YouTuber Modern Vintage Gamer has just uploaded a brand-new video discussing Xbox One emulation on PC, and how the scene is starting to grow over there. For the longest time, emulating Microsoft's last-gen machine hasn't been easy, but new 'translation layer' techniques mean that certain projects seem to be moving forward in the Xbox One to PC emulation scene.
Again, it's very early doors right now, but MVG talks about getting Xbox's Forza Horizon 2 running on Windows via this technique. This is a game that only launched on Xbox consoles, with Horizon 3 marking the first full Forza release to launch day and date on PC. For now, the modders have only got to the menu screen with FH2, but there is another example of a game actually running in this video.
That'd be Minecraft, which MVG shares some footage of up above. Sure, this is just a proof-of-concept because the Mojang title is already on PC of course, but it's evidence of a native Xbox One title running on PC via this emulation technique. The YouTuber hopes to see progress with games like Forza Horizon 2 soon, especially because there's no native PC version out there.
It goes without saying that playing this way isn't official in any way shape or form, and we can't endorse this sort of thing, in that case. Even so, it's always cool to see emulation change and evolve over time, and we're curious to see how Xbox One emulation stacks up to Xbox 360 equivalents in the coming years.
What do you make of this early look at Xbox One emulation on PC? Drop your thoughts down below.
Comments 8
I feel emulating newer consoles starts to become a waste as probably 95% of the X1 library has a PC version.
I guess with PC basically being digital-only, this helps should a PC game get removed forever - you can at least access the X1 version by either dumping your own copy (assuming you still have one) or getting it through more questionable avenues.
But otherwise, I don't see the point.
This is exciting. The 360 and OG xbox emulation still have a way to go but I'm glad there is an xbox community within the emulation space that is working on this.
@GamingFan4Lyf : I think the big advatage this has over native PC releases for the emulation community is local multiplayer, which is often not present in PC releases but can be found in a number of Xbox One titles.
Why would you even emulute the xbox one? to play Halo 5 and Crimsom Dragon?
Great video, MVG always puts out fascinating stuff.
@GamingFan4Lyf Probably more like 99%! But isn't it still worth releasing that 1% of the library from its console-specific shackles?
Even if you don't care about Halo 5 or whatever, I guarantee that there will be (or most likely already are) those who look back on it with nostalgia: "OMG, Halo 5 was my childhood!", etc.
PS: I do agree that it's less appealing than emulating a console with lots of exclusives. But not pointless!
@smoreon Oh, I totally get the games locked behind exclusivity. But, looking at that video, whoever is working on this, isn't focusing on the games locked in those shackles.
I would think the first batch of games would be things like Halo 5 and not Sonic Mania, Limbo, and Minecraft.
Maybe it's a complexity thing?
@GamingFan4Lyf Yeah, definitely a complexity thing. 2D games like this are usually the first ones to be playable, thanks to their relative simplicity. MVG even points out how Sonic Mania is a common one to see when emulation/translation layer projects get going, as it was also one of the first games (if not the first) to run in a PS4 emulator.
Minecraft is particularly interesting and impressive, given that it's 3D and already looking pretty accurate... even if it's hardly anyone's first choice for a game we want to see emulated!
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