This episode was produced just prior to the PicoBoot announcement -- so no, I didn't intentionally leave it out. That option certainly presents new possibilities for the GameCube, but I also don't think it necessarily invalidates any of the other mods available.
It's good you're aware of the PicoBoot option... if I was to mod a GCN again I'd probably go that route, since the optical drive would be left intact, and I assume that'd allow the ripping of your own games to an SD card using the console itself, though don't quote me on that as I don't know if that's a built-in feature of Swiss or if you'd need a separate homebrew app to accomplish that.
I think it does invalidate this specific mod. No need for a boot disc, no need to tweak the laser which can result in it burning out sooner. I enjoy your videos. Quality stuff, but I think you should take this one down as it's basically bad advise by now. Or at least put a disclaimer and warning in.
When I installed a GC Loader, I remember saying the same thing: Dang, they used way more screws than necessary! I went with the GCLoader because to me, it's just a matter of time before the optical drive dies and in the future I assume parts will be hard to find/super expensive.
Agree this is the way to go, and besides most Wii consoles can play your disc games just fine if you are in the mood for that, and with so many of them out there, they are still fairly cheap to pickup used. it's why I have a few spare Wii consoles in case my main one dies, and all are homebrew modded to the gills ready to go.
I'm surprised the GameCube modding scene is as lively as it is considering the Wii is fully backwards compatible with GameCube, can be picked up for much cheaper, and can be fully modded via software.
@@f937r Perhaps, but there are solutions for that such as BootMii, which allow you to boot directly into the Homebrew menu on startup, which can be navigated using a GameCube controller, rather than having to navigate the Wii menu first. Either way, having to use a Wii remote to navigate the Wii menu seems a lot more convenient than having to install a mod chip and relying on an optical media format that's no longer being produced, or replacing the entire optical drive with an expensive and often out-of-stock SD reader, but that's just my own opinion.
@@GANONdork123 That's the beauty of picoboot. It doesn't require any modification to the optical drive and is cheaper. Plus some people may just want to play on a GameCube instead of a Wii. Not to mention the picoboot takes less time to boot into SwissOS vs the Wii to boot into its home menu. Regardless, it's good to have options. Brings new life back into old consoles.
Perfect timing, I'd been considering doing this exact mod, but the Swiss launch process was unclear to me. This made everything crystal clear. I really appreciate Handheld Legend helping you out with these videos, and I buy from them whenever possible! Edit: Now that we all know about the PicoBoot, I'll probably go with that. This video was still very helpful to understand how they compare.
@@PotatoFi I did the GCLoader a week ago which was $80 from aliexpress. THEN Picoboot shows up for under $10 ahha I'm still in love with either route, ease of use for an amazing console. Much akin to SD cart solution for N64, boot up and go!
@@SatanicMac What advantage does the GC have over a Wii/WiiU with Nintendont? Edit: None, the Wii has way better performance than the GC. Search RUclips for "Gamecube vs Wii (Nintendont) - Frame Rate Comparison"
@@f937r Thanks for letting me know! I figured it'd be fairly decent but knowing somone else has tried it and loves it makes me confident in the decision!
Interesting episode but as Colin says, some of the stuff here's a bit outdated already, with the picoboot being an easier install that frees you from having to load data via the optical drive.
Easier how? Xeno can be installed directly. It's easier than wiring 5 wires and then routing the wires through an RF shield that either needs bending or cutting. Xeno also allows region free retail discs or burned games. PicoBoot is cheaper? Not when you also have to potentially buy new thermal pads after you tear them getting the heatsink off.
@@DamnDealDone Adjusting the laser is more difficult than anything required for picoboot. Picoboot also future proofs your gamecube by allowing it to function after the laser inevitably dies. Removing the heat sink with a heat gun ensures the pads don't get damaged, you could even use a blowdryer.
@@miro5052, agree. I hnderstand that also by powering on the console for a few minutes helps warming the pads making the easier to remove without damaging them (of course, after powering it off hahaha).
@@DamnDealDone some videos on the net have some daft ideas about how to remove the heatsink. A heat gun, blow dryer, or even turning on the gamecube for 10 minutes can help get the heatsink off. You should not twist it off. I have installed a bunch of picoboots now, and I never had one issue. I recently installed a kunai too, a little more difficult than the pico but still pretty easy. But the Xeno is a dated method and was a bit more difficult than the other two. It also relies too heavily on the optical drive which will inevitably fail.
The Gamecube was/is an amazing system and I'm glad it's finally getting more attention. It came out when people were more obsessed with details like "full sized" CD media, DVD playback. In reality most CD based games at the time didn't even utilize the who CD capacity anyways. I've always liked the controller a lot. It's been very comfortable to hold/use compared to their past controllers.
Earlier versions of the Wii being able to natively run GameCube games also gave it extra life, at least as far as how long the games could actually be reliably played. There are a LOT more Wii's in the world too so finding a working one that also has the GameCube functionality is probably a lot easier than finding an actual reliably working GameCube at this point. One of my friends has 2 GameCubes, neither work, but her Wii works perfectly so this is how she still plays all her favourite GameCube games years later.
@@TalesOfWar I traded my GC to help buy my Wii. I didn’t regret it at the time as I lost no functionality, but now I really miss the tactility of the GC and not having to faff about with the menu.
@@kaitlyn__L The GC console price is much higher than a wii now. However, a homebrew wii is more worthy to play GC and wii games with nice component 480p output as well as good usb loaders. However, GC SWISS interface and functions are more convenient to choose game and coming with GBI supports.
@@huangaga6923 that’s why I regret it! It paid for half my Wii, whereas nowadays it costs more 😆 At least I kept my Wii, though honestly I’d probably mod the Wii inside my Wii U rather than the standalone Wii. Since it has HDMI and is a bit easier to hook up a USB drive full of ISOs. But eh I’ll likely end up doing both at the end of the day. Still, I’d prefer the RGB SCART of the GC (as is available on PAL) over component on the Wii, and that’s another reason I regret trading my GC in - it had a digital video out and all of the serial ports!
