RGH3 vs. Bad Update: What’s the Difference to Unlocking Your Xbox 360?

RGH3 vs. Bad Update: What’s the Best Way to Unlock Your Xbox 360?

If you’ve been exploring ways to unlock the full potential of your Xbox 360, you’ve probably come across two popular methods: RGH3 and the latest Bad Update trick. Both let you run homebrew apps, emulators, and custom content — but they work very differently and each has its pros and cons. Whenever customers ask me what they should do I always recommend RGH3 however Bad Update is slowly improving and coming up with new features. 

RGH3: The Permanent Mod

RGH3 is a hardware-based mod that involves soldering wires directly to your Xbox 360’s motherboard. It "glitches" the Xbox console allowing it to run unsigned code. It’s permanent, reliable, and once it’s set up, you’re good to go — no extra steps each time you turn on your system.

Because it involves soldering, RGH3 requires some technical skill or help from someone who knows what they’re doing. But the upside is huge: faster boot times, full access to your console, and no need to re-run any exploits every time you want to play.

Bad Update: The Temporary Softmod

The Bad Update method is more beginner-friendly and doesn’t involve opening up your console. It’s a softmod that tricks your Xbox into entering an error state, which you then exploit to load homebrew. The catch? You have to run the process every time you power on your Xbox. It’s not permanent, and if anything goes wrong, you’ll be stuck repeating steps just to get back into your custom setup. It required specific games in order to work originally but they have already made improvements to avoid this. 

For some people, this method is enough — especially if you’re just experimenting. But for those who want a more stable and hassle-free experience, it can get frustrating fast.

So Which One’s Better?

If you’re looking for a long-term solution and don’t mind a bit of soldering, RGH3 is the clear winner. It gives you full control over your console with zero maintenance. But if you're just getting started or don't want to risk opening up your Xbox, the Bad Update method can still be a fun intro to the homebrew scene.

At the end of the day, it comes down to your comfort level and how deep you want to go. Either way, unlocking your Xbox is a great way to breathe new life into a classic console.