In looking around at some of the methods that other people are using when it comes to copying XBox 360 Games, there’s probably 2 methods that I’ve found that really stand out: 1 . the use of mod chips and 2; flashing their XBox 360 firmware and then using a combination of backup software, a PC-DVD Rom Driveand the appropriate media to get their XBox console to a stage where it can play games from copied disks.

Each of these methods can obviously be  made to work but they both struck me as being too cumbersome for the average user and not necessarily all that cheap either. Let’s look at both in turn:

Modification Chips (Mod Chips)

A mod chip is basically a small piece of electronic kit that can be used to modify or disable built-in restrictions that you find in a lot of video game consoles (The reasons that video game manufacturers put these restrictions in in the first place is obvious: they’re looking to protect their copywrited property as well as some regional markets in the case of consoles that will only play in specific markets). Mod chips work by basically overriding a system’s protective hardware or software.

The problem with this method lies in the fact that the installation of a mod-chip  requires a fair degree of technical expertise to install. The mod chip needs to be connected to the circuitry of your XBox 360’s console – which involves soldering – so unless your skilled up in this area, I’d suggest not attempting to do it yourself. There are various shops around that will do this work for you and you’d be looking at paying at least $100 to get this work done. You will however be able to back up your XBox 360 games onto discs thereafter, and play those same XBox games from the copied discs.

Flashing XBox 360 Firmware

Actually “flashing xbox 360 firmware” is only a partial description of the method. Installing a mod chip could also be describes as flashing. “Flashing” basically means upgrading your firmware so that it can perform functions that it wasn’t able to previously. When it comes to specifically copying xbox 360 games there are a number of items that need to be in place and also a number of steps that need to be taken.

You will need the following:

1. a specific SATA chipset that enables flashing (if you don’t have a SATA chipset that is compatible for flashing your drive; you’d need to purchase a compatible PCI SATA Card – which will cost around $20)

2. A DVD Burner that burn dual layer DVD+R DL discs. (If you don’t already have one of these they can usually be bought online fo about $40)

3. Some DVD+R DL Discs. These usually retail for about $2 each so if you were buying a pack of 20 (if for instance you were looking to back up 20 games) then you’s be up for $40.

4. A PC DVD Rom Drive. The “Kreon” Drive is a popular one for this task and costs around $50.

So assuming you don’t actually already own any of these items, you could be up  for spending $150 before you even started to attempt to copy your xbox 360 game discs.

Aside from the money, there’s also the fact that performing the flash involves some complicated steps. You need to determine which hard drive (Samsung, BenQ, Hitachi etc) your XBox console has (as each will require a different approach) and then basically crack open your XBox 360 console, open up your PC and connect the XBox 360 DVD Rom drive to your computer via a SATA Cable. You will also need to know how to configure your PC BIOS and use MS-DOS as well as CD/DVD Software.

In short – unless you were really confident in steering your way around this terrain, there’s a lot that could go wrong. The fact that your’e actually upening up the XBox 360 will void the warranty and it also violates the Terms of Service for Xbox Live – so if you’re into XBox Live, it might be best to avoid this method.

Copying XBox 360 Games? The search continues …

Tony.