I prefer the Action Replay and a Gecko memory card adapter along with a gameboy style SD2SP2. I see there is a new Pi chip way as well though for a couple of different options.
@@cfreddykrueger9164 I only use it for Gameboy family of systems because I prefer Nintendont on the WiiU. I use the WiiU mostly with the Gamecube controller adapter and the Gamestop BB111 controller for Rumble and just play on the WiiU gamepad at work sometimes. You can also use the Gamestop BB111 controller for your Gamecube as well for Rumble. If you didn't already know.
I came to the comments for this. Action Replay boots right up into Swiss and you can use the same SD card adapter as in this video too. Never had to take anything apart.
One other option that I use is to use an Action replay disc, this allows multi region gaming and can load homebrew from SD card such as the enhanced GameBoy Player software. Ideal for those wanting a simple and easy solution. Great video Colin.
As much I had fun with the GameCube back in high school, played lots of multiplayer games like Melee, Mario Kart, and Mario Party games! The console has design flaws, the use of minidiscs instead of full sized DVDs is the reason I played more Xbox and PS2, and those consoles were easier to mod. Even the Wii is better for modding, since you get to use full size CDs and SD cards to mod the system!
Another solderless option is Datel's SD Media Launcher. It comes with an SD adapter for the memory card slot (which Swiss can use to load ISOs too) and an Action Replay boot disc, and the disc can automatically load a homebrew file (like Swiss) from the SD card on startup. Hit the power button and Swiss appears. Unfortunately, while they were available brand new (and very cheaply) from the manufacturer until recently, they had only been selling through their new old stock for years, and the US region version is now permanently out of stock. However, if you have a Europe region console, they do still have that one in stock. The Europe gamecube is popular in North America because it natively supports 15 kHz RGB video output, and (with a region mod) will run NTSC games at 60 Hz just fine, and the PAL/NTSC color issue doesn't apply to the RGB output. So with a XenoGC or an SD Media Launcher, it can essentially be a solderless RGB NTSC console. PAL vs NTSC is also not a problem if you use any of the options that connect to the digital port, since all of those can also do both the 50 Hz and 60 Hz video timings just fine.
I had remembered an RGB SCART cable back in the day, and IIRC Smash Bros recommended its use somewhere in the menu screens, so for a long time I was confused when Americans said it only did component. Now I understand - PAL had RGB while NTSC didn’t.
It's amazing how expensive those have gotten. I bought mine brand new for $20, probably in 2013 or so. I've had a XenoGC now for years so it serves no purpose to me. Seeing as they are around $150 for the disc and SD card reader together, I need to just sell mine.
I remember wanting to buy a bunch when they were £10 each after the Wii’s release, but my pocket money wasn’t enough for more than just a couple extra before that period was over. If I’d been just a few years older with a larger income, I probably would’ve picked up 30 or so.
Is worth the hassle when you can softmod a Wii? After all, you can run GC games and use the original controller and memory cards. Am I missing something?
The Wii is a perfectly valid option, but comes with a ton of its own tradeoffs. And only works if you have an older Wii with the appropriate controller ports.
About the fact the swiss image needs to match you console region: You can easily mod an NTSC-J GameCube into NTSC-U and vice versa. All you need is some wire and a toggle switch.
Loved the reassembly montage with music! Seems like a new style for these videos. Still love talking of course, as your voice rocks, but it was just something new to see!
The SD2SP2 can be manufactured or bought a lot cheaper than that. I got mine for literally $0.02 plus $3.50 shipping for two of them. I've also done the XenoGC mod in the past on two of my consoles which I just recently did the PicoBoot mod for. I have the "Gecko" memory card but recently purchased these SD2SP2 boards and they haven't arrived yet but they're on their way. I heard using them from other users across the internet, that they cause stuttering in video sequences which I'm hoping isn't the case at least with the Picoboot.
Stuttering is due to the low speed of the Serial Port 2. PicoBot will still have this stuttering because it is using the SD2SP2. It's just a boot device. SD2SP2 can only be this cheap with counterfeit parts which are the exact ones sold by handheld legend. Of course he is buying them from aliexpress and selling them on at a massive profit like most of these scumbag sellers.
@@DamnDealDone Well, yeah, there are limited speeds of the serial port. Pico may have caching integrated to regulate stuttering by loading ahead. It could happen. Counterfeit? It's literally just a board with a resistor. There is no logic on them whatsoever. They're all "counterfeit".
@@androxilogin PIcoBoot is just a booter. Swiss via SD2SP2 does all the work after that. I don't think PicoBoot will be able to affect this speed. The SD slots are Molex counterfeits and these Chinese adapters are just terrible quality. The slots will have very low insertion limits and will eventually break prematurely if used a lot. Not only that buying these cheap adapters is funding the companies that make and distribute counterfeit hardware. We should all stop funding Chinese criminals and the garbage they make.
@@DamnDealDone Psh, they can have my three cents. Reinforce the joints with a little solder and it'll be fine. Again, they're all counterfeit. It's just an SD card slot, a printed .gbl and a resistor. I could buy the resources for 100 for the price these other shops overcharge for them. If you haven't noticed, a lot of stuff "made in America" for the past 5 years has been low quality overpriced garbage. You said so yourself, they're just as slow. So why buy overpriced garbage? Everything breaks eventually. Repair it. That's half the fun. The pico boots Swiss, there's a good possibility an update to the code could build a cache. Especially collaborating with Swiss devs.
I installed a XenoGC years ago and highly recommend it. This was long before the SD boards were available so I bought an aftermarket outer casing which can hold full-sized DVDs and I have a number of games burned. Knowing how cheap the SD boards are, I may get one and put the OEM outer case back onto the console.
