It was enough big uproar yesterday when classic game emulators on Xbox Series X|S consoles stopped working when the console is in default retail mode. Microsoft did not reveal the reason why emulator support was suddenly disabled on the platform. However, a member of the Xbox support team has apparently discovered the reason. A member of the Xbox support team says this is due to current legal issues with Nintendo. They also stated that an additional reason for pulling emulators from retail mode is that they require permissions beyond the normal use of the app, which could be considered a security issue. One of the big advantages is the fact that Xbox Series X|S consoles can provide excellent emulation of many classic video game consoles and games.
“Hello, thanks for getting in touch regarding the recent Xbox Storefront emulator ban. We appreciate your interest and concern. To answer your questions, the main reason for the ban is related to legal issues with Nintendo. While emulation itself is not illegal, it can be used to play games from consoles that are still under copyright protection without permission, which can create problems with Nintendo and its subsidiaries.
In addition, we take security seriously, and some emulators require permissions beyond the usual for the application. This could create a potential security risk, as bad actors can exploit these permissions to access sensitive information. For these reasons, we have made the decision to ban emulators from the Xbox storefront. However, we understand that many users are enabled with developer mode to run legal emulation. We are not looking to remove this feature as it does not allow access to retail system components and is considered secure. Unlike retail emulators, development mode is limited to certain functions and does not have system read and write functions.
However, we are still investigating ways to enable safe and legal emulation on Xbox. We are in talks with legitimate emulator developers to bring their software to our platform while ensuring that all copyright laws and security protocols are followed. We appreciate your understanding and patience while we resolve this issue. Our goal is to provide a safe and enjoyable gaming experience for everyone, and we are committed to finding solutions that meet those goals. If you have additional questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us.”
