channel “小宁子 XNZ” built a single custom console that combines a PlayStation 5, an Xbox Series S, and a Nintendo Switch 2. The system shares one power source, one HDMI output, and one cooling setup. A top button cycles the active platform in a few seconds.
The idea started with a simple complaint. Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo each lock games to one platform. Buying all three consoles costs money, takes space, and adds cable clutter. So it’s natural that users want one box that could replace the stack on a desk.
The first obstacle was size. Fitting three full consoles together would turn into a heavy block, so they end up stripping each device down to the essentials. Each one came down to a motherboard, a cooling system, and a power supply. The motherboards were small enough to fit. The power and cooling hardware was not. That pushed the whole project toward one shared power setup and one shared cooler, with only one console actively used at a time.
Source: 小宁子 XNZ
XNZ came up with an idea to use one heatsink, inspired by Apple’s 2013 Mac Pro design. They needed a layout that could contact multiple boards without turning the enclosure into a tower of fans and ducts. So they came up with a concept of a triangular aluminum block with fins. Each face mates to one platform area, with a single fan pushing air upward through the center.
Source: 小宁子 XNZ
CNC machining an aluminum block of that size was quoted at thousands of yuan. Outsourcing would also slow the process, so they switched to a casting process based on “lost wax,” but with a 3D printed PLA model. They printed the cooler shape, embedded it in high-temperature gypsum, and burned the PLA out in a kiln across multiple heat stages.
The first pour failed halfway, because the aluminum cooled too fast and the fins were too dense. The second casting filled properly. One face still had small air pockets, but he placed the Switch 2 on that side because the handheld itself did not rely on the shared block for cooling.
Source: 小宁子 XNZ
After measuring standby draw, they concluded a console switch circuit was not needed. A single 250 W supply could handle the load as long as he did not run two games at the same time. The PS5 and Xbox Series S boards run from 12 V DC, so he wired both in parallel. The Switch 2 side used USB-C power delivery conversion with a trigger board.
They actually rebuilt the Switch 2 dock to reduce wasted volume, and designed a removable bay with a push-to-eject mechanism. The idea was to integrate the dock into the 3-in-1 console, but maintain the portability of the Switch 2.
In the end, the box worked as intended. They ran a PS5 game for around half an hour and reported no overheat warning, with a measured area around 60°C. The top button switched the HDMI output between PS5, Xbox Series S, and Switch 2 in under five seconds. The project received the name “ Ningtendo PXBOX 5 “.
Source via Tom’s Hardware
