After nearly three years of allowing users to freely install emulators on Xbox consoles, Microsoft has now changed its mind.
According to The Verge , Microsoft has now banned users from running game emulators on Xbox Series X/S consoles. The information was first discovered by Twitter user ‘gamr12’, who was involved in the implementation of RetroArch emulator software on Xbox
Specifically, when trying to launch emulator content, gamr12 encountered the error message ” Unable to launch this game or app ” – could not launch this game or application. The content of the error message says ” The game or app you’re trying to launch violates Microsoft Store policy and is not supported ” – The game or app you are trying to launch violates Microsoft Store policies and is not allowed. support.
After gamr12 shared the error message on Twitter, many other users using Xbox Series X/S also reported that they all encountered the same situation.
Previously when it was launched in 2022, users could install and run emulator software on Xbox Series X/S. This makes it possible for them to play most of the classic games like PlayStation 2, GameCube, Wii, on newer consoles
Gamr12 has shown that users can still emulate games on Xbox Series X/S, but only if the device is set up to work in paid Developer Mode. As can be seen, Microsoft has disabled this option with the free Retail Mode that users have used throughout the past time.
The reason behind this change by Microsoft is still unclear, but a Microsoft Azure developer has said that much of the reason is inspired by Nintendo. The Japanese game company has long been associated with emulator-related troubles. Specifically, Nintendo sued the RomUniverse website for $1.2 million in 2019. As well as filed against Gary Bowser, a Canadian hacker who specializes in selling Switch hacks, this person has now agreed to pay 10 million. USD fine and is currently serving a 40-month prison sentence.
Because while emulating games is legal in itself, it is often used to illegally play copyright-protected games, causing great harm to publishers. So it is understandable that Microsoft strongly bans these types of applications