How to Install a XenoGC Modchip in Your Gamecube
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 ม.ค. 2025
- In this video I show how to install a XenoGC modchip in a gamecube to allow it to play burned games and to region unlock the console. There are 2 methods for installing the XenoGC. The first method, called the wireless install, lets you solder the modchip directly to the DVD drive PCB without having to use wires. This is usually the faster and cleaner looking method. The second method, called the wired install, requires running wires from the modchip to the appropriate points on the DVD drive PCB. This method is safer and is easier to fix if you make a mistake, but is slower to install. If you have never installed a XenoGC modchip, go with the wired install. The wireless method can require some intermediate soldering skills.
Get your modchip here:
assemblergames...
XenoGC installation diagram:
members.shaw.ca...
Just did this mod following this video. Like someone else here mentioned, the XenoGC is smaller in person than it appears in pictures, I was like damn this board is
tiny...but I too got it installed fine. Now I have a Game Boy backlit screen, top loader NES A/V mod, 2 PSX MM3 chip installs, and a Neo-Geo RCA cable mod under my soldering belt
I know this is an old video and I imagine your soldering has improved. 13:05 The reason the solder isn't sticking to the pads is because you didn't heat the pad sufficiently. You should hold iron lightly against the pad then feed in solder. Any solder on the tip is just for heat transference. Solder should be added fresh from the reel to the heated part. Bit of flux on the pads to start. 16:15. You really needed to push the iron all the way down to touch the bottom pad and the Xeno pad. Leave it there until everything is heated, push in some solder and then remove the iron quickly. When solder drags and forms shapes like that it's not a good sign. Adding flux will freshen up the solder. Finer tip might be good too. But I used your video to help me install my first one. So big thanks for the thorough video.
Thanks for this video. It's a simple enough install (I love that it solders straight to the board) but it's always nice to have such clear instructions and your macro close ups are great. You can get these chips for < $4 from aliexpress, by the way. You'll just have to wait a bit if you do.
Nice video, I will be installing my first Xeno GC in a little while so it was good to see how another fellow modder does it first. I am definitely going to do a wireless install.
good luck with your install floyd. wireless install is easy and quick which is why i like it
i thought my install wasnt working until i saw this video. i was expecting a red and then green led. thanks to your vid i realised its red then orange (and they look almost identical like you say) Thanks very much for doing this.
Very straight forward and easy tutorial, I will be doing the wired installation for safety. These chips are going for dirt cheap on eBay right now. I didn't need to buy the special screw bit, as my console fell on the floor and the casing cracked off. It was in rough shape when I got it, especially since it had the silver painted case. It still works fine and all I would have to do is, buy a replacement case on eBay for a decent price. Since that happened, I haven't found the top part of the case and it's been missing for a few years. As I barely move it around and it hasn't had any problems, I am not too worried. I don't really collect games and they are expensive, so I'd much rather burn my favorites to a full-size DVD-R. In the past I had two copies of Sonic Adventure 2: Battle, which always froze due to some deep scratches. So, this is my opportunity to burn some games before the console dies on me. I don't have the best of soldering skills, so I will take probably about 3 hours to get it done. lol
Excellent video, and the soldering is fine considering no flux. i just did a few using the clone xeno, which all worked fine. great tip about pressing start when the game begins.
Thanks wheelman, I did mine in about 40 minutes and it worked 1st time, just for imports - not bothered about backups as I have my Wii and the GC games play off HDD anyway. Did the wired install, really easy recommend it to anyone. See you on TiZ.
does anybody know where to get wires? id rather do that instead of directly mounting
Search Amazon for "30 awg wrapping wire" and you will find it
I am having a problem.
When i put burned games in my gamecube the disk is red and the animation starts, but after 4 seconds the video freezes and 2 second of audio starts looping. I was wondering is this problem the result of bad laser adjustment or bad DVD-s, the games work,they were tested on a emulator and they work fine.
P.S
This is the best video on youtube on installing XenoGC modchip.
Keep up the great work !!!!
theres a few things that cause this. a bad burn, dirty laser, low quality discs, wrong burning speed, even the burner itself. adjusting the laser pot is a last resort. use good quality discs, try burning at 8x, clean the whole laser assembly, not just the lens
Why not use some short wire instead of soldering it directly to the board? Is it worse in any way? Also what type of wire should I use for the chip?
@thewheelman282
Any specific wire you recommend for this?
