Microsoft prohibits users from running game emulations on the Xbox Series X | S. On Thursday, Twitter user @gamr12involved in distributing the RetroArch emulation software on Xbox posted the error message they got when attempting to launch emulated content.
“Cannot launch this game or app,” the message reads. “The game or app you are trying to launch violates Microsoft Store policies and is not supported.” Other users with emulation software on the Xbox Series X | S report runs into the same problem.
As pointed out by @gamr12, you can still emulate games on the Xbox Series X | S, but only if you put the device in Developer Mode, for which you have to pay. Microsoft doesn’t seem to have gotten rid of the option until the console is put into Retail mode, something all users can enable for free with a little technical knowledge.
While it’s still not clear what prompted the change, Alyanna, an active emulator fan who says she’s a Microsoft Azure developerclaims she contacted an unnamed “friend of the Xbox QA team” on the matter weeks ago, who said that the reason for the ban is Nintendo.
While the source and claims of the post have not been verified or confirmed, it says, “The main reason for the ban is related to legal issues with Nintendo.” “While emulation is not illegal in itself, it can be used without permission to play games from consoles that are still copyrighted, which could cause problems with Nintendo and its affiliates.”
Microsoft’s rules don’t technically allow emulations, but the company has mostly looked the other way in the past, according to Kotaku. “We are constantly developing our review and enforcement mechanisms for content distributed to the Store to ensure it complies with our Microsoft Store policies,” Microsoft said. Kotaku. “Per 10.13.10, products that emulate a game system or game platform are not allowed on any device family,” says Microsoft. The company did not immediately respond The edgerequest for comment.
If Nintendo is indeed the catalyst behind Microsoft’s decision, I wouldn’t be surprised at all. Nintendo has long been a proponent of emulated games – unless, of course, the company can make and profit from them themselves (see: NES/SNES Mini, Nintendo Switch Online Game Packs, etc). Nintendo, in particular sued the RomUniverse website for $1.2 million in 2019. Nintendo also went after Gary Bowser, a Canadian hacker who sells Switch hacks, who has agreed to pay $10 million in fines and is currently serving a 40-month prison sentence.
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