Game consoles are often not so dissimilar to normal computers that people like you and I use for work as well as play. Below all the layers of console security—the hypervisors, encryption keys and layers of obfuscation—lies a computer, with a CPU, GPU, storage, and motherboard. Once you’re able to work around all those layers of security, the hardware can be used for anything. So with the spirit of that in mind, like any sane person would, I’ve decided to turn my Xbox 360 into a NAS, and it went surprisingly well.
Why even try to use a console as a NAS?
Because it’s cool, that’s why
I really despise when old hardware (especially game consoles) go to waste, but besides that, using game consoles for applications that stretch far beyond their original purpose always fascinated me. The Xbox 360 was a particularly tough nut to crack in terms of its console security, and it wasn’t until the last few years that modders found a way to exploit it without the need for soldering and other physical modifications.
The Xbox 360’s hardware itself is quite old, but it’s not useless by any means. Its two USB ports, SATA HDD compatibility and network connectivity make it quite versatile beyond just games and homebrew. When the proper exploits are executed, it can be used for pretty much anything, so why not try and turn it into a NAS?
The process is pretty simple
All you need is a USB stick and a little time
If you want to try this for yourself, you’ll need an Xbox 360 that’s capable of performing RGH (Reset Glitch Hack) or one that has had a JTAG mod applied to it. If you haven’t heard of either of these things, chances are you probably don’t have one. Thankfully, there’s a pretty easy software workaround that’s been developed by some very talented modders in the last few years, namely
I turned my Xbox 360 into a NAS
