Meet the PlayBox: a PlayStation 4 and Xbox One Combo Housed in a 22-Inch Hybrid Laptop


Playbox“Well guys, I did it… I managed to cram a PlayStation 4 and an Xbox One into a 22-inch Laptop form factor”. That was the headline yesterday on edsjunk.net, the website of self-proclaimed “hacker/prototyper” Eddie Zarick. Some of you may remember Zarick as the man that brought you the Xbook One Laptop (essentially a portable version of Microsoft’s Xbox One) as well as the Xbook Duo (an Xbox 360 and Xbox One combination laptop) last year in response to an overwhelming desire from gamers to make their consoles more portable. And now the PlayBox, his most ambitious project to date, is complete and he says it “came out beautifully”.

Playbox1The PlayBox, which is literally a one-of-a-kind gaming station, was created at the request of a customer who wanted a console with both a PlayStation 4 and an Xbox One housed inside a single, portable notebook-style chassis. For such a request, is seemed only natural to turn to Eddie Zarick, a master modder of sorts, for construction. While the completed product is somewhat less portable than its predecessors, it is still far easier to tote around than both systems would be individually and it is completely playable as-is. Both consoles work inside the same housing (though to keep the internals running smoothly and coolly, only one can be powered on at a time) and are displayed on a 22-inch, 1080p Vizio screen.

Playbox2The PS4 sits on the left side of the PlayBox with the Xbox One housed on the right. The entire unit uses only one power cord and can switch between consoles by simply flipping a red switch on the back of the device. Ethernet ports are accessible for a direct wired connection to the Internet for each console, as well as working Wi-Fi, and there is an HDMI-out port to output the video feed from either console to a larger screen. The only drawbacks? Zarick says he was unable to get the USB ports on the Xbox One to be extended to the outside of the case, and he had consistent trouble with the capacitive Power button on the PS4. The lack of USB ports remains an issue for the unit, but an easy workaround for the Power button issue is to simply power up the console by using the PlayStation button on the DualShock 4 controller.

Since the Playbox is a specially commissioned item, don’t look to see it on shelves any time in the near future. In fact, Zarick’s website even states that the unit is merely a prototype for a customer and as such is not for sale. That’s not to say you can’t get your hands on one someday, just that it’ll cost you.

Topics: Technology News Convergence & Convertible Hybrid PCs Inventions & Innovations Laptops & Ultrathin Ultrabooks Microsoft

Join the conversation!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.