For years, playing Xbox 360 games on a PC was nothing but a pipe dream. However, with the rise of the Xenia emulator, that dream has become a reality, granting players access to a treasure trove of Xbox 360 exclusives. What sets Xenia apart from emulators like RPCS3 is its efficiency. Xenia is lighter on system resources, meaning it doesn’t demand a powerhouse PC to deliver smooth gameplay. You can enjoy many great titles without your system sounding like it’s preparing for liftoff to the Bahamas.
That said, Xenia isn’t without its limitations. Major updates take relatively longer times than RPCS3, leaving certain hidden gems plagued by audio glitches, crashes, and texture issues. However, if your focus is only on experiencing mainstream titles, then rest assured that most of them run smoothly from start to finish.
So, if you’re eager to try out the Xbox 360 library from the comfort of your PC, this guide will walk you through the steps to get started.
Table of Contents
What is Xenia
Xenia is an Xbox 360 emulator created by Benvanik who noticed the lack of an Xbox 360 emulator at the time. After researching the homebrew scene and spending endless nights of looking around, he decided to make an emulator for the system.
Xenia System Requirements
The short answer is you need a good PC that runs modern games at a decent speed. Anything made in the past 4 years will run any game you throw in the emulator. The long answer to this is tied to specifications. The official Github channel recommends the following:
- OS: Windows 10/11
- RAM: 6 GB or more
- CPU: 6 Cores or more
- GPU: NVIDIA GTX 980 Ti or later
Of course, these settings are just a forecast. So always aim for a higher GPU and CPU for the best performance.
How to Download Xenia?
Before you search for a download link for Xenia, it’s important to understand that the emulator comes in two versions: Stable and Canary. Everyone recommends the Canary build, as it receives regular updates and improvements, ensuring better compatibility and performance with a broader range of games.
In contrast, the Stable version, while functional, is unfortunately outdated and lacks the refinements found in the Canary build. For the best experience, the Canary version is the way to go. To download Xenia Canary, head on to the official Github page and download the emulator. Remember, you need to download the Canary build. Not the Stable one.
How to Setup Xenia
Once you download the Canary build, create a folder and name it “Xenia“. Drop your Zip file there and extract it. Once you do that, create another folder and name it “Games.” Grab your games and put them in that folder so that it’s easy to find them. After this, you need to download Xenia game patches. I will tell you why later, for now just download it. Do not get this from any other place. Get it from GitHub. Always get your stuff from Github.
How to Play Xbox 360 Games on Xenia
- Pick Xenia Canary
- The first time you run Xenia Canary, these folders will appear
- Hit Open and navigate where your Games folder is located
- Done. Some games will take 10 seconds to load depending on their cache size
So you finally got the games and are ready to play, but you don’t know how. Well, Xenia isn’t rocket science. It’s easy and simple. Head on to where your Xenia Canary folder and follow the instructions above step by step.
How to Enhance the Graphics on Xenia
Like most emulators, Xenia allows you to tinker with the settings. These enhancements include improving textures, enabling anisotropic filtering, applying anti-aliasing (AA), adjusting brightness, unlocking V-Sync, and much more. There are two ways to achieve this: manually editing the Xenia config file or using the more user-friendly Xenia Manager. Both methods work quite well, and the choice boils down to personal preference—whether you favour the traditional hands-on approach or the convenience of a modern tool.
Xenia Config File
Let’s begin with the traditional method. Head to where your Xenia Canary is located and look for a configuration file. Open it with a notepad. Right-click and choose note-pad. It should look like this:
At first glance, the Xenia config file might seem confusing—we’ve all been there, so don’t worry. But that’s nothing to fret about. In most cases, you’ll only need to tweak one or two settings unless specific compatibility instructions for a game advise otherwise. For instance, the apu_max_queued_frames setting can significantly reduce audio delay issues, making it a worthwhile adjustment if you’re experiencing sound problems. However, that’s not a definitive solution to some obscure gems. (Like Quantum Theory, for instance)
Scrolling down to the [Display] section, you’ll find options to toggle fullscreen mode on or off. Just a bit further, you’ll find additional settings to enhance your experience, such as sharpening the visuals or enabling FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution) for maximum upscaling. With a little experimentation, the config file can be a powerful tool to optimize Xenia to your liking. Below, you’ll also find how to toggle V-Sync on or off. The reason you should the setting off is to avoid screen-tearing and unnecessary high-frame rates.
