Xenia is a free, open source Xbox 360 emulator that runs console games on a PC. The project calls itself a research emulator. Its aim is to experiment with, study and teach the emulation of modern devices and operating systems. Its code is published under a BSD license. Builds are available for 64-bit Windows, and the Canary and Edge branches also have Linux builds.
Several branches of one emulator
The original branch, now known as Xenia Master, receives only occasional updates. Most development happens in Xenia Canary, a community-maintained experimental fork. It receives updates almost daily and adds features, compatibility fixes, game patches and recommended per-game settings that are not in Master.
Two further forks build on that work. Xenia Edge concentrates on the Vulkan renderer, the interface and Linux support, with macOS and ARM64 builds under development. Xenia Netplay is based on Canary and adds online multiplayer to a number of games on Windows. Xenia never connects to the official Xbox Live servers, and System Link play is not supported.
How Xenia translates Xbox 360 code
The Xbox 360 uses a PowerPC-based Xenon processor, so its game code cannot run directly on a PC. A just-in-time compiler at the core of Xenia translates this code in three stages. It first converts PowerPC instructions to an internal intermediate language. This intermediate code then passes through a series of compiler and optimization passes. Finally, an x64 backend emits native code for the host processor.
Graphics follow a similar idea. The console’s Xenos GPU receives drawing commands through a ring buffer in system memory. Xenia processes those commands and translates the Xbox 360 shader microcode for the PC graphics API. Rendering runs through Direct3D 12 on Windows or Vulkan; OpenGL and Direct3D 11 are not supported. Xenia does not need any Xbox 360 system files to start games.
Loading games and downloadable content
Xenia does not read discs from a PC drive. Xenia opens games from files dumped from a standard Xbox 360 console. A digital or Xbox Live Arcade title is a single package file. A disc game in Games on Demand form is a file paired with a data folder of the same name. When a packaged game does not start, you can extract its contents and open the main default.xex executable instead. The project states that it is not for enabling illegal activity and that its own research comes from legally purchased consoles and games.
In Xenia Canary, an Install Content command adds DLC and title updates from packages on the PC. Canary applies DLC licenses automatically. By default, digital and Arcade games run in trial mode; a license setting switches them to full activation.
Configuration file and graphics options
Xenia keeps its settings in a TOML configuration file. You edit this file in a text editor while the emulator is closed. Canary stores this file next to the executable and runs in portable mode by default, keeping saves and installed content in the same folder. You can also pass settings as launch parameters after the game path. Per-game configuration files can override a few options.
The graphics settings cover the main differences from console output:
- Backend choice between automatic selection, Direct3D 12 and Vulkan, plus a choice of render target path that trades speed against accuracy.
- Resolution scaling that multiplies the internal drawing resolution, which can cause graphical bugs in some games.
- Post-processing through AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution, FXAA and contrast-adaptive sharpening, with variable refresh rate support.
- Display control over vsync, a 60 or 120 frames-per-second target in Canary, letterboxing, and the internal display resolution the game believes it is outputting.
Other options set the console language and audio buffering, which helps with audio delay, one of the least developed parts of Xenia.
Controllers and keyboard input
XInput controllers, including Xbox 360 and Xbox One pads, work without extra setup. An SDL input mode handles other gamepads. It accepts a standard controller mapping database placed next to the executable. A keyboard can act as a gamepad for a chosen player slot or pass its keys straight to games that support a keyboard. Mice, Kinect, microphones and the uDraw tablet are not supported.
Game patches and compatibility tracking
Xenia Canary can apply community game patches stored as TOML files. There is one file per game, named by its title ID. Each file lists the game module versions it fits and contains named patches that write new values to specific memory addresses. Turning a patch on is a matter of changing its enabled flag. The window title shows when patches are active. Common examples raise the frame rate to 60 frames per second or change the aspect ratio for ultrawide screens. A patch only works with the game version it was made for.
Results differ from game to game, and some titles still have problems such as broken profile-based saves. The project keeps a public compatibility list where users record and update the status of individual games.