I know some are criticizing the "botched" XenoGC install but I think it's great Colin showed a failed install. Often with these mods, people will only show a successful mod and avoid showing mistakes. This botched install is also a great way to show off the alternate wire method that Colin ended up using. I know the timing isn't great with the new Picoboot method but I don't think it's pointless to release this video. At least it's a reminder on why people don't particularly like the XenoGC install. As for giving out bad advices, anyone getting into mod should be aware the modding is a constantly evolving space. Therefore, the most important thing people should do before tackling any hardware mod is research. So it's fine to show off old method. AND I think it's perfectly fine for people to point out the existence of newer method. When I look up these modding video, I personally check for newer comments and any newer info from people.
Those copper wires seems to have a layer on top that's probably why it was difficult to solder, scratching it off then adding some more flux and solder to prepare them would have helped to get it flow more easily, also re adding flux to the pads.
I use a Datel Sd Media Loader disc, SD memory card adapter and SD2SP2 for SWISS usage, it works pretty darn well, and what's more the Datel media can also be used as an Action Replay for your phyisical game discs!
Colin, wish you had released this video before I had attempted to mod my GameCube w/ a Xeno chip mod exactly 2 years ago during the pandemic. Then I wouldn't have had to go through the laborious research and figuring out the meticulous steps of knowing what to do in the process 😒🤷🏽♂️...
I just did a Gamecube today with a GCLoader. I also customized the outer shell, I'll be uploading the video next week or so, but I'm always interested in newer mods. Any info on the future SSD mod relying on Port 1?
Except for the Xeno chip, and others like it, I think I've tried most of the stuff in this video. I found a silver Gamecube on eBay that said it wouldn't read disks and bought it with the intention of installing the GC Loader, It was missing the port for the SD2SP2. It works like a charm. I also have 3 other Gamecubes (that still have the port) and I use the SD to memory card adapter along with a game shark that I picked up before they went super expensive and hard to find. I wish the PS2 had similar options for loading games on it. The hard drive setup works well, for the most part, but doesn't seem as sturdy as what I've seen for Gamecube.
Good video. just a reminding, the capacitors on optical driver board need to replace first. If the optical driver is healthy, user can read the burn SWISS boot disk without the VR adjustment.
I still have my old GameCube I originally bought in 2002 but never got around to modding it. Thing is, I also own a Wii and Wii U that I bought when they were new and both are SoftModded. Those two consoles are much easier to do since everything can be done with firmware hacks and just plugging in standard SD cards and Hard Drives and doing some software hacks; something I'm much more comfortable doing. These days though I don't even bother using my softmodded Wii since to be honest, Wii games actually run a lot better on my gaming laptop via Dolphin (with HD graphics).
Weird to see you featuring Gamecube modding! I've modded mine in 2020 but the mod broke as the solder was pretty terrible. I've got a 128MB Memory Card from a Car Boot/Flea Market a few months ago and now I have a soft mod I'm running via Wind Waker. I have a modded Wii too but running games off the SD on the Gamecube is much better.
i have a alternate were its a SDCard reader drive replacement and i do have sd2sp as well, and i have the game boy player which you can use GBI game boy interface for a better game boy player
First off just wanna say i love watching your channel! But just wanna makes sure your know! Since knowledge is power! Common misconception, cross head screws from japanese items are actually JIS or japanese industry standard. Regular Phillips bits will work but are more likely to strip the screw since they are designed to cam out or slip when tight. It's good practice to use JIS bits on any thing japanese made even cars!
GameCube is one of those systems I don't feel any pressure to buy since I have all the must own games playable on Wii hardware with a loader. This definitely is awesome though!
If anyone is interested in making Japanese systems more American friendly you can use a hairdryer to loosen the heat sink and once underneath you can solder R6 to a solid connection. I used a small piece of wire with solder on it and touched the solder iron to R6 at the same time as the tinned wire. I checked it before putting it back together and poof English. You're welcome.🙂
I've been waiting for a replacement jungle green shell to be created by someone before doing these mods on one of my GameCubes. I have these mod chips ready purchased when it does become available. This video will be a great reference for installation.
I recommend using a raspberry pi pico for picoboot. Not to come into Collin's video, but it's a safer and easier option. Plus it's cheaper. $6 for the pico and then ~10 for either the sd2sp or sdgecko. It also can multiboot and doesn't require messing with the optical laser strength. Also you don't need a swiss disc as it boots straight off the sd card.
@@VictoryHand Gotcha, I didn't read it as you intended. I read it as you have them ready to purchase. You might check out the picoboot anyways just to see what it can do.
I thought this was going to be about the picoboot, not the old xenos chip. With the xenos chip you have to use some form of disc or exploit to get to Swiss. With picoboot you can just skip all that. I bet the company that sent that too you saw the writing on the wall and is trying to sell the rest of their xenos stock tbh. Lmao
I don't care what anyone else says, this seems like a pretty good middle ground. I don't have the guts to pull apart a GC and mod it. I'm curious though if ripping the discs is as easy as it is for PS1/2 games and if it would be worth it collecting them.
I just use an Action Replay disc that boots to the sd memory card adapter with Swiss. After setting up AR, it automatically boots Swiss for me, no inputs required.
Do loading disc should stay in console all the time, or after console starts and Swiss loads it's better to take it out (maybe better for lens no to rotate loading disc all the time)?
Have you or anyone had issues with their audio? Im new to using a swiss booted(picoboot) GameCube and no matter what I've tried I cannot get audio from my games. I've tried new cables, re installing files, using a converter, not using a converter and even using a different TV/speaker. The volume is so low I can't hear it unless my tv is maxed out and even then the static is louder than the actual game. Everything else works perfect but I just can't get decent audio. Any suggestions?
