The Xbox 360 was just as difficult to emulate as the PlayStation 3 when it first came out. But that is no longer the case. Many programs have successfully emulated the console. The most prominent example is Xenia. Even though it initially led the way, the application has been surpassed by rivals like the RPCS3.
What is Xenia Emulator?
Xenia is an important program because it was the first Xbox 360 emulator to run a commercial game. When the application was first released, it had low compatibility. You could only play a few dozen Xbox 360 games. But that list has grown to over 600 games.
Unlike RPCS3, which is primarily CPU-dependent, Xenia is GPU-dependent. You need a decent GPU to run the program. But before you download the emulator, visit the Xenia Github page. It has a list of games that Xenia can successfully run.
Use this page to determine whether or not the emulator is worth your time. If you can’t play the games you enjoy, you don’t have to bother getting it. Look for ‘State–Playable’ tags. They prove that the game in question will run smoothly without interruption.
‘State Gameplay’ tags show that the game can run, but the experience is far from seamless.
How To Install Xenia Emulator?
Here are the quickest steps to download and install Xenia on your desktop for free.
1. Minimum Requirements
- Windows 7
- 64-bit processor (Vulkan Compatible)
- 4GB of RAM
- Visual C++ Redistributable x64
- Direct3D-12/Vulkan Compatible GPU
The emulator will inspect your computer. If it doesn’t meet the minimum CPU and GPU requirements, you will see an error message.
2. Download
Get the latest version of the software. The developers have released numerous versions of Xenia. Because you don’t know which version will work, you should consider downloading 2 or 3 different versions. But you should get the 2 or 3 latest versions.
3. Extract
Extract the download and locate the executable file. Run it to launch the emulator.
How To Use Xenia Emulator?
1. Games
The emulator runs ISO and XBLA files. You cannot run a game from a disc. You need a soft copy.
2. Play
To play games, go to ‘File’ and ‘Open.’ Use the resulting window to select the game you want to play. The emulator comes with additional menu options, including ‘CPU,’ ‘GPU,’ and ‘Window.’ But you can’t use the settings behind these menus to run a game that is not compatible with Xenia.
If a game cannot run on the emulator, try a different version of Xenia. Otherwise, you should give up. You cannot tweak the settings to run a game that has refused to work.
3. Settings
To change the settings, find the ‘xenia.config.toml’ file in ‘Documents.’ Open it with notepad to change settings like the resolution. Don’t alter these settings unless you know what you’re doing.
Conclusion
The xenia emulator is not perfect, but it is still a work in progress. The team working on the program is relatively small, so many Xbox 360 games won’t work. But the Xenia team is continually working to improve the compatibility of the emulator.