I've done previous modchips on the PSX, but the wired method definitely seems less stress in the long run.
yes i recommend using 30 AWG wire, also called kynar wire. its very thin wire which is perfect for soldering to small solder points on any circuit board. its what i use on my PS1 chip installs. you can get it on amazon or ebay
Ebay'ed it right now and there's at least a page full of them lol
If I'm just planning on using the "region free" feature of the chip, will I have to worry about adjusting the laser intensity? Another question is how can I tell if the region free part is working properly? I don't want to break the bank on imports and end up not having it work.
if your ONLY interested in in playing genuine imports, you dont need a chip. you can actually just install a simple switch that will change the region of your gamecube. so you can switch between NTSC-U and NSTC-J regions. *important* your going to have to dedicate a memory card for your japanese import games. This means you ONLY save your imported games to that memory card. Mixing saves from USA and JPN games on the same memory card will result in corrupted saves
+thewheelman282 well, being the impatient person I am, already bought everything I need for this mod. =p So, back to my other questions, how can I tell If it is working?
DaPinkBombomb
oh haha. well since your only playing original games you probably dont need to bother with adjusting the laser. if it plays your US originals without problems, you'll be ok. to know if the chip is working, you boot one of your US games while holding Y on the controller. this forces PAL video mode. so if you see no video or a weird picture, you know the chip is working. then reset the console to get rid of PAL
+thewheelman282 thanks so much! You reply so fast! +1 sub!
( I'll know to use the switch method if I get a cool Japanese variant as it sounds easier)
DaPinkBombomb no problem man. thanks for the sub!
what burning software do you use to burn to ridata
Hey Wheelman, I installed a XenoGC about 1 1/2 years ago, and the guide I used said to set the potentiometer to ~200, so I did. Unfortunately, I didn't note what the original setting was; should I be concerned that 200 ohms will wear out my laser much faster, or is this within an acceptable range? I am able to play burned and original games, I'm just concerned for the lasers lifespan.
that seems acceptable. the thing is there is no magic setting for gamecube lasers. the ohms will decrease over time based on how often the system is used. so you could have 2 gamecubes with one having 500 ohms and the other have 200 ohms but both read discs. it just means the 200 ohm gamecube was used more than the other. All you need to do is set the ohm rating as high as you can but also where it will read a burned disc perfectly. setting it lower than it needs to be will decrease the lifespan
thewheelman282 Thank you for the explanation, much appreciated.
anytime
Another great video. Thanks!
The flux in the solder shouldn't be relied on for pcb soldering, always use flux on the board! (Either pen or bottle) That way you will reduce heat contact damage and get a cleaner connection. (as a personal preference, I also use leaded solder, it just works better)
So I installed the chip correctly, however the disc i'm using to test is showing unusual behavior. I'm not using a burned game, I'm just using a random dvd with a few files on it. I don't see the starting animation, but instead just boots into the options menu. If I hold down that little switch that allows the dvd to spin, nothing will happen. I will wait a few minutes and then it starts spinning for about 10 seconds and then it stops again. Was it because of the data that was on the dvd, was it a bad burn, or is it a problem with the disc (the disc has no visible wear it looks brand new on both sides) Should I mess with the voltage a little bit or no? I don't want to accidentally break my gamecube's disc drive in the process.
if your using anything other than what the gamecube thinks is a game/program you wont get results. using a random data dvd wont actually do anything. you need to burn a game or homebrew program that is designed to run on gamecube hardware to test it
ok thank you very much!
my modchip run a original japan game but don't run boot games...what that mean?
Sorry I am two years late. It is probably just a faulty chip that is impossible with soldering
Can this chip play games from an sd card? if not where do i find games?
if im not mistaken, yes. ive never actually done it but im fairly certain you can. burn a copy of SWISS (a homebrew tool) and get a SD card reader for gamecube (or make your own). You can boot SWISS from a disc and use it to play games from the SD card
Reads full size memorex +R just fine. Pot at 210. Intitial was 240. I raised it to 300 prior to testing and it didnt read the disc. Lowered it to 210 and booted, went through intro screen and started playing demo content.
Albeit I havent played through the game, but then again I cant find my memory card, ordered a new one and Im still waiting on my pluto board.
Anyways, its been fun tinkering around.
Will using electrical tape work fine, instead of that yellow tape?
yeah that will work
hey great guide. i just purchased the modchip and waiting or the console now. at the end of the video you mentioned about ps1 being picky with the media disc. can you suggest a good brand of cd-r to buy? i just finished installing the mm3 modchip on it and tried burning games via sony cd-r, some games do run but most of them don't. i'm writting on low speed setting like x8 and x10 (since these are the only ones my burner can manage.)
