Covering video game hacks is one of my favorite things to write about for TheGamer. Even game specific hacks like these Pokémon and Zelda ones are super easy to pull off. Anyway, I decided to approach my passion for mods from a different angle. One that would benefit the user with both simple and increasingly difficult projects all in the guise of the DIY, do it yourself, culture we’re in now. That’s like half of why YouTube exists. Do you think I know how to tie a tie? Heck no! I just go onto YouTube and learn. The same can be applied to video games and more specifically consoles.

Well, time for TheGamer to jump into this network. I’ll be going over some tips and tricks you may not know about regarding your Xbox One, PS4, and Nintendo Switch. I realize it’s a topic done to infinity and back, but I guarantee you there will be some topics you’ve never seen before. My goal is to save you time, money, and to just highlight some cool DIY projects. Who doesn’t like saving money? It doesn’t grow on trees. I may not be netting you millions, but everything helps. Why not give them a try? If little else I’ll entertain you for a bit, or at least try to. Okay, let’s get to work!

25 Get Free Digital Games

Do you currently have two PS4s and love playing with someone under the same roof, but hate having to buy two copies of the same game? Good News!

Let’s say I buy Destiny on my PS4. If that is my primary PS4 anyone can log into it and play the game. I can also download the game on say my wife’s PS4 and log in as myself in order to play it. Thus you can co-op together with just one copy. Not as complicated as it sounds. This, of course, also works on the Xbox One.

24 Install More Games On The NES Classic

The NES Classic, or the NES Mini, whatever you want to call it, was a neat concept. It was $60 for thirty games, which weren’t all gems, but it was a bargain nonetheless. That is if you could find one. Nintendo is re-releasing them this summer so hopefully, they will be easier to find. If you get your hands on one you can enhance the experience by dumping any rom you want onto the console. Upset by the lack of brawlers? Me too. It’s very easy to mod and all you need to know is right here.

23 The Real Reason To Own A Vita

Oh the PS Vita is so useless. There are no games for it. What a waste of money. Sure it may not have as robust a library to its competition, the 3DS, but it is useful especially when paired with the PS4. You can stream any game to it with Remote Play. I ground through a lot of dungeons in Persona 5 and even tackled some missions in Destiny. It’s crazy good. Plus if you don’t have a PS Vita it’ll work on laptops too. It’s not as simple as the Switch’s gimmick, but it’s neat regardless.

22 Improve Load Time On Nintendo Switch

I haven’t really had a problem with any game loading slowly on my Switch. Most games run pretty fast. To those that need the best speed, well, I found a trick that will boost your load times. According to Digital Foundry who tested loads between using a game card, a digital game installed onto the internal memory, and a digital game loaded onto an SD card, the internal memory was faster by about 5 seconds. So if you want to play games you know are notorious for running slow, store it in the internal memory base. That’s all!

21 Remap PS4 And Xbox Controller Buttons

Have you ever been frustrated by a game wherein the controls are mapped weirdly to their controller scheme only to find out you can’t change it in the options menu? Yeah, we’ve all been there, but there is a quick solution if you’re playing on PS4, or Xbox One. Both systems offer internal button mapping. It is more of a hassle to go back and forth between the console and game menus, but at least the option is there to alleviate some stress.

20 Access The Japanese Store On The Nintendo Switch

Did you know you could set up multiple accounts on your Switch? As someone who covers the industry, I’ve had to set up accounts for multiple areas in order to review specific games. I can tell you it’s very simple, only requiring your email and your region specification. You don’t need any complicated address like you do for PlayStation. I made a Japanese account on PSN and it took me forever as I watched videos and read through message boards. If you want a Japanese Switch account for exclusive games, well, trust me when I say it’s a breeze comparatively.

19 Make A Portable N64

And now the most retro piece of them all. Sure you could consider the NES Classic being that, but technically it’s a new device. No, this is a mod using the internal guts of the Nintendo 64 to turn it into a portable unit.

Oh my goodness Nintendo 64 portable!

Yes, know I have a lot of portables on here. I love them and if you’re one of those intrepid Nintendo 64 kids that think it’s still the bee’s knees then you should try out Travis Breen’s build if you have a spare lying around.

18 Design An Epic Custom Xbox One Controller

This is something that requires money, but it’s a feature that’s gotten buried over the years so I thought this was a good time to remind the general populous. If you love your Xbox One and want to get some personality to your system you can customize controllers.

It’s a variable rainbow of controllers.

It’s insanely detailed even allowing different sticks and buttons to be colored differently plus you can add writing. Again, it’s not exactly DIY in that it’s inexpensive, but it is easy and a really cool way to show off your console.

17 Play Mario On Your PSP?

Why was the PSP such a failure overseas when it was a phenomenon in Japan? One of the big things was Sony was afraid of piracy. No matter how they patched it hackers always got through. I didn’t know how insanely broken it was until I tested out some emulators on the system in college. All you do is literally dragging and dropping folders. You can run NES, GBA, and SEGA Genesis games just to name a few. It’s really amazing and you can find all you need here. If you still have one collecting dust, give this a try.

