Microsoft ended sales of all available Xbox 360 models in April 2016. That's just eight years... and still, in a corner of our minds, the console is already “retro”. In fact, there is no shortage of units that need some restoration process, and that's how we arrive at the “Cat and Andrew” channel, with a completely gutted Xbox 360E. Its owner had trouble painting the case, and it spent a long time gathering dust...
With 84 million units sold, the Xbox 360 failed to defeat the PlayStation 3, but it would be a big mistake on our part to consider it a failure. Its catalog of available games is remarkable (without going too far, some franchises were born on that platform), and even with the closure of its official store, the truth is that it has a lot of material to offer.
Now, Xbox 360 emulation has improved (the Xenia Manager project greatly simplifies the configuration of the Xenia emulator), but if we want an optimal experience, we have to look for the original hardware... which is not always in good condition. Andrew from the “Cat and Andrew” channel received an Xbox 360E, and got to work...
Restoring an Xbox 360
Basically, the original owner of the console tried to do a bit of modding and paint the case, but his result was not what he wanted. Apparently he was looking for an anthracite/gunmetal color, and tried to remove the paint with a solvent... which started to damage the plastic. Andrew begins his session with a complete disassembly of the console, and the removal of the heatsink. After so many years, changing the thermal paste is not an option, and the Xbox 360 does not have the best reputation when it comes to overheating.
With the motherboard, optical drive, and general electronics in good condition, Andrew turned his attention to the case, fixing the most serious errors (melted spots, dents, excess paint, etc.) purely by sanding. By far, it is the most tedious and dirty part of the restoration, but it is also necessary, or otherwise, there will be problems when painting.
Both the power supply and the gamepad did not escape cleaning. The power supply fan was lubricated (the use of 5W-40 oil is interesting), and after removing all the combination of grease and dust, the gamepad returned to normal. A detail for those interested: The gamepad has screws different from the rest of the console.
The paint combines a deep matte black with a texture/splatter effect on top, a technique Andrew has explained in previous videos, and I must admit it looks great. The console wasn't complete, but he managed to get the missing pieces (buttons, screws) thanks to a swap with a local store. The final result? Excellent. The Xbox 360 is ready to get back in the game, and it looks fabulous too.