.
as for the gamecube. the modchip will run on any brand of gamecube yes? no specific serials?
i recommend Verbatim datalifeplus AZO or Taiyo Yuden/JVC discs. ive had great luck with both of those. XenoGC chips can be installed in any gamecube. serials dont matter
how do i fixed badly scratched sic that wii reads fine and gc has trouble 90% of time
what kind of wires are they and what are they called i can't find them please help
It's called kynar wire or wrapping wire. It's 30 guage in size
HOLY SHIT! The Gamecube is way more complex than I thought. I'm not sure if I can actually pull this off because I'm worried I wont be able to put it back together.
I've done console mods for all my systems. I think the worst so far has been the 3DS. GameCube was insanely easy in comparison, they put a lot of thought in how to put it together. :) Really good piece of engineering.
i did it corectly and i see the xeno chips led light indicators that its instald corectly but i still get an error has occurred turn the power off and check the NINTENDO GAMECUBE instruction booklet for further instructions with 3 difrent copys of games :( please help
does it still boot original games? sounds like a failed burn OR the disc not reading a good burn
He had to use flux at least. Didn't like the soldering technique at all but he had the job done. I like the kapton tape idea.
which are overall better DVD-R or DVD+R media?
- all day
Oddly enough, some games only work on "-" while others only work on "+", while others work on both. Its what ive read anyways.
I just modded a gamecube today. Burnt the two points off (under 6), but the two holes directly beneath the points are how they get through to the other side to the chip. Used the wired method just in case the Xen8 chip fails at some point. I cant find an original.
My pot is at 210, initial was 240, raised it to 300 prior to testing. Reads full size Memorex +R just fine (Metroid Prime Echos).... well, I havent actually sat through and played the game yet, but it booted and went through the intro, and then started playing the demo... soooo, seems like a win to me.
Im waiting on my pluto board. The Xeno chip was an afterthought, however it got here faster so I went ahead and did the mod.
Can you make the mini-dvd's to copy the "gameboy player" disc too?
Yes you can
So correct me if I'm wrong. This just enables the ability to play burned and games from another region?
That's correct
I am using Phillips mini DVDr , mod chip is showing the correct led light and it plays Japanese games and USA games just fine. I check the ohms on the laser and it was 400 ohms. I adjusted all the way down to 100 ohms trying 15~30 ohms per adjustment. Some said disk read issue and others just got a black screen. The black screen was roughly around 130 and the disk continued to spin. What am I doing wrong. If I put the burned game in before closing the lid it shows in the menu what the game is,
based on the above info, i would blame it on the discs you are using, your burn speed, or the burner you are using. i have seen some games completely unplayable when burned in burner A but when burned in burner B they work. You can experiment with different burn speeds too, but remember its only relevant to your make/model burner
thewheelman282 , I will have to order a different brand disk. I am burning at 4x speed . Burner I have no idea what brand it's part of the computer
you can try 8x speed. thats typically the go-to burn speed. also try another burner on another computer if possible
Great explanation on the mod. I have a xeno arond here somewhere but never got around to installing it. I have been using swiss to boot isos and burned discs. I still want to put the chip in one of my GCN but after watching this video, I think I will just remove the adjacent pads instead of covering them. I could be wrong but wouldnt leaving the flux help the job instead of cleaning it off before installing the pcb?
neozeed1964 I definitely would not try removing the pads. Your asking for a disaster. And yes it would help to put fresh flux on the pads before soldering. That's my mistake
What program do you use to burn .iso onto mini DVD-R discs
imgburn
thewheelman282 I don't get it. I burn the iso to the mini DVD-R disc and the GameCube won't load the game. I tripled checked if the chip was installed correctly and it is, the potentiometer is good as well, so I don't know why my GameCube won't read my burned discs. I burned multiple discs and they won't be read by the GameCube at all.
gamecubes are picky when it comes to reading games. the best advice i can give is make sure you are using good quality DVDs like in the video. cheap stuff like memorex will not work. make sure you clean the lens on your laser too. sounds simple but i have personally seen this make consoles read burned games when they wouldnt before. you may need to adjust the potentiometer too but ONLY after you follow the above. adjusting the pot is a last resort
thewheelman282 I bought good quality dvd discs burned numerous iso's to the discs and still the GameCube will not read the iso's. It keeps saying "no disc". I have no idea what's wrong or what's going on with the chip or console but none of the dvds I burn that has an ISO in them are not being read by the console.
