Through an unofficial modern “recompilation” software
For those who were checking Pure Xbox yesterday, you might have come across a report from our friends at Time Extension regarding a new Xbox 360 recompilation software that presents some exciting possibilities for reviving classic Xbox titles.
Generally, this software (referred to as XenonRecomp) is designed to “transform Xbox 360 executables into C++ code, which can subsequently be recompiled for any platform.” In theory, this could potentially lead to a PC port for any Xbox 360 game that is available — including those that have been delisted — but clearly these would likely be unofficial and go against the intentions of their original publishers.
Additionally, it’s important to recognize that while many Xbox 360 games have the potential to receive a port, that doesn’t imply they’ll all get one – after all, the goal of creating a PC version can be quite challenging and time-consuming.
Nonetheless, it has already begun happening – just recently, a new port of Sonic Unleashed appeared on PC:
This unexpectedly creates a unique situation for SEGA, which has never provided a PC version of Sonic Unleashed before, and something similar could occur with other titles if individuals are willing to put in the (very) hard work to port them.
Of course, it’s widely known that numerous Xbox 360 games were delisted when the original Xbox Store went offline last year, including several that were never available on any other platform. If these games are to persist in the future, it’s possible that this might be the best option… although here’s hoping another opportunity arises someday as well.
For what it’s worth, Xbox head Phil Spencer mentioned that he would “love to find solutions” for the Xbox 360 games that have ultimately been delisted, but we’re sure he didn’t have this in mind! One can only hope that Xbox is working on something behind the scenes too, as we would love to have access to these games once more in a legitimate way on current consoles.
What are your thoughts on all this? Let us know down in the