I felt like revisiting the XBox 360 in 2022. I dusted off my 360 Slim and decided to start the dreaded RGH mod. I never really attempted it in the past because it was easily the most complicated hack I’ve ever seen on any system; since it’s a hard mod or commonly referred to as a hack requiring a “modchip”. In the history of gaming consoles, it still remains infamously known for being the hardest to mod. Years ago if a mod involved soldering, it was just not going to happen since I didn’t have much experience soldering. Even now I would consider myself a beginner when it comes to soldering since I rarely have a mod that needs it, but I still wanted to attempt it. So 12 years later, it’s time to try the RGH mod on an Xbox 360 Slim (Corona V6 4GB NAND).
I decided to go with RGH V2.0 even though RGH V3.0 was released in 2021. Mostly because I didn’t want to deal with soldering the precariously located PLL via. It requires precise preparation to remove the fiberglass and make the via fully accessible (best done with a microscope). It’s also located near an important trace that can brick the 360 if accidentally damaged, making it even more annoying. There isn’t actually a whole lot gained by V3.0; it saves you a few seconds of boot time. For me, the risks didn’t outweigh the benefits. Additionally, I’ve always wanted to try out a “hard” mod, since most of my consoles used “soft” mods. This was would be my first time soldering a modchip. This RGH mod is for the latest kernel version which is 17559; along with Dashlaunch V3.2.1 (at the time of writing this post).
RGH V2.0 + an Ace modchip (I’m using Version 3) produce very good results as well and best of all, the contact points are not as difficult to solder compared to RGH V3.0. The NAND programmer, as well as some other parts/tools are still needed for the permanent hack. The NAND programmer and method depends on the version of the 360 you own. RGH modding will take about 1-2 hours for an experienced modder with the right tools/skills. It’ll take anywhere from a few hours to a few days for a beginner. It can seem daunting at first. But persistence will pay off, and you’ll love what RGH does for the Xbox 360.
Let’s start with a general overview of how this hack will be carried out. It involves two steps. First is getting access to your NAND chips. Followed by the Ace V3 modchip (6 soldering points). As well as a post fix soldering point for the newer Coronas.
For my 4GB NAND Corona V6, I went with the easiest and cheapest method. I got Element18592’s 4GB USB Tool for the programming. The Windows programmer I used was J-Runner. For my corona, a post fix adapter was also needed. Of course, you’ll need the basic soldering tools: wiring, solder, flux, soldering iron, etc. I was able to get everything soldered using a cheap Amazon soldering iron, but I did have to buy some additional soldering equipment to make the soldering as smooth as possible. I bought a heavy-duty soldering iron holder to keep it safe and secure instead of the cheap one the soldering kit came with, as well as a pack of fine point soldering tips, some thin diameter rosin flux solder, and some desoldering wick just to clean things up. Fine point tips and solder with thinner diameter are crucial for certain soldering points as a microscope seems necessary at times. Being a novice at soldering, I tried to make this as painless as possible; for me as well as the 360. That about covers the necessary parts/tools and software needed for the RGH mod. So without further ado let’s get into this mod!
The case disassembly is kind of annoying and can prove very difficult without the right tools. A good precision kit and some patience will go a long way. The trim and casing isn’t really made to be opened easily. Firstly, because the outer trim has to be snapped off from “underneath” and its plastic welded to the case. Meaning you have to get the right tool to reach in there, and then you must forcefully break the welded connection. And secondly because the internal clamps can be difficult to reach as well. There’s even one clamp that you’ll have to pry open blindly, since it’s located behind some parts and not even visible. The X-clamp underneath the MOBO can be easy or hard to remove. A screwdriver can remove it, but if it is set tightly in place you may need to get an X-clamp tool. They’re not too expensive.
With the MOBO completely disassembled, it’s time to get started with the post fix adapter; as it is the easiest part of this mod. I identified my Corona version by examining the NAND type and presence of certain traces near the APU (XGCPU). This mod was for “Corona V6”. The post fix adapter has to be positioned around the APU (XGCPU). Once it’s secured into place with all the parts connected; use a multimeter to make sure that the adapter has made a proper connection with the APU. If there’s good contact we can now solder one end of a wire to a small contact point above the R4P9 resistor (bottom side of MOBO) and route/push the other end of the wire through a hole nearby. The other end of this wire needs to be soldered onto the “D” contact point of the Ace modchip. And lastly solder a wire from the POST_1 contact point of the post fix adapter to the “C” point of the Ace modchip; that’s all there is for this part of the hack.
The next part is the Ace V3 mod chip install. It can be held in place on the MOBO by double sided tape. For my V6 Corona there are 6 soldering points in total (5 points on the top of the MOBO and 1 more on the bottom of the MOBO). Find a good diagram or YouTube guide for these soldering points. Fortunately the modchip has nice large points and the MOBO points are also not that difficult; with the right tools it shouldn’t take long at all. Ace modchips have a built in LED; so you’ll get an early indicator that it might’ve been soldered correctly.
Now for the most difficult part; the NAND flasher. Element18592’s 4GB USB kit comes with a PCB with a Mini-USB port for reading the NAND’s and a ribbon cable going to a pin header that will be soldered to the U1D1 NAND contact points. I will add that while the soldering is fairly easy; the pin header is very fragile and can even melt and distort the shape of the plastic holder, as well as the alignment of the pins; if too much heat is applied to it. I knew immediately that this was going to be problematic at some point.