The GameCube didn't even have any built-in network connectivity. You had to install a modem or ethernet module, and even then it was only used for a handful of games. The core firmware of the console has no networking support.
I've got to find a way to conveniently adjust that disc laser. I was having difficulty making my system read discs, and the potentiometer is turned up so high it's a wonder I haven't burned a tiny hole in my ceiling.
not sure if this comment will be seen, but i did this method a few years back on my japanese gamecube. havent touched it in quite some time, its been left unplugged. but now, i can't run my swiss disc, US games, OR JP games on it. is the laser burnt out? i never had to adjust the resistance for it when i initially modded it, and i never had any problems with it before
Looking at channels which fix a lot of old VCRs would probably be a better bet :) you could start with databits then find other similar channels in his comments
Do I need to be running the Swiss cd all the time ? What if i have the original game and i just want to run in in 480p(I have a pal GameCube)?. Can I open and swap the disc, set to 480p and play it ?
I still think this is the best way to mod a cube. Picoboot is great and all but if you can pot tweak, I don't see the point. Still nice to have the option. Always enjoy your vids Colin, this was a great way to show the xeno install and features 👍
I tried the pico boot method but botched the install and ripped a leg off one of the chips a wire goes to. That bricked the mother board unfortunately. Plan to just soft mod another instead, and will have a few spare parts now.
I tried this and went for xeno board directly soldered on. turned out had a dud xeno mod chip - damaged some pads on removal. if I had my time again, I'd use the wire method! (thankfully drive still fine) Going to try picoboot though as reason I wanted to mod is that drive is increasingly getting unreliable
Eeeeewwww! Clean that game bit game bit driver before you get tetanus! @This Does Not Compute 😄 Great modding guid thank you, Collin. HHL do great work & they’ve been my go-to for a few mods on several consoles.
It’s pretty cool… but a wii with nintendon’t does it better, widescreen support, a far cheaper option to get 480p, no need for memory cards, Other than the gameboy player which I don’t use because gameboy is way better when played portable I can’t think of a reason to use a gamecube anymore
This episode was produced just prior to the PicoBoot announcement -- so no, I didn't intentionally leave it out. That option certainly presents new possibilities for the GameCube, but I also don't think it necessarily invalidates any of the other mods available.
It's good you're aware of the PicoBoot option... if I was to mod a GCN again I'd probably go that route, since the optical drive would be left intact, and I assume that'd allow the ripping of your own games to an SD card using the console itself, though don't quote me on that as I don't know if that's a built-in feature of Swiss or if you'd need a separate homebrew app to accomplish that.
The main difference is that you wouldn’t need a Swiss boot disc, so no need to change the laser’s power and risk burning it.
@@hadessukYup... though replacing the OD altogether is an attractive though costly and hard to get option, as Collin says in the video.
@@ShiggitayMediaProductions Picoboot does not replace the optical drive. It loads swiss from SD card. The optical drive stays fully functional.
I think it does invalidate this specific mod. No need for a boot disc, no need to tweak the laser which can result in it burning out sooner. I enjoy your videos. Quality stuff, but I think you should take this one down as it's basically bad advise by now. Or at least put a disclaimer and warning in.
When I installed a GC Loader, I remember saying the same thing: Dang, they used way more screws than necessary!
I went with the GCLoader because to me, it's just a matter of time before the optical drive dies and in the future I assume parts will be hard to find/super expensive.
Agree this is the way to go, and besides most Wii consoles can play your disc games just fine if you are in the mood for that, and with so many of them out there, they are still fairly cheap to pickup used. it's why I have a few spare Wii consoles in case my main one dies, and all are homebrew modded to the gills ready to go.
Just wish I could get hold of a proper one...
pico boot solution ultime
I'm surprised the GameCube modding scene is as lively as it is considering the Wii is fully backwards compatible with GameCube, can be picked up for much cheaper, and can be fully modded via software.
Its just easier to not have to deal with the wiimote before launching your GC games.
@@f937r Perhaps, but there are solutions for that such as BootMii, which allow you to boot directly into the Homebrew menu on startup, which can be navigated using a GameCube controller, rather than having to navigate the Wii menu first. Either way, having to use a Wii remote to navigate the Wii menu seems a lot more convenient than having to install a mod chip and relying on an optical media format that's no longer being produced, or replacing the entire optical drive with an expensive and often out-of-stock SD reader, but that's just my own opinion.
@@GANONdork123 That's the beauty of picoboot. It doesn't require any modification to the optical drive and is cheaper. Plus some people may just want to play on a GameCube instead of a Wii. Not to mention the picoboot takes less time to boot into SwissOS vs the Wii to boot into its home menu. Regardless, it's good to have options. Brings new life back into old consoles.
GameCube is cuter
@@f937r There's a software called "PortableizeMii" which launches directly into a gamecube game launcher with built in Virtual-Console hacks
Perfect timing, I'd been considering doing this exact mod, but the Swiss launch process was unclear to me. This made everything crystal clear. I really appreciate Handheld Legend helping you out with these videos, and I buy from them whenever possible!
Edit: Now that we all know about the PicoBoot, I'll probably go with that. This video was still very helpful to understand how they compare.
I'd probably go pico over xeno at this point. I don't think xeno has any advantage
@@chriswy697 Of course, found out about the Pico minutes after posting this. This video was still great to help me understand how they compare.
@@PotatoFi I did the GCLoader a week ago which was $80 from aliexpress. THEN Picoboot shows up for under $10 ahha
I'm still in love with either route, ease of use for an amazing console. Much akin to SD cart solution for N64, boot up and go!
@@SatanicMac What advantage does the GC have over a Wii/WiiU with Nintendont? Edit: None, the Wii has way better performance than the GC. Search RUclips for "Gamecube vs Wii (Nintendont) - Frame Rate Comparison"
I'm a massive Gamecude Fan, and plan to do this once I return from my travels!!
