Introduction
Recently we’ve even seen the Nintendo Switch run Windows XP so seeing a working Xbox emulator really adds onto just how impressive the scene is and the capabilities of this console. In the past we’ve seen other retro systems being ran on the system. Though the emulator doesn’t run games very well, it’s still progress. You can view the available footage below as well as a quote from Voxel9:
Yep, you read the title right, XQEMU successfully compiles and runs on a Nintendo Switch running the new updated Linux4Tegra Ubuntu. More specifically, I’m running mborgerson’s performance WIP branch, as it currently contains some much more faster optimizations than the master XQEMU branch. For those wondering what exactly I was using for input, I had to use a PS4 controller, as joy-cons connected as a pair don’t appear to have an SDL2 gamepad mapping for them, making them undetectable by the emulator.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChRZJod_vwc
Video Breakdown
Throughout the video above you’ll find footage of the dashboard, Halo: Combat Evolved and Jet Set Radio Future. Unfortunately, there is no sound for whatever reason. The creator had some old footage of the Xbox dashboard so if you really want some nostalgia see the video here. Below you will find timestamps for the video stating what is being demonstrated.
- From 0:16 to 1:24 Voxel9 navigates the Xbox menu.
- From 1:26 to 1:51 Appears to just be an FPS test showing the stability of the emulator though I’m not entirely sure so don’t take my word for it.
- From 1:52 to 3:48 Halo: Combat Evolved is played. The game looks okay, but I wouldn’t really call it playable just yet.
- From 3:49 to 5:08 Jet Set Radio Future is played, but Voxel9 set the playback frame rate to 4x speed. You can find footage of Jet Set Radio Future around the same spot starting at 0:42 here.
Final Thoughts
The emulator created by Voxel9 seems really cool. It brought back a lot of great memories of playing these games and makes me want to go hook up my original Xbox just to experience them again. The emulator has a ways to go before it’s considered to be fully stable, but I’m eager to see what else they can do with the emulator.