MOD - add a power button to xbox controller S

[c0ldb33r]

I've added a power button to my black controller S.

Why? We primarily use the xbox as a media center. Watching downloaded episodes of this or that on Xbox Media Center (currently watching Mission Hill (http://www.msnhill.com/) on it). It sucks when you sit down, get comfortable, reach for the DVD remote, and realize you're using the xbox and not the DVD player. Then you've got to get up, walk over to the xbox, etc... you know the drill :(

So - problem solved. Install a small power switch on the controller itself. This wasn't my idea - I followed this guide (http://www.xbox-scene.com/articles/power-button-controller.php) from xbox-scene. It's not a perfect tutorial, it assumes you know quite a bit already, and its also designed for the original xbox controller and not the controller S.

The hardest part was trying to find somewhere inside the controller to fit the switch. I managed to find a pushbutton switch so small its classed as sub-micro :D (it's still fairly large though IMHO). At first I was going to stick it right plum in the back of the controller, as the guide suggests, but there's no room in a controller S. It's packed too tight. I ended up sticking it on the left shoulder. I kind of like how it turned out :D

Here's a picture of the controller with the button on the left top.

http://img452.imageshack.us/img452/5177/front2nj.th.jpg (http://img452.imageshack.us/my.php?image=front2nj.jpg)

Here's a picture of the left shoulder.

http://img112.imageshack.us/img112/5760/shoulder3qy.th.jpg (http://img112.imageshack.us/my.php?image=shoulder3qy.jpg)

Geeze - I never realized how much crap and dust was on my controller until now! O_O

If anyone else wants to do this and has any questions, let me know and I'll be glad to help :D

[Joker T]

The button seems a little to easy to hit by mistake, other than that good job.

[NoahsMyBro]

If I did this, I'd consider simply wiring the 'remote' power-on button completely independent of a controller, and having it plug in to the console itself somewhere.

The power button would just be at the end of a cable, and I could always fasten it to the side of a controller cable if desirable, yet have it plug in to a separate jack on the XBox itself.

This way, I wouldn't be altering any potentially used functionality of the controller or controller port by using one fo the wires already present in the original hardware, and it wouldn't require the controller be in a specific controller port.

Seeing this has given me the idea to do a remote power-on mod to my Gamecube. It's got the wireless controllers already. I could just leave a controller on the couch, and use a power button-on-a-wire to switch the console on when I want to play.

Of course, the manually selected AV-switchbox on the side of my TV will still force me to burn 5 calories or so in order to send the Gamecube signal to the TV, so I guess the mod would be pretty pointless for me.

[c0ldb33r]

The button seems a little to easy to hit by mistake, other than that good job.
That's what I was concerned of at first too - but I've had it for awhile now and I've never hit it by accident.

My first thought was to put it in back - that would have been easier to accidentally hit IMHO - you could hit it just by setting it on something.

Best case scenario - I'd get a switch you have to hold down for 2 seconds before it actually switched, but I couldn't find anything like that.


If I did this, I'd consider simply wiring the 'remote' power-on button completely independent of a controller, and having it plug in to the console itself somewhere.

If I were to do it again I'd sacrifice an xbox live communicator and put the power button on that (or rewire the button thats already on it). That way it's really easy to remove the button if you're afraid of hitting it. I didn't have an communicator sitting around though :(

[OdSquad64]

If I were to do it again I'd sacrifice an xbox live communicator and put the power button on that (or rewire the button thats already on it). That way it's really easy to remove the button if you're afraid of hitting it. I didn't have an communicator sitting around though :(

if you were going to do that i'd say this mod: http://411gb.50megs.com/reset.htm would be better, it uses a memory card and its really easy. also, you can take it out any time or use it on another controller. and according to whoever made that, if you do it right, it's impossible to accidently press (i believe the memory card still works as well)

[grimlock]

Whenever I have done the mod to an S controller, I have always just put the switch in the center screw hole on the front bottom of the controller. You need to drill the hole out, but it makes for a clean job.