I really like the look of the new PICOBOOT modchip myself!!
I recently installed it and it's actually really cool. It's pretty easy to install as well. Definitely recommend it!
@@f937r Thanks for letting me know! I figured it'd be fairly decent but knowing somone else has tried it and loves it makes me confident in the decision!
@@PIXELPORTABLE there's a few video's out on how to install it, I've watched at least 3 lol I thought this would be my 4th xD
@@juanmacias5922 haha by the time I'm finished travelling I'm hoping an even easier version
Arrives haha
@@PIXELPORTABLE I expect a souvenir, mister!
Interesting episode but as Colin says, some of the stuff here's a bit outdated already, with the picoboot being an easier install that frees you from having to load data via the optical drive.
Easier how? Xeno can be installed directly. It's easier than wiring 5 wires and then routing the wires through an RF shield that either needs bending or cutting. Xeno also allows region free retail discs or burned games. PicoBoot is cheaper? Not when you also have to potentially buy new thermal pads after you tear them getting the heatsink off.
@@DamnDealDone Adjusting the laser is more difficult than anything required for picoboot. Picoboot also future proofs your gamecube by allowing it to function after the laser inevitably dies. Removing the heat sink with a heat gun ensures the pads don't get damaged, you could even use a blowdryer.
@@miro5052, agree. I hnderstand that also by powering on the console for a few minutes helps warming the pads making the easier to remove without damaging them (of course, after powering it off hahaha).
@@DamnDealDone some videos on the net have some daft ideas about how to remove the heatsink. A heat gun, blow dryer, or even turning on the gamecube for 10 minutes can help get the heatsink off. You should not twist it off. I have installed a bunch of picoboots now, and I never had one issue. I recently installed a kunai too, a little more difficult than the pico but still pretty easy. But the Xeno is a dated method and was a bit more difficult than the other two. It also relies too heavily on the optical drive which will inevitably fail.
The Gamecube was/is an amazing system and I'm glad it's finally getting more attention. It came out when people were more obsessed with details like "full sized" CD media, DVD playback. In reality most CD based games at the time didn't even utilize the who CD capacity anyways. I've always liked the controller a lot. It's been very comfortable to hold/use compared to their past controllers.
Earlier versions of the Wii being able to natively run GameCube games also gave it extra life, at least as far as how long the games could actually be reliably played. There are a LOT more Wii's in the world too so finding a working one that also has the GameCube functionality is probably a lot easier than finding an actual reliably working GameCube at this point. One of my friends has 2 GameCubes, neither work, but her Wii works perfectly so this is how she still plays all her favourite GameCube games years later.
@@TalesOfWar I traded my GC to help buy my Wii. I didn’t regret it at the time as I lost no functionality, but now I really miss the tactility of the GC and not having to faff about with the menu.
And now - the compact disk has gone the way of the dodo/is vintage, as it’s media is now streamed on smart things 🫤
@@kaitlyn__L The GC console price is much higher than a wii now. However, a homebrew wii is more worthy to play GC and wii games with nice component 480p output as well as good usb loaders. However, GC SWISS interface and functions are more convenient to choose game and coming with GBI supports.
@@huangaga6923 that’s why I regret it! It paid for half my Wii, whereas nowadays it costs more 😆
At least I kept my Wii, though honestly I’d probably mod the Wii inside my Wii U rather than the standalone Wii. Since it has HDMI and is a bit easier to hook up a USB drive full of ISOs. But eh I’ll likely end up doing both at the end of the day.
Still, I’d prefer the RGB SCART of the GC (as is available on PAL) over component on the Wii, and that’s another reason I regret trading my GC in - it had a digital video out and all of the serial ports!
I am blown away at this process and how well you were able to articulate all of the intricacies..Salute!
I prefer the Action Replay and a Gecko memory card adapter along with a gameboy style SD2SP2. I see there is a new Pi chip way as well though for a couple of different options.
This is my set up as well for the past couple of years and I’ve been very happy with it.
@@cfreddykrueger9164 I only use it for Gameboy family of systems because I prefer Nintendont on the WiiU. I use the WiiU mostly with the Gamecube controller adapter and the Gamestop BB111 controller for Rumble and just play on the WiiU gamepad at work sometimes. You can also use the Gamestop BB111 controller for your Gamecube as well for Rumble. If you didn't already know.
I came to the comments for this. Action Replay boots right up into Swiss and you can use the same SD card adapter as in this video too. Never had to take anything apart.
One other option that I use is to use an Action replay disc, this allows multi region gaming and can load homebrew from SD card such as the enhanced GameBoy Player software. Ideal for those wanting a simple and easy solution. Great video Colin.
As much I had fun with the GameCube back in high school, played lots of multiplayer games like Melee, Mario Kart, and Mario Party games! The console has design flaws, the use of minidiscs instead of full sized DVDs is the reason I played more Xbox and PS2, and those consoles were easier to mod. Even the Wii is better for modding, since you get to use full size CDs and SD cards to mod the system!
Another solderless option is Datel's SD Media Launcher. It comes with an SD adapter for the memory card slot (which Swiss can use to load ISOs too) and an Action Replay boot disc, and the disc can automatically load a homebrew file (like Swiss) from the SD card on startup. Hit the power button and Swiss appears. Unfortunately, while they were available brand new (and very cheaply) from the manufacturer until recently, they had only been selling through their new old stock for years, and the US region version is now permanently out of stock. However, if you have a Europe region console, they do still have that one in stock.
The Europe gamecube is popular in North America because it natively supports 15 kHz RGB video output, and (with a region mod) will run NTSC games at 60 Hz just fine, and the PAL/NTSC color issue doesn't apply to the RGB output. So with a XenoGC or an SD Media Launcher, it can essentially be a solderless RGB NTSC console. PAL vs NTSC is also not a problem if you use any of the options that connect to the digital port, since all of those can also do both the 50 Hz and 60 Hz video timings just fine.
