There was a time where it was generally believed that customizing their gaming platform was only available to players who chose to use a PC. There are countless different types of mods for PC gamers to enjoy, both internal and external, but console gamers have been finding their own way to break the corporate mold for quite some time now. Whether it’s with paint, stickers, or even completely breaking down their console and redoing the internal wiring to make something entirely their own, console gamers are well on their way to making things all their own. Recently, it’s even become more common to see the official companies offering customizable accessories for their consoles, which is pretty nice.
Most custom consoles are pretty awesome, even if they’re not always based off of things we’re personally interested in, and are something we would be proud of ourselves for making or purchasing. However, like everything, there is another side. Questionable paint jobs, off-center logos, strange placements… It’s all there, and it’s every bit as embarrassing as it sounds, especially since a video game console is a pretty pricey investment, so ending up with something ugly, over the top, or otherwise embarrassing when it’s not something you can just toss out and replace must be pretty heartbreaking.
Like a lot of things, the main downfall of custom consoles is that the people responsible for creating them get overly ambitious. If it’s based on a franchise, they usually want to try to cram all of their favorite symbolism onto a surface that’s actually pretty small, and some even go as far as trying to depict entire scenes using models and backdrops, which doesn’t always turn out great. Some modifications just take a console from functional to decorative, which is also not great since, again, it’s a costly hobby to get into!!
Here are some of the worst examples of custom consoles that we would be pretty embarrassed to own - and some that we’re very jealous we don’t!
30 Embarrassing: What Comes First, Aesthetic or Functionality?
Steampunk is one of the most beloved niche aesthetics out there, and with the level of expertise that goes into these lovingly crafted creations, it’s easy to see why. However, it’s also one of the things that always seems to bring up the question of which one matters more to you: aesthetic or functionality? This Game Boy Color has been completely reworked from the inside out and as far as we know, everything on it actually does function, but it seems like it wouldn’t be the most ergonomic thing to hold onto or use for a long period of time.
29 Embarrassing: Be Honest, This Was Painted A Goomba Right?
We aren’t sure why, but Mario is one of those franchises that always seems to end up with a ton of embarrassing merchandise, especially when it’s fanmade. This custom painted SNES was clearly made with a lot of love by someone who’s just really into Super Mario World, and there’s no shame in trying, but… We have to admit that this would be something that we would be embarrassed to show off to our friends, even if we were secretly really proud of the work we did.
28 Awesome: Raspberry Pi Altoids Look Pretty Good
A Raspberry Pi is a miniature computer that helps people learn how to program while having fun by giving them projects to complete. Of course, one of the first things that people did was figure out a way to code Raspberry Pi-based emulators for Nintendo handheld games. Anyone who keeps up with life hacks knows that repurposing Altoids tins has been a trendy thing for quite a while now. A creative genius named sudomod has found a way to combine the two! The mintyPi 2.0 is his second attempt at making a functional handheld gaming console in an Altoids tin - and it’s definitely both successful and awesome.
27 Embarrassing: Too Bad The Dinosaurs Can’t Come Eat This
The film adaptation of the 1990 novel of the same name, Jurassic Park, released in 1993. It was so successful that it’s had numerous sequels that were also successful - including a trilogy that began over 20 years after the original in 2015, which is a pretty impressive task! However, this Jurassic Park-inspired SNES looks like a semi-successful attempt at the aesthetic of the 80s/90s by someone who wasn’t actually around in the 80s/90s. If you’re into neon lime green and hot pink, then this is probably something that you dig, but we’d personally prefer to stick to the color palette of the classic logo with red, yellow, black, and white!
26 Embarrassing: Mewwwo Didn’t Go Through Everything For This…
Mewtwo was objectively the bad guy of Pokémon: The First Movie - it’s right there in the title, after all, since the full English title is Pokémon: The First Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back. However, there’s no way anyone can deny that his backstory of neglect, losing all of his friends, and being manipulated and weaponized is sad. Nintendo 64 that features him and his predecessor, Mew. This Nintendo 64 depicts the two of them either moments away from or currently engaged in a battle, but something about it is just… weird. Perhaps the problem is that, as is usually the problem, there’s just too much going on here. We aren’t really sure why, but we just don’t like it.
