I’ve got two lovely ladies (well Xbox units) wanting to be free of restricting official firmware. One problem… one has a failing hard drive and the other… well the other is actually looking like it has a good chance of being modded properly.

I’ve been collecting a few bits and pieces to get things underway, including a copy of Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell for the softmod. I’ve even been playing it! Managed to finish the tutorial, although apparently climbing down ladders is a little beyond my abilities. Missing the ladder and falling off the ledge probably isn’t the recommended approach.

There’s also an Xbox controller breakaway cable that I’m planning to splice onto a USB socket. That should come in handy for getting the necessary files onto the console without having to buy anything particularly exotic.

I’ve been testing out the component video cable too, along with a rather nice-looking replacement controller. The Xbox I’m starting with appears to be a version 1.1, but I’ll have a better idea once I get further into the project.

The ultimate goal is to get the softmod working and then look into flashing the TSOP. One step at a time, especially given how much trouble these old things can cause when you start fiddling with their hard drives.

Hopefully, I’ll document the whole thing properly this time. More Xbox adventures coming soon! :)