I had remembered an RGB SCART cable back in the day, and IIRC Smash Bros recommended its use somewhere in the menu screens, so for a long time I was confused when Americans said it only did component. Now I understand - PAL had RGB while NTSC didn’t.
It's amazing how expensive those have gotten. I bought mine brand new for $20, probably in 2013 or so. I've had a XenoGC now for years so it serves no purpose to me. Seeing as they are around $150 for the disc and SD card reader together, I need to just sell mine.
With how expensive gamecube titles are now (thanks collectors), i've been really thinking of having a third GC that's modded instead of my stock ones
I remember wanting to buy a bunch when they were £10 each after the Wii’s release, but my pocket money wasn’t enough for more than just a couple extra before that period was over. If I’d been just a few years older with a larger income, I probably would’ve picked up 30 or so.
Just did PicoBoot mod yesterday. Much better than the old methods
You have the best b-roll footage around but it must take you sooooo long to disassemble anything!
The ultimate cheapest way is a softmodded Wii with Nintendon't. The Wii has the GCs Hardware in it.
Is worth the hassle when you can softmod a Wii? After all, you can run GC games and use the original controller and memory cards. Am I missing something?
The Wii is a perfectly valid option, but comes with a ton of its own tradeoffs. And only works if you have an older Wii with the appropriate controller ports.
That 80s montage music was pretty sweet sounding. Love retro synthwave...
About the fact the swiss image needs to match you console region: You can easily mod an NTSC-J GameCube into NTSC-U and vice versa. All you need is some wire and a toggle switch.
I've been missing the music video porn of disassembly/reassembly.
Thank you for including it.
Wow, this is the older route of modding GameCube.
GCloader, and picoboot are the two newest "hot" mods.
no mini-dvd's required
@@MesmerBaas yes, I know
Any free ones?
@@PovElijah Dolphin.
@@PovElijah almost free, flippy-drive
@@TheOnlyTwitchR6 any I could just plug in? And don't wanna pay lol, I got some cards for my GameCube also.
My friend got me a Xenochip modded Gamecube for my 40th birthday couple years back, it's really awesome. Keep up the great work! 🎮😊🖖
Loved the reassembly montage with music! Seems like a new style for these videos. Still love talking of course, as your voice rocks, but it was just something new to see!
The SD2SP2 can be manufactured or bought a lot cheaper than that. I got mine for literally $0.02 plus $3.50 shipping for two of them. I've also done the XenoGC mod in the past on two of my consoles which I just recently did the PicoBoot mod for. I have the "Gecko" memory card but recently purchased these SD2SP2 boards and they haven't arrived yet but they're on their way. I heard using them from other users across the internet, that they cause stuttering in video sequences which I'm hoping isn't the case at least with the Picoboot.
There are also 90 degree angle variants of the SD2SP2 which allow you to access the microsd card even with a Game Boy Player installed.
Stuttering is due to the low speed of the Serial Port 2. PicoBot will still have this stuttering because it is using the SD2SP2. It's just a boot device. SD2SP2 can only be this cheap with counterfeit parts which are the exact ones sold by handheld legend. Of course he is buying them from aliexpress and selling them on at a massive profit like most of these scumbag sellers.
@@DamnDealDone Well, yeah, there are limited speeds of the serial port. Pico may have caching integrated to regulate stuttering by loading ahead. It could happen. Counterfeit? It's literally just a board with a resistor. There is no logic on them whatsoever. They're all "counterfeit".
@@androxilogin PIcoBoot is just a booter. Swiss via SD2SP2 does all the work after that. I don't think PicoBoot will be able to affect this speed. The SD slots are Molex counterfeits and these Chinese adapters are just terrible quality. The slots will have very low insertion limits and will eventually break prematurely if used a lot. Not only that buying these cheap adapters is funding the companies that make and distribute counterfeit hardware. We should all stop funding Chinese criminals and the garbage they make.
@@DamnDealDone Psh, they can have my three cents. Reinforce the joints with a little solder and it'll be fine. Again, they're all counterfeit. It's just an SD card slot, a printed .gbl and a resistor. I could buy the resources for 100 for the price these other shops overcharge for them. If you haven't noticed, a lot of stuff "made in America" for the past 5 years has been low quality overpriced garbage. You said so yourself, they're just as slow. So why buy overpriced garbage?
Everything breaks eventually. Repair it. That's half the fun. The pico boots Swiss, there's a good possibility an update to the code could build a cache. Especially collaborating with Swiss devs.
Tightening the screws corresponding to the beat of music ;-) I love your relaxing videos so much. Thank you!
I installed a XenoGC years ago and highly recommend it. This was long before the SD boards were available so I bought an aftermarket outer casing which can hold full-sized DVDs and I have a number of games burned. Knowing how cheap the SD boards are, I may get one and put the OEM outer case back onto the console.
Really dig the music choice for the reassembly montage. It was paced perfectly with the edits.
I know some are criticizing the "botched" XenoGC install but I think it's great Colin showed a failed install. Often with these mods, people will only show a successful mod and avoid showing mistakes. This botched install is also a great way to show off the alternate wire method that Colin ended up using.
I know the timing isn't great with the new Picoboot method but I don't think it's pointless to release this video. At least it's a reminder on why people don't particularly like the XenoGC install.
As for giving out bad advices, anyone getting into mod should be aware the modding is a constantly evolving space. Therefore, the most important thing people should do before tackling any hardware mod is research. So it's fine to show off old method. AND I think it's perfectly fine for people to point out the existence of newer method. When I look up these modding video, I personally check for newer comments and any newer info from people.
