This isn’t exactly the Xbox rumor I expected we’d get, but it sure as heck is an exciting development, if it’s true.
YouTuber eXtas1s posted a video claiming that Xbox games, titles that never made their way to PC, are finally arriving where they belong, thanks to a new x64 emulator. An official Xbox emulator from Microsoft is a big swing. Xbox has claimed to be focused on the software as opposed to hardware, and this would be a titan-like step in that direction.
The question is, if this is true, what happens to the Xbox console? And how far is Microsoft going to take this new emulator? What's more, this may coincide with yet another rumor making the rounds. Let’s jump in.
What an official Xbox emulator means for you
You may have already caught me ranting about Gears of War getting yet another remaster for PC while Gears of War 2 and Gears of War 3 collect dust on the Xbox console. An Xbox emulator would finally give me the chance to play my favorite console games on PC.
But why would Microsoft ditch what little edge the Xbox console had left? Well, another Xbox console, of course.
It's long been rumored that Xbox is planning to release a handheld gaming PC, which we may have seen pictures of in a recent leak. It looks a lot like an Asus ROG Ally, so it’s possible this is the 2nd generation with an Xbox-branded spin.
It may work similarly to the Legion Go S, which ships with a SteamOS and Windows model. I cannot see a new Asus ROG Ally having much trouble playing games from the original Xbox and Xbox 360 era, so it works out if that’s the case.
But if Xbox is cultivating a handheld experience, what does that mean for the average Windows user? Well, ideally, this’ll look something similar to Steam’s big picture mode, at least that’s what YouTuber eXtas1s claims.
This isn’t a drastic surprise, as the Xbox app has been getting some serious updates on Windows 11 (RIP Windows 10). Microsoft optimized the visual experience and overall performance, as clocked by Windows Central Executive Editor Jez Corden on BlueSky.
However, I’m concerned about how these Xbox games will perform from a connectivity standpoint. Will they all get access to their multiplayer capabilities, or will this official emulator strip that away?
I’m not going to pretend to know how that would work, but I hope that Xbox takes the time and effort to figure it out. There are so many great multiplayer games from the Xbox and Xbox 360 era… like Gears of War 2 and Gears of War 3.
What's next
Looking ahead, the real question is: What happens to the standard Xbox console? Is Microsoft officially moving over to PC? I certainly hope not.
The Xbox console doesn’t offer a whole lot of unique features, but I do love playing Xbox Game Pass games on my TV — connecting my PC or Laptop just ain’t the same.
Now, if the Xbox app suddenly showed up on the PlayStation Store, then I wouldn’t have any reason to buy an Xbox ever again. If Xbox really doesn’t care about hardware, that would be a wild move.
As far as how this Windows Xbox emulator turns out, we’ll just have to wait and see.
