Emulating a Gamecube on a PC is basically no big deal. The Dolphin emulator does this for Gamecube and Wii and runs smoothly under Windows 10. If you don’t just want to play Gamecube games, but want the device to look something like the Gamecube console, you have to put in a little more effort.
More on the subject
- Nostalgia console: Retro Games brings back the Amiga 500 as a mini version
- The C64 is back – with USB and HDMI ports or as a handheld console
Emulator software was no problem, the optics were already
And that’s exactly what the modder that Hackaday.io reports did. The hobbyist is said to have worked for several years on his Gamecube PC, which among other things consists of a 3D-printed chassis.
The goal was not only to play Wii and GameCube titles with native resolution and performance, but also to preserve the visual impression of the original console. For this, the hobbyist took a Gamecube and rebuilt it. The upper part of the Gamecube was to be largely retained. The substructure had to change completely, but it should still exude a distinct Gamecube flair.
Inside an Intel NUC very much similar. (Source: Hackaday.io)
How the Gamecube became a gaming PC cube
The underside of the Gamecube case has been replaced with a 3D printed base that holds the motherboard while also allowing access to the front of the motherboard. The device is powered by a NUC-compatible mainboard with an Intel Core i5-7600 processor, eight gigabytes of RAM and an SSD hard drive. The hobbyist has identified the ASRock H110M-STX and the Gigabyte GA-H110MSTX-HD3 as suitable motherboards. In principle, it only depends on the form factor.
The jacked up Gamecube console is rounded off by the fact that four functional controller connections have been built in, which can be switched manually for use with the emulator or with PC games. Part of the illusion is the use of the original Gamecube power switch and reset buttons through special PCBs that connect the parts to the motherboard.