25 Awesome: This Is Gross But, Like… In A Good Way!
The survival horror genre reigns supreme across every gaming platform, but some of its most iconic franchises started out on the PlayStation, including Resident Evil and Silent Hill, two influential titles from 1996 and 1999 respectively. Though the graphics for the PlayStation were admittedly limited, the OG survival horror games managed to take full advantage of the low resolution and used it to intensify the atmosphere of their eerie, sometimes gory settings. Vadu Amka’s custom PlayStation by with its gory, intricate details, and unsettling but mesmerizing aura is a perfect representation of the spirit of survival horror!
24 Embarrassing: Something About This Crossover Just Feels Wrong.
It just doesn’t feel right to design Sony’s first handheld gaming console, the PSP, to look like Nintendo’s classic SNES console. We are, of course, completely ignoring the fact that this console has been set up with an emulator that allows for at least partial authenticity through playing SNES games. We are instead choosing to focus on the fact that it is representing both Sony and Nintendo since the original logo has been left in the upper corner of the console, right by the screen, while the SNES logo has been added underneath it. As far as execution goes, this is actually pretty awesome, but we just can’t get past the disrespect!
23 Embarrassing: Jason Vorhees Didn’t Go For This
Jason Vorhees is the titular character of the Friday the 13th franchise, which started off as a horror movie and spawned into a whole series of them, as well as numerous video game releases, some of which are actually pretty recent. This NES takes its design inspiration from the video game cartridge for the franchise’s original survival horror game, Friday the 13th, which released in 1989. The concept behind it is pretty nice, and maybe with a little less happening up top, it could’ve been great… But currently, it just reminds us of something from an amateur baking show’s horror movie competition.
22 Awesome: This Is The Kind Of Content That Skull Kid Subscribed For
Majora’s Mask is one of the most iconic things from the entire Legend of Zelda franchise. It’s so popular that it was even featured in part of the DLC for the most recent release, Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild for the Nintendo Switch. The clean line-work and smooth, matte finish on this Game Boy are only part of what makes it so awesome. The clever alignment of the left eye with the B button and the fact that the right eye manages to incorporate the d-pad without obscuring it is just great.
21 Embarrassing: Mario, Who Did This?
It almost doesn’t seem fair to use Mario since it’s low hanging fruit, but here we are again. This SNES takes inspiration from Super Mario. While it’s definitely one of the smoother-looking Mario consoles we’ve seen, which is a step up from being covered in lumpy paint, it’s still just… not great. Pretty much everything about the alignment of the face is kind of unsettling - and that’s without even mentioning the fact that the video game cartridges will be getting shoved into his face! The controller is actually pretty cute, though.
20 Embarrassing: This Just Looks Like A Safety Hazard
Nintoasters are a pretty cool idea… Sort of. They’re definitely something that we think should only be handled by professional engineers who are not going to manage to start an electrical fire, but other than that, they’re not so bad. However, according to Mobius Strip Tech on Twitter, this particular console was a total fire hazard with shoddy wiring that didn’t even have a very good audio or visual output because of badly done modding - and it doesn’t help that this one just looks silly. We understand that the novelty of things can be pretty cool, but stuff like this is usually better left to the professionals.
19 Awesome: This Is A Nintoaster Done Right
Maybe it isn’t a Nintoaster in the technical sense, but the Nintoaster Switch proves itself to be a significantly more aesthetically pleasing (and accessible) version of its predecessor. The front and back of the console, the Joy-Cons, and even the Grip accessory that put the Joy-Cons into a more traditional controller set-up have been designed to look like well-done toast, while the docking station has been made to look like a toaster. It’s a really clever and significantly safer version of a Nintoaster using a modern console.
