XBHD brings the original Xbox into the modern era

In brief: Eon Gaming has introduced a new accessory designed to bring Microsoft’s original Xbox console into the modern era. The Eon Gaming XBHD is a plug-and-play replacement A/V adapter for the first-gen Xbox. Microsoft’s first console, if you recall, featured an all-in-one connector and came with an A/V adapter that terminated in yellow, red, and white RCA connections to plug into your television.

Eon Gaming is upping the ante by replacing Microsoft’s bundled A/V adapter with a more versatile solution. With the XBHD, you get a pair of HDMI connectors to facilitate playing on modern TVs as well as three Ethernet ports and a 3.5mm mini-TOSLINK (optical) audio jack. No external power or modifications are needed to use it.

Glad you could make it… pic.twitter.com/YBPyBVBjE5

– EON Gaming (@EON_gamingHD) May 22, 2023

According to the product page on CastleMania Games, the XBHD converts the console’s component video into HD without lag and can output at 480i, 480p, 720p and 1080i. The listing notes the dual video out ports enable “greater setup possibilities.” The Ethernet connections allow you to link up to four systems together without a router for local network play. Old school Halo tournaments, anyone?

The adapter’s aesthetics were inspired by the look of the original Xbox and if you didn’t know better, you would probably think it was an original Microsoft accessory.

The Eon XBHD plug and play adapter is available to pre-order from CastleMania Games for $189.99 and is expected to ship out on June 20. That is a lot considering how much a used Xbox commands these days but if you are a diehard retro gamer and could make good use of the added networking features, it could be worth the investment.

Eon Gaming also offers A/V adapters for other classic consoles including the GameCube and the Nintendo 64 that will set you back $159.99 each. Like the XBHD adapter, Eon’s other adapters are also modeled after the consoles they were designed for and add HDMI out. The N64 adapter even has a “Slick Mode” button to smooth out jagged edges.