@@MjSonic how can you verify that the pot is in proper adjustment if you aren't able to get the games to play, isn't it all based off of what that individual set up requires? If you haven't solved your problem yet my guess would be on the last resort pot adjustments
Can i install the chip and read burned games without increasing the laser intensity?
yes, depending on your gamecube. some systems dont need the laser intensity increased. some do
how do you know how many oms to drop and do you do the full turn?
Grave Ghoul you turn the potentiometer about 15 ohms per turn and then test a game to see if it works. If it doesn't you turn it another 15 ohms and test again. Rinse and repeat.
Would a soft mod work inside a memory card in order to play burn games and imports? Would be easier and cheaper.Also for HDMI what about an adapter like the one for the ps2 with a chip inside.
yes you can use a softmod on a memory card and it is a bit easier but its not cheaper. HDMI adapters are currently in development
+thewheelman282 do you have memory xards with soft mod that I can buy?
I also would like a softmod inside the memory card that can allow GameBoyPlayer to play Gameboy games without the stupid disc, I don't like that idea that requires a disc in order to function, will be nice if they can make a memory with soft mods and also play GameBoyPlayer without disc.
+thewheelman282 Do you do mods? I mean I really like to make my GameCube HD, I bought the XenoChip, but I don't have skills soldering, so would be a good idea for me to have someone mod my GameCube.
There is already a HDMI mod, but it isn't official. You can buy a " Pluto-IIx XC3S200 HDMI" a chip that can be programmed for GC or Wii in mind. The soldering takes a while since there's a lot of wires and you need to mod the case slightly.
Using Swiss on a Disc and an SD gecko would allow you to boot from the SD card. The speeds are generally a bit faster and the disc drive doesn't make quite as much noise.
can you play region free games as well ????
Yes
I completed the mod and tested and everything booted up but now its all back together its saying that the date and time need to be set etc, but the controller isnt working.
Bryan Mullins , check the ribbon cable that connects the controller Port board too the motherboard for damage. Or it could just be loose
well i took mine completely apart to mod and it only works in 3 and 4 if i press hard but wont stay connected. i ordered another board to see if thatll help
I like to do this but I don't think I can do this is there somewhere I could get this done?
you would have to find a private/personal service online or just know somebody
Tried this got a yellow flashing light. Bummer. Help?
should I burn the Ri Data Disc at 2x or 4x?
depends on your burner tbh. i burn mine at 8x but it can be different for different burners. use what works for you
Can you burn the mini-DVDs with the DVD burner built into most PCs?
yes
+ thewheelman282 do you have or can you do a PS2 slim modchip installation video?
Blaze Uchiha , I can. It will probably be a while though. Adult things get on the way so I haven't had much time to make any videos lately
thewheelman282 I know how it is with the adult stuff. You modchip installations are the cleanest and best I've seen so it'll be worth the wait
Woowoowo the PCB looks MUCH smaller in person !
Somehow I managed to open my console with melted pens and cut open the inside with a saw (some screws were stuck), but the soldering was really hard ! Plus my iron or my tin are bad quality and it didn't help.
But, and this is a miracle given the mess I did, it works ! Thanks to this video. I don't have DVDs to burn yet but my import games work fine ^^
PS : I got the XenoGC for 3.50€ including shipping on Ebay and it was faster than expected.
I got gamebits bits for 0.50€ (still including shipping !) on amazon, but I couldn't wait for recieving it (a month).
PPS: It's funny how the console thought we were in 2058 when I booted it after that, is this a XenoGC thing ?
thewheelman282
Is it necessary to do the potentiometer tweak if the Cube reads everthing fine?
I bought of 2x100's packs Ridata mini dvdr- on ebay
and i'm now waiting on my Xeno Gc Chip to arrive and i'm gonna go with your method :D
no its not necessary. just information in case it doesnt read burns the first time
Oh alright thank you :D
no problem man
Thanks for the video, this was extremely helpful. I followed your instructions very carefully and really took my time to solder everything right. My chip lights up from red and then stays green however. When I press the start button while booting the gamecube the XenoGC logo does not show up. Does this suggest something is wrong? Regular games still boot up fine, but burnt games don't work (granted I've only tried generic DVD-R's I had lying around at the moment)
the green light means you have an older v1 chip but thats fine. try holding start when booting a game, not the system. you should get some info displayed on the screen
Thanks for the speedy reply. Today I actually managed to play a backup successfully but it only worked once. Hopefully when my ritek dvds arrive I'll have more luck. I tried holding start during the boot up of the game but still don't see any info. Maybe the older chips don't have this functionality? Thanks again for the video. Super helpful.