Those copper wires seems to have a layer on top that's probably why it was difficult to solder, scratching it off then adding some more flux and solder to prepare them would have helped to get it flow more easily, also re adding flux to the pads.
Been rocking my Action Replay hack for years, no soldering required!
I managed to even open a gamecube with a hexagonal screwdriver to replace the clock battery as it wasnt keeping time anymore
My preferred way is to use a Wii, just a soft mod, Nintendont runs game even better than the original console. But no nostalgic boot up sequence
his place always looks so clean and nice despite all the technical work being done to systems. pretty awesome
Omg thank you for showing the cable method for installing the first chip. I could've easily seen myself frying a poor GameCube.
I use a Datel Sd Media Loader disc, SD memory card adapter and SD2SP2 for SWISS usage, it works pretty darn well, and what's more the Datel media can also be used as an Action Replay for your phyisical game discs!
Colin, wish you had released this video before I had attempted to mod my GameCube w/ a Xeno chip mod exactly 2 years ago during the pandemic. Then I wouldn't have had to go through the laborious research and figuring out the meticulous steps of knowing what to do in the process 😒🤷🏽♂️...
Man, I think it’s time to clean the soldering iron tip…
You can achieve the same solder result by having asomeone attack you with weapons while you are drunk and blindfolded.
I realy love your instructions and modding games videos I hope this video will gets 100k at least
I have a GCLoader and it's he best choice in my opinion but I also have multiple GameCubes so if I wanna use discs I still can.
I got the GC Loader and it's pretty awesome. But I did have a spare Gamecube that I also plan on repainting and adding extra mods too.
I just did a Gamecube today with a GCLoader. I also customized the outer shell, I'll be uploading the video next week or so, but I'm always interested in newer mods. Any info on the future SSD mod relying on Port 1?
webhdx has stated its related to being unable to order components for production. It is pretty much finished according to him.
@@_Louis322 so a no-go?
Except for the Xeno chip, and others like it, I think I've tried most of the stuff in this video. I found a silver Gamecube on eBay that said it wouldn't read disks and bought it with the intention of installing the GC Loader, It was missing the port for the SD2SP2. It works like a charm. I also have 3 other Gamecubes (that still have the port) and I use the SD to memory card adapter along with a game shark that I picked up before they went super expensive and hard to find.
I wish the PS2 had similar options for loading games on it. The hard drive setup works well, for the most part, but doesn't seem as sturdy as what I've seen for Gamecube.
Good video. just a reminding, the capacitors on optical driver board need to replace first. If the optical driver is healthy, user can read the burn SWISS boot disk without the VR adjustment.
I still have my old GameCube I originally bought in 2002 but never got around to modding it. Thing is, I also own a Wii and Wii U that I bought when they were new and both are SoftModded. Those two consoles are much easier to do since everything can be done with firmware hacks and just plugging in standard SD cards and Hard Drives and doing some software hacks; something I'm much more comfortable doing. These days though I don't even bother using my softmodded Wii since to be honest, Wii games actually run a lot better on my gaming laptop via Dolphin (with HD graphics).
The plastic on GameCubes can be brittle, I broke one of the (many) screw points when I installed the SD Loader
I have same problems about screws. Today, I repaired them on my upper shell with 4 copper pipes. I will test more and promote the method for GC fans.
Weird to see you featuring Gamecube modding! I've modded mine in 2020 but the mod broke as the solder was pretty terrible. I've got a 128MB Memory Card from a Car Boot/Flea Market a few months ago and now I have a soft mod I'm running via Wind Waker.
I have a modded Wii too but running games off the SD on the Gamecube is much better.
You know any free ways to mod a gamecub?
@@PovElijah You can get a Wii and with that it's free to softmod anything.
i have a alternate were its a SDCard reader drive replacement and i do have sd2sp as well, and i have the game boy player which you can use GBI game boy interface for a better game boy player
First off just wanna say i love watching your channel! But just wanna makes sure your know! Since knowledge is power!
Common misconception, cross head screws from japanese items are actually JIS or japanese industry standard. Regular Phillips bits will work but are more likely to strip the screw since they are designed to cam out or slip when tight.
It's good practice to use JIS bits on any thing japanese made even cars!
Back in the day I had a viper chip set up Thick my mum still has it in the loft..
GameCube is one of those systems I don't feel any pressure to buy since I have all the must own games playable on Wii hardware with a loader. This definitely is awesome though!
picoboot is the modchip for gamecube
Good video, i think that you need to work on your soldering skills, and you almost cut a trace with the cutter XD
If anyone is interested in making Japanese systems more American friendly you can use a hairdryer to loosen the heat sink and once underneath you can solder R6 to a solid connection. I used a small piece of wire with solder on it and touched the solder iron to R6 at the same time as the tinned wire. I checked it before putting it back together and poof English. You're welcome.🙂
I've been waiting for a replacement jungle green shell to be created by someone before doing these mods on one of my GameCubes. I have these mod chips ready purchased when it does become available. This video will be a great reference for installation.
I recommend using a raspberry pi pico for picoboot. Not to come into Collin's video, but it's a safer and easier option. Plus it's cheaper. $6 for the pico and then ~10 for either the sd2sp or sdgecko. It also can multiboot and doesn't require messing with the optical laser strength. Also you don't need a swiss disc as it boots straight off the sd card.
@@f937r as I mentioned. I already have the mod chips shown here. I also have the disc that came with them as a set.
@@VictoryHand Gotcha, I didn't read it as you intended. I read it as you have them ready to purchase. You might check out the picoboot anyways just to see what it can do.
@@f937r will do.
@@f937r Yes, the GC pico boot method is amazing. I am waiting for the wifi version for easy to update poco purpose.
Nice work, but it's still 100 times easier to just soft mod wii.
Does anyone sell 1? Link?
It's weird how unpopular the GameCube actually was. It was easily one of the coolest consoles of it's time and had some crazy good games.