16 Burning Rubber

Clones would be pretty nifty, right? We could make them do our boring jobs while we stayed at home and played games. And what about the times when we’re out doing fun things? It’d be great if they stayed home in order to grind out receptive levels for you. Well we’re not in that timeline yet, but there is another way to walk away from your game. This story is a bit elaborate, but someone ground out missions in Star Wars Battlefront II using rubber bands on his Xbox One controller. It’s more hilarious than it is useful.

15 Secret Surround Sound

Have you ever been in a situation where you need to keep the volume down on your TV as to not awaken anyone? Well did you know the jack on the bottom of the PS4 could be used with any pair of headphones? It’s not just for headsets in order to talk to your friends. You can mute your TV and get all sound from the controller instead. Plus if you don’t have surround sound, it makes for a good alternative especially with games that demand good sound quality like last year’s Hellblade.

14 A Bigger, Better Portable Console

Do you like the idea of a portable PlayStation, but the PSP and PS Vita’s library and or screen wasn’t enough for you? What if I told you you could convert your PS4 into a portable laptop? It’s pretty costly, but that’s exactly what one fan did.

Ed Zarick made one and called it the PlayBook4. Clever, right? Now again, it’s not cheap. It cost him about $1400, but if this is something you want check out his setup.

13 Save Controller Battery On PS4

The cord the PS4 comes with is pretty short and no one wants to be tethered to a console when playing games nowadays. If you go into your controller settings you can dim the light on the PS4, which is where a lot of juice goes. You can’t turn it off completely though, which is odd. Also if you don’t want any secondary sound you can turn off the volume. Just a couple simple tips to make your controller last longer.

12 The PlayStation Android Connection

My advice regarding the PS4 controller’s battery brings to mind another tip. Have you ever lost that cord, panicking that you had to replace it? Well did you know that that micro USB cord is the same model used for Android phones? You can use your phone cord on the PS4 to charge your controller, or even your phone. I only discovered this when my friend lost his phone cord and checked out my PS4 and realized it’s the same thing. Pretty nifty even if it might be obvious.

11 Store Cords In Toilet Paper Tubes

Do you go through paper towels all the time only to throw away the paper tube inside? I hope you’re at least recycling it. If not I got a better solution for you that may seem a little ghetto, but its effectiveness can’t be beat. We’re continuing to evolve into a wireless world, but there are still things that demand cords making your entertainment center look hectic. Why don’t you bundle those cords inside a paper tube, or if that’s too weird you can also store cords easily in them like the photo above. Neat, huh?

10 Storage Wars

The standard PS4 comes with 500GB of storage, which is more like 400GB after all the updates and installations. Even if you don’t download games it’ll fill up quick. Most disc games are around 30-50GBs now, which is ridiculous.

My kingdom for more storage space.

Thankfully you can replace your PS4’s HD easily. If you opt for a solid-state drive as a replacement it’ll boost your load times too. If you don’t care about that and just want more storage, an external HD will not only back up your games, but you can run them off of it too.

9 Vita Becomes Player Two

I already praised the idea of using your PS Vita, or laptop to stream your PS4 games, but there’s another use for the Vita at least. If another controller is too expensive for you and you just can’t justify it because you don’t play with people in your place often then there’s another way. That is if you have a Vita. It can be used as a second controller much in the same way as Remote Play. It won’t feel as good as the real thing, but it’s a good alternative in a pinch.

8 A Better Second Screen Experience

Whether you use the PS4 controller’s touchpad, or the buttons, it’s a hassle to type on its interface. Voice chat is preferable, but sometimes text is the only option. Did you know the PlayStation App on Android and Apple phones lets you tether your chat to your PS4 account?

Your phone is the ultimate keyboard accessory.

It’s a lot quicker to text on a phone than a controller. Plus you can use the app for myriad of other tasks like buying games and having them automatically download to your PS4 even when you’re away. It’s free too!

7 PC Arcade Cabinet

Do you consider the PC a console? Probably not, but I found this oddity too hard to resist putting on here. Someone took the guts of their Steam Link device and turned it into an arcade cabinet and a beautiful one at that. On Inferno156’s Imgur you can go through his step-by-step photo journey on his way to turning this dumb device into one that would appease the gods. The best part is the second player option. This is a genius idea!

6 Nerd Out At The Gym

Here’s a combo made in heaven. If you can get to a gym, grab one of the sit-down exercise bikes, bring your phone, Switch, 3DS, or whatever and grind away.

Playing Pokémon gave me these beautiful abs and colossal calves.

When I went to my college gym I did this exact thing with Dragon Quest IX and Pokémon White. It made me love going to the gym making the trip feel double worth it. Of course, this means you need a gym membership, which can get expensive, but do it for your health.