After multiple claims suggesting thatXenia, the group behind bringingXbox 360emulation toPC, was working directly withMicrosoftfor a way to bring originalXboxandXbox 360games to PCvia emulation, the team has issued a statement, firmly denying any such involvement.
As first shared on Reddit, a statement from Xenia taken from the group’s official Discord puts to bed any work on a potential official emulator.
Hey everyone, I just wanted to clear some confusion regarding a rumor that has recently surfaced online.
The Xenia (and Xenia Canary, by extension) team is by no means associated with, nor working alongside, Microsoft in any capacity. Microsoft uses their own emulation to provide backwards compatibility on Xbox One/Series consoles and as such has no reason to collaborate with Xenia, even if they decided to bring these titles to PC.
Xenia continues to be a community-run effort that encourages and enforces legal emulation practices both in development and within this server.
Previously, the team had shot down rumors on an individual basis on Discord. However, Sunday’s statement serves as the first official statement acknowledging what had been a rapidly evolving rumor.
The Original Insider Doubled Down On Their Claims About Xenia
Originally, the rumors were circulated by typically reliable insider Extas1s,who had also leaked pre-order information for the upcoming Xbox handheld. At the time, they reported that Microsoft was working directly with Xenia in order to create a “new advanced emulation platform” that would run the classic Xbox library and be integrated with all of Xbox’s services, including Game Pass.
News and functionality would coincide with the 25th anniversary of Xbox in 2026, according to the insider. But shortly after those rumors began to circulate, individual Xenia members began denying it. Additionally, Jez Corden, another Xbox insider, shot down the report.
Rather than back down, Extas1s doubled down, saying in part, “We’ll see you in 2026.” With 2026 quickly approaching, it probably won’t be too long before we find out for good.