Xenia Manager
Now unto the modern and easy way if the traditional way isn’t your thing. First, download the Xenia Manager from Github. Once you download Xenia Manager along with all the necessary files, you’re good to go. The best thing about Xenia Manager is it comes with both Xenia Canary and Stable, and you can update them quickly with the touch of a button. Once you’re all set, open Xenia Manager. It should look something like this:
Mine shows games because I have added them to the Xenia Manager. I’ll show you how later. For now, head on to Xenia Settings. In that section, you can tinker with the emulator to your liking. So unlike the traditional way, you’ll have no problem changing settings from there as it’s self-explanatory
- Do not forget to pick Xenia Canary here
- Settings
Do not forget to pick Xenia Canary when changing the settings. Additionally, if you want to change the settings for one specific game, you can do so from the Xenia Manager and a specific config file will be created separately for the game on the Xenia folder. I think it pretty much sums up everything.
How to Add Games to the Xenia Manager
Adding your game to the Xenia Manager is made easy. All you have to do is open the Xenia Manager and click on “Add Games” on top. After this navigate to your games folder and pick the game you want. The tool will ask you which version would you like to choose. Pick Canary. Once you do this, your game should appear.
Xenia Compatibility & Solution to Most Problems
Sometimes you want to replay a game from your childhood. Sometimes your eyes come across an interesting game you’ve never heard of. And sometimes you just want to play something. Well, before you do any of that, it’s highly recommended that you check the official Xenia compatibility forum.
Check if the game you want to emulate runs well or not by searching for it on the search bar. Type the game you want and hit enter. For instance, I want to know about whether Dead to Rights Retribution or not. After reading through the thread and all the links shared around, I can deduce the game has crashing issues.
Another helpful tip is to check YouTube videos of gameplay on Xenia to see if a particular game is fully playable. Pay attention to whether the person showcasing the footage has actually completed the game. For instance, Dead to Rights: Retribution is currently riddled with issues—it crashes frequently and remains largely unplayable. By researching gameplay videos beforehand, you can save yourself the frustration of attempting games that are not yet compatible with the emulator. Hopefully, this clarifies things for you!
How to Apply Game Patches on Xenia
Credit: Emulators & Gameplay HD
Many first-party Xbox 360 exclusives sadly suffer from major issues. Take for example the Gears of War series— they have this weird black texture on every character’s face, and the only way to fix this is through game patches. How do you apply these game patches for Xenia? It’s simple. Follow the instructions below:
- Go to Xenia Game Patches on GitHub and download the ZIP File
- Take the ZIP file and extract it somewhere. Now take the folder named patches and throw it in the same folder as Xenia Canary.
- Now search for the config file (notepad files) with the game’s name you want to apply patches for. In this case, we will look for Gears of War
- Change the appropriate settings. Hit save and you’re good to go.
- Check the full setup via images
- Put the patches folder alongside Xenia Canary
- Find the game you want
- Edit the ini file and save
How to Update Xenia Emulator
To update the Xenia emulator you have two options: either manually download a new release, or stick with the Xenia Manager which will let you know when a new release is available to download. The truth is, it takes a while for Xenia to see a major update as this —according to Benvanik — is just a passion project for him and his friends.
Does Xenia Support Kinect Games?
As of the time of writing this article, Xenia doesn’t support Kinect peripherals yet. It’ll be a long time before some of the Kinect capabilities will be emulated like RPCS3 did with the PS Move.