18 Embarrassing: Weird Flex But OK
If the regular Xbox One isn’t a big enough splurge for you, or you don’t feel like it’s a frivolous enough way to show off how much money you have, maybe you’ll be interested in this one that’s been plated in solid 24 karat gold. To be fair, it’s entirely possible that we’re bitter about how much this gaudy console is worth - which is a whopping £6000, or approximately 7,800 USD or 10,200 CAD - but we can’t help feeling like it might be a little embarrassing to have to explain to people that you were willing to blow thousands of dollars on something so ugly just to flex.
17 Embarrassing: Edgy And Unappealing, A True Masterpiece.
We aren’t sure if this is supposed to look like mixed up paints or melting colors, but no matter what it’s supposed to be, it just turned out to be sort of a mess. The edgy inclusion of skulls adds some extra charm to the whole scene. While the Kinect skin looks different, there’s very little variety between the skin for the console and the controller. In fact, it appears to be the exact same thing on each, which is just… great, we guess, if you’re into your Xbox looking like it was once a beautiful, multicolored piece that was partially burned in a fire.
16 Awesome: Mortal Kombat Is Always A Winning Choice
This sleek custom designed PlayStation pays a minimal but beautiful tribute to one of the pioneers of gaming culture: Mortal Kombat. It is one of the most iconic fighting titles in video game history, if not one of the most iconic titles overall, so it’s always nice to see a well-done homage. The matte jet black paint job on the console is really nicely done and complementary to the smooth gradient background of the easily recognizable logo. The controller is splattered with red - which we can only assume comes from numerous successfully performed Fatalities.
15 Embarrassing: My Little Xbox 360 Doesn’t Have A Good Ring To It
My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic has a surprisingly diverse age range among its fan base. It was created with little girls around the age of 8 in mind. However, it managed to develop a cult-like following of teen and adult men who have adopted the moniker of Brony. We aren’t here to judge or even give an opinion at all, but we are here to say that we can’t imagine having people come over to our house, especially a potential romantic partner, and having to explain to them that we have an Xbox styled after Rainbow Dash from a children’s’ show. Super embarrassing.
14 Embarrassing: There Aren’t Even Words For This
First of all, let’s just get this out of the way: this thing is not good at all. It’s tacky, it’s gaudy, it’s awkward-looking, and above all else, it just seems like a corporate advertisement for a product - which is exactly what it is! Back in 2016, the German division of Microsoft made three custom Xbox One consoles that are modeled after the front end of an Audi F8, all in the same shade of red, which were used as the prize for a giveaway contest to promote Horizon Forza 3.
13 Awesome: TBH, Hershel Would’ve Put This Xbox In His Barn
The red ring of death is something that anyone who’s ever owned an Xbox console lives in fear of. It’s not quite as common as the Internet would lead you to believe, but it’s definitely something that happens. When it does, most people just toss their useless consoles into the garbage can, piece it up for parts, or let it sit ’til they upgrade… But some people prefer to really get their money’s worth by turning it into something else. This Xbox 360 suffered from the RRoD and in an admittedly clever play on words, it was taken and styled after AMC’s immensely popular The Walking Dead. It’s expertly done, super unique, and definitely better than tossing it.
12 Embarrassing: Nothing Says Anarchy Like A Popular Video Game Console
We aren’t quite sure if this is meant to be a reference to DC’s Joker or not, but it definitely seems like one with the green and purple combination. Either way, while it’s usually pretty cool to have a see-through side panel, especially compared with LED lights, something about this is just a little meh. Maybe it’s the fact that the anarchy symbol looks completely out of place when its plastered on the side of a corporate invention that pays out directly to the man, but we’re just not really feeling this.
11 Embarrassing: There Was An Attempt
Steampunk is one of the most challenging aesthetics to master, especially when it comes to finding a way to rework modern technology to fit into the genre. It can be awesome to look at when it’s done the right way, but when it’s not, it can be a little cringe-worthy. The woodworking part of this custom made PlayStation 4 case (which is fully removable) is impressive - we especially like the use of purpleheart - but the antenna makes it look like some sort of wooden beetle, and a goofy one at that.
