XBOX 360 xk3y. Part 1 - Overview, features and equipment

  • Tutorial


Good day!

With this article, I want to start a series on a device called xk3y. They will have a full description of this device, starting from the capabilities and configuration and ending with the launch of games from iso-images located on a USB hard drive.

Immediately apologize for the quality of some pictures. The photos are not mine, the device set itself for a long time and again it is very lazy to disassemble the console :)

So, what is xk3y?

XK3Y is an emulator of the XBOX 360 set-top box DVD-drive, which allows you to run ISO-images of games from any external USB drive (flash drive, hard drive). Xk3y is a set of several components, but basically it is a motherboard that is mounted between the console and its DVD drive (xk3y serves as a kind of “layer” between them that reads the passing information). This motherboard runs on Linux and is responsible for emulating the drive, reading external drives, and protecting against AP25 checks.

Features and Features:


  • Intuitive interface, no soldering required
  • Multilingualism
  • Compatible with Fat and Slim consoles.
  • Supports most XBOX 360 and XBOX 1 games
  • Supports most file systems, including NTFS, EXT2 / 3/4, and Mac OS X Extended
  • USB 2.0 interface
  • Stylish USB controller for running games and controlling x360key
  • Powerful Linux system launched with Micro SD card (included)
  • Firmware fully upgradeable from a USB stick
  • Recovery mode - the ability to fully recover a damaged Micro SD card
  • No drive firmware or JTAG hack required
  • AP25 supported
  • XGD3 supported
  • Pass-through mode (You can use XBOX in "normal mode" bypassing xkey)
  • Multi-disc game support
  • ISO Menu Interface
  • DVD Menu Interface
  • iPhone app (xk3y WiFi) *
  • Web Control Interface (xk3y WiFi) *
  • Creating images of games on a USB stick (xk3y Gecko) **
  • Removing the drive key and creating game profiles (xk3y Gecko) **

* Xk3y WiFi Dongle required (sold separately)
** xk3y Gecko required (sold separately)

The following features are currently under development:

  • Download games from NFS and Samba storage *
  • Full security in Xbox Live (can be considered already implemented, not a single ban of the console with xk3y yet)
  • Support for new DVD drives
  • Save ISO image of licensed Xbox 360 games to USB hard drive *

* Optional option (sold separately)

Package Overview:


The device comes in such nice boxes.

Inside it is another metal box with all the junk. Currently supplied kit includes the following components (revision R7.2, also referred to as v1.1):

  • "Motherboard" x360key - 1 pc.
  • MicroSD card - 1 pc.
  • SATA cable - 1pc.
  • Molex type power cable - 1 pc.
  • USB - Micro USB cable - 1 pc.
  • FFC / USB Dongle - 1pc.
  • Short FFCable - 1pc.
  • Long FFCable - 1pc.
  • Protective packaging for the motherboard (cardboard) - 1 pc.
  • Serial number with code - 1pc.



I received an old revision 1.0 with the remote control in the kit (on the photo - on the right), now the remote control is an optional component.
The serial number is needed to activate on the official website the ability to download new versions of firmware. If there was no activation code in the kit, then you got a Chinese fake. They are now extremely rare, but even they turn out to be fully functional, and firmware can be downloaded somewhere else.

There are also the following optional components, purchased separately and adding some convenient additional functions:

1. Control panel - a remote control with 3 buttons that allows you to launch ISO-images of games and display current information about the status of xk3y and the DVD drive tray.



2. Xk3y WiFi Dongle - USB-adapter that allows you to run ISO-images of games from a special Web-based interface.



3. Xk3y Gecko - adapter for creating ISO images of licensed Xbox 360 games on a USB hard drive. The adapter works on all LiteOn 16D4S drives and does not require third-party firmware.

In my opinion, the first two additional components are useless, since games can be launched directly from Dashboard without getting up from the couch. Although they may attract someone. The expediency of buying an Xk3y Gecko is also a big question, since the images can also be made on a PC, and for the sake of removing the XBOX drive key it makes no sense to buy a device; moreover, it supports only one drive model. Better then to fork out for the Maximus Lizardwhich removes keys from any drives on any computer.

Supported Drive Versions:


The device supports the following versions of drives (drives from which you can remove the key):
image

Unsupported (so far) drives are in production consoles later than August 2011. If you bought such a console, then there is a 99% chance that this type of hack, like other types, is not available to you.

On this familiarization with the device can be considered complete. If the article is to the taste of the community, then the following will describe its installation and further work with it.

Useful links:


Official manufacturers website
Official sellers
Official support forum xk3y
Facebook page

Where can one buy?


I bought my device on Dealextreme. It is not in the list recommended by the manufacturer by the seller, but key came to me the original one with a valid serial number.

In Russia, xkey is sold at Multimediacity , but for some reason, the price bites too much, and you will have to pay for delivery. And with DX, as you know, free shipping (:

UPD: Second article.
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