Dude I can not thank you enough for these modding tutorials, these have helped me so much!
PS. I really hate to be "that" person.. but what song did you use in the video? It is just so dope.
thanks for watching, i really do appreciate it! the song is from Perfect Dark Zero, called Arena Showdown
SabelNoxz _ Darude Sandstorm
I ask my brother for help who said, and I quote “has been soldering for ten years.” We didn’t even get to the part where the chip goes onto the board and he fried my GameCube. ; )
RIP Hassan’s GameCube
Clones of these are $2 on eBay with free shipping. Don't follow anything this guy says about obtaining one.
The clones are 100% original hardware just not made by the same people. Perfect clones. Bought 6 and all 6 work.
Looks like you need to apply some flux to the board before you try and pre-tin the pads, I can see you're having trouble tinning the pads and resorting to wiping it off of the iron which is not recommended.
That's just because the pads were not heated, flux will help, but that's not why the solder was not flowing.
Hey, do you think fujifilm or philips or maxell would work?
maybe. its worth a shot but ive only used ri-data brand so i cant say for sure
Verbatim Media has never failed me.
Philips is what the community recommends but if your're not sure just buy a small pack of them and try. Anything made by Ritek is best.
Use flux for an easier and cleaner soldering.
love the F-Zero soundtrack xD
The wireless one looks easier than the wired one to me lol
Girtana1 true, i got my mod chip in ebay for $3 it came in about 2 weeks
Did you go wired or wireless?
Girtana1 That's cool. Mine comes in Thursday. I've never soldered and I was going to ask how it went.... please let me know
Girtana1 ok I'm a little nervous but I feel like I have patience and steady hands
wireless is always better than wired. Less possible things to go wrong.
I just did region switch mod on Orange Spice GC I bought so I could have that awesome color and use it as my main, also did white blue white blue LED in controller port mod just for fun, but I wish while I had all the tools out and GC open I bought and installed this instead. I want to play certain games, especially Cubivore, and NOT on a Dolphin emulator on PC...so its either this or spend 200$ for just 1 of MANY titles I want that are ridiculous priced. Maybe soon, thanks for good vid though!
Here in the U.K., there is a store called alldeal.co.uk that sells the XenoGC for £3.99
The chip is so small and the solder points are so close together. I need a magnifier and a better soldering iron, lol.
For a long time there were these chips laying around my job, and nobody knew what they were until i googled it. In the video they seem a bit bigger but they are tiny!
Got 9 of them chips still sealed, but only one GC i could try it on. If you are interested in the other chips let me know, because I'm sure I won't be doing anything with them in the near future.
i.imgur.com/gKNQubO.jpg
how much?
I'd have to do some research, but how many would you like to have. I'm keeping one for my own Gamecube i wanna mod maybe one day.
Ok so they start from around $6 to $16,50 each on ebay. But you are in the USA? I'm in The Netherlands so not sure if you still wanna go for it.
im ok thanks tho
Alrighty
Thx a lot!
best video
Wouldn't this harm the laser?
it can shorten the lifespan of the laser but you only adjust the laser intensity as a last resort, after cleaning
aliexpress has them for $5 shipped or less
what a horrible work... no flux makes it harder and uglier.
I agree, ain't nothing better than a clean soldering joint.
Maybe but there will be flux in the solder
I ended up having to do a wired install because I lifted a pad.
i seen them sold on ebay
Who's the idiot that picked Red and Orange for the LED's?
Also, for the love of god, clean your tip!
You need to either stop using background music or mix your voice MUCH louder.
well i do my best man. sorry
Ohhh poppycock I hear perfectly
Cheers very much wheely
absolute nonesense, you must have terrible hearing, you can hear him very clearly. great video wheelman
When ur adjusting the laser intensity & u twitch
i got my nintendo wii
Literally only an idiot can't do this mod. It's so ridiculously easy that I don't understand why people moan about it. I've done at least two dozen XenoGC mods, it's like the easiest soldering job ever.
Will this allow me to use a burned copy of the GameCube player start up disc?
yes it will
thewheelman282 thank you for the fast answer
If you're able to boot copies, then use Gameboy Interface. Throw that Gameboy player start up disc in the trash.