I thought this was going to be about the picoboot, not the old xenos chip. With the xenos chip you have to use some form of disc or exploit to get to Swiss. With picoboot you can just skip all that. I bet the company that sent that too you saw the writing on the wall and is trying to sell the rest of their xenos stock tbh. Lmao
He mentioned the video was made before the picoboot was announced, but maybe the company had some insight lol
I would love to do this to my White Gamecube, but I can boot my Wii straight into USB Loader GX, so it isn't a "need" in my life right now.
The extra screws were because Nintendo envisaged people taking the GameCube to their friends houses, hence the carrying handle!
6:04 a literal blank dvd
I don't care what anyone else says, this seems like a pretty good middle ground. I don't have the guts to pull apart a GC and mod it. I'm curious though if ripping the discs is as easy as it is for PS1/2 games and if it would be worth it collecting them.
Pico boot trumps this option 10 fold. I would recommend going the pico boot route.
I just use an Action Replay disc that boots to the sd memory card adapter with Swiss. After setting up AR, it automatically boots Swiss for me, no inputs required.
nice vid bro
Rather emulate, can run games in 4k with full AA and it looks extremely good
Do loading disc should stay in console all the time, or after console starts and Swiss loads it's better to take it out (maybe better for lens no to rotate loading disc all the time)?
It still should have worked man with the us swiss disc. I've never run into that issue.
1:04 is an absolute jumpscare. Colin, I love these videos but PLEASE clean that screwdriver!
you can get the same results with wii softmod that's only required sd card & internet
GC is still fun!
Could you have done a hardware region mod to avoid burning a Japanese copy of Swiss?
1:34 ... Are you sure these are Philips and not JIS?
This actually is rocket science 😂
Have you or anyone had issues with their audio? Im new to using a swiss booted(picoboot) GameCube and no matter what I've tried I cannot get audio from my games. I've tried new cables, re installing files, using a converter, not using a converter and even using a different TV/speaker. The volume is so low I can't hear it unless my tv is maxed out and even then the static is louder than the actual game. Everything else works perfect but I just can't get decent audio. Any suggestions?
nintendo ban speedrun any%
Uh how? And I don't think Nintendo cares about the GCN anymore....
The GameCube didn't even have any built-in network connectivity. You had to install a modem or ethernet module, and even then it was only used for a handful of games. The core firmware of the console has no networking support.
@@guspaz it’s a joke about how Nintendo makes dubious claims on videos to get them taken down
I guess you could make your own modchip, as it is just a microcontroller.
Man I luv my modded gamecube
I've got to find a way to conveniently adjust that disc laser. I was having difficulty making my system read discs, and the potentiometer is turned up so high it's a wonder I haven't burned a tiny hole in my ceiling.
The laser pot should be between 225 to 240.
not sure if this comment will be seen, but i did this method a few years back on my japanese gamecube. havent touched it in quite some time, its been left unplugged. but now, i can't run my swiss disc, US games, OR JP games on it. is the laser burnt out? i never had to adjust the resistance for it when i initially modded it, and i never had any problems with it before
Dude I need your help I got a top loading vcr that mechanically looks fine but the electrical Part is not fine the model is ge 1vcr5002x I
Looking at channels which fix a lot of old VCRs would probably be a better bet :) you could start with databits then find other similar channels in his comments
@@kaitlyn__L thanks
Do I need to be running the Swiss cd all the time ? What if i have the original game and i just want to run in in 480p(I have a pal GameCube)?. Can I open and swap the disc, set to 480p and play it ?
It would be cool if you could make a revised version with the new picoboot
I still think this is the best way to mod a cube. Picoboot is great and all but if you can pot tweak, I don't see the point. Still nice to have the option. Always enjoy your vids Colin, this was a great way to show the xeno install and features 👍
I tried the pico boot method but botched the install and ripped a leg off one of the chips a wire goes to. That bricked the mother board unfortunately. Plan to just soft mod another instead, and will have a few spare parts now.
Oooooh, I have an old purple release console lying in storage.
Do you think you could ever make a mod to the NES top loader modding it to have AV out? Your videos make modding super easy. Thanks!
I tried this and went for xeno board directly soldered on. turned out had a dud xeno mod chip - damaged some pads on removal. if I had my time again, I'd use the wire method! (thankfully drive still fine)
Going to try picoboot though as reason I wanted to mod is that drive is increasingly getting unreliable
Chances are you killed the Xeno. They are very rarely duds.
1:35 imagine what he says when opening a wii
Eeeeewwww! Clean that game bit game bit driver before you get tetanus! @This Does Not Compute 😄
Great modding guid thank you, Collin. HHL do great work & they’ve been my go-to for a few mods on several consoles.
If i own the gamecube model withOUT the port at the bottom.
Will this mod chip + the memory card sd card adapter work best?
3:42, those solder joints look sufficient for the purpose. Good job!
Oof. They're terrible actually, and risk shorting.
@@JJsMessyBench Did you see the “roast me” text pop up in the bottom left corner?
Sasky I can't use this, I have the model with the digital output which is good, but that original serial port is gone.
I have Swiss ver.5 boot up disc would it be compatible with a Swiss ver.6 SD card?
It’s pretty cool… but a wii with nintendon’t does it better, widescreen support, a far cheaper option to get 480p, no need for memory cards, Other than the gameboy player which I don’t use because gameboy is way better when played portable I can’t think of a reason to use a gamecube anymore
Hey colin what about the raspberry pie GameCube modchip
His pinned post mentions this. The video was made prior to the picoboot announcement, even though it released after.
@@f937r That's kind of what I assumed lol
How do you get the old Gamecube animation back when booting the console?
XenoGC is not needed anymore. Newer versions of Swiss makes it obsolete. You did not need it at the time when filming this video... FYI.. :P