So I decided to make a slight modification to the Mini-USB Tool. My modshop sells a set of wires with premium metal ends for soldering. It’s not specifically designed for this Mini-USB Tool, but by cutting off the wires from the connector and then soldering them onto the Mini-USB Tool’s PCB, I was able to produce a much more durable tool. I can confidently solder the premium metal ends and not worry about melting or damaging anything. The only drawback is that it requires desoldering and cleanup afterwards but as long as there’s no danger of damage; I have no problem taking a few extra minutes to properly desolder.
I preferred this modified Mini-USB Tool for three reasons over other products, specifically designed for the V6 Corona. First and foremost, the NAND soldering points are much easier and simpler because of the premium metal pins. Secondly, some QSB’s are cheaply made; the “tiny” contact points on the QSB of Team Xecuter’s SD card tool V4 fell off right after applying solder. I suppose someone with better soldering skills might’ve been successful but for a beginner I don’t recommend the QSB method. Lastly, it’s safer to desolder rather than forcefully pulling off the header from the pins because there is a possibility of damaging the points on the MOBO.
With this in mind, find your NAND chip. There are 16 U1D1 points above it. Only 8 of the points need to be soldered to the Mini-USB Tool’s modified wiring described earlier. A ninth wire is made specifically for the crystal point also. The Mini-USB Tool comes with a male to female breakaway so that the crystal can be disconnected without desoldering. Soldering these points requires a lot of precise skill. If the soldering is messy (can happen quite often) or bridged; the USB tool will not recognize the NAND chips. I personally had to completely clean off my soldering with some wick and start from scratch because of this. Just be persistent and pay attention.
Now the Mini-USB tool can be connected to an USB cable for use with J-Runner on a PC. This Mini-USB tool also lights up instantly when you connected to a PC. Although you won’t really know the soldering was done properly until you see a drive show up in Windows asking for formatting.
It’s time to test everything out. Start by placing the motherboard back into the metal chassis. Reconnect the RF board so that the power switch can function again. Don’t forget to reattach the faceplate and the ribbon cable into the RF boards clip retainer to have a functioning power switch. Now plug in the power cord so that the 360 has standby power. I also upgraded the Microsoft HDD with a new SSD; it doesn’t fit in snugly but it’s the same SATA connector and will fit in well enough and stays in place.
Plug a Mini-USB cable into the USB tool and then into your PC. The USB tool will light up blue once powered and Windows will detect it as a new drive that needs formatting. Press the cancel button; never format the drive when this message appears. Remember the drive letter that this message has for use in J-Runner.
Start J-Runner, in the “XeBuild tab” make sure to select “Glitch2” option. It’s not necessary to select a timing option since the Ace modchip already has timing settings preprogrammed into it. The options are there for you to try but its’s not necessary. Click the “Read NAND” button. In the Drive list you will see the drive letter from earlier. Select it and press the “Read” button. This will create NAND dumps. After the dumps are finished, click the “Create ECC” button; this will create glitch.ecc files. Now click on the “Write ECC” button, select the drive letter again and press the “Write” button. Click yes to continue the write operation. Now it’s time to load XeLL.
Unplug the power cord. And disconnect the Mini-USB cable from the PC. Now quickly desolder all the U1D1 contact points and set the USB tool aside. Connect the 360 to an HDMI TV/monitor and reconnect the power cord again. It’s time to confirm if we made any progress with the RGH mod. Press the power button and if everything was done correctly you should see the “XeLL Reloaded” boot screen. Let it go through its tasks until it displays “your CPU key”. Take a snapshot or jot down the key.
Now quickly resolder those U1D1 points (don’t forget the crystal point). Since you just desoldered them; it should be easy because the solder should still be there. Plug the power cord back in. And connect the Mini-USB cable to the PC. Back in J-Runner, find the field that says “CPU Key”. Enter the CPU key XeLL found and press “Reload”. This step will decrypt the NAND for rewriting. Now it’s time to create the RGH NAND. Click on “Create XeBuild Image” Now you will see that J-Runner created a new .bin file; this will replace the stock NAND. Power off the 360 and unplug the power cord. Reconnect the Mini-USB cable to the PC. In J-Runner, click on “Write NAND”, select the drive letter and press the “Write” button. Click on the yes button to continue. That should do it; the 360 has been modded to RGH V2.0. Power off the 360; unplug the power cord and desolder the Mini-USB tool from the U1D1 NAND contact points. It can finally be put away as the RGH mod is now complete. Plug the power cord back in and press the power button. You should be able to boot into the stock 360 dashboard. To test if the RGH mod worked; I copied XeXMenu onto a flashdrive and tried to load it in “Games”. If the 360 loads RGH apps, you did it!
It’s time to reassemble the XBox 360. Just work in reverse, and it shouldn’t be difficult at all. I strongly suggest that you “break” off all the plastic bits on the plastic cover from trim areas and the clamp on the casing that was making disassembly so excruciating. Everything will still be securely held in place; since all the other plastic parts are still there to hold everything together. Keep in mind that kernel updates will require the use of the flashing tools again; this tip will help make subsequent disassemblies a breeze.
At this point, this laborious hack is completed. You can now install Dashlaunch, XeXMenu and any other apps/customizations you would like. As old as the 360 is, emulation is still being improved upon. So a modded 360 is still needed today for playing 360/OG XBox backups without “bugs”. The top two YouTubers with the best video guides are TheWeekendModder & MrMario2011. If this blogpost interests you; check out their tutorials for complete step-by-step instructions. And you definitely need to go to TheWeekendModder’s modshop for all the tools/parts needed for the RGH V2.0/3.0 mods. Have fun!
What's your reaction?
Xbox emulators are improving but it’s still a $hitty experience imo; a lot of games don’t even play. If you can get it rgh’d still the best way even today
The XBox is a formidable beast lol when it comes to modding and emulating; unlike the PS3