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Microsoft has been dealing with a lot of iffy applications and software running amok in their stores since they enabled almost anyone to get a hold of development access to their systems starting from the Xbox One console (done mostly as a detriment to avoid their systems getting hacked, like what happened with the Xbox 360).

Due to that, there has been a constant fight between devs and Microsoft to get rid of those unauthorized applications from appearing in their store. Some might have seen some threads going around about RetroArch running through Retail Mode on Xbox consoles, and while RetroArch did end up in the store from time to time, the people in charge of the port had to constantly deal with Microsoft taking down the application constantly.

However, it seems like Microsoft got tired of this game of cat and mouse, and has finally decided to disable and prevent running any type of emulator application from running on any Xbox console altogether, with any attempt to launch an emulator app throwing error code 0x87E1002D.

The developers have shared the recent news on the Xbox Emulation Hub Discord server with the following:

It's been a good run guys!
As of today, it looks like Microsoft finally decided to fight back, and that faster takedowns weren't good enough.
https://support.xbox.com/en-US/help/errors/error-code-0x87e1002d

Error 0x87e1002d
"This game or app can't be launched as it violates the Microsoft Store Policy."

If you want any hope of Retail Mode emulation ever making a comeback NOW is the time to fight them on it.
Take it to Twitter, take it wherever you can and complain to Xbox about this decision.

So what are our current options for emulation on Xbox?
- Dev Mode is still very much an option.
You can either pay the stupid $20 / €20 fee, or you can simply make a new account set to TURKEY and pay $2 / €2, literally 1/10th the price.
- If your currently installed retail mode apps still work.
This will likely not last long, and they probably already don't work anymore.

-Will continue doing retail mode uploads from here on out?
Probably not. Unless this gets resolved, I'm going to focus on publishing weekly Dev Mode updates in #dev-announcements with our specialised cores for RetroArch.

While running the emulators through Dev Mode is still viable, it is unknown if Microsoft will tackle Dev mod next in any capacity, and it's still unknown if running applications like these from Retail mode will be available at all in any foreseeable future.

Xbox Emulation Hub Official Discord Server
Error code webpage on Xbox's site

 

[Desconocido90]

Xbox retail consoles can have two modes, Retail Mode (1) and Developer Mode (2). In Retail Mode, the console is in its normal state: you can play games and run apps acquired through the Xbox store. In Developer Mode, you can develop and test software for the console, but you cannot play retail games or run retail apps.

If you have paid the dev free, can you switch freely between the 2 modes? Or you become stuck on Dev mode?

 

[Hayato213]

If you have paid the dev free, can you switch freely between the 2 modes? Or you become stuck on Dev mode?

You can switch between them, require a restart.

 

[Deckard5621]

It says on discord it was Nintendo specifically

 

[A-Hacked-Soul]

"You can either pay the stupid $20 / €20 fee"
Its $20 to run any homebrew I want without a risk of banning my account! Geez go get a PS4 then.

 

[naddel81]

"You can either pay the stupid $20 / €20 fee"
Its $20 to run any homebrew I want without a risk of banning my account! Geez go get a PS4 then.

it was 43,66 TRY for me. so that is 2 bucks essentially. paid and done for now!

 

[Xzi]

It says on discord it was Nintendo specifically

As litigious as Nintendo is known to be, there's no chance they would've actually sued over this because they know they'd just end up paying legal fees for both sides. Emulators are 100% legal. Microsoft should've called their bluff.

 

[K3Nv2]

I feel for the dudes that was making bank off this but knew it was bound to happen. It's a retail Xbox system meant for retail Xbox official games. Us being able to do this was a luxury. Imo tons of new handhelds out there worth getting that does ps2 pretty smoothly if you don't want to pay the $20 a month dev mode option which I doubt they won't remove possibly ban accounts. No real major loss to me imo it was cool while it lasted.

 

[Marc_LFD]

okay, it's now doing it to me as well. dev mode apps still work fine. those are unlikely ever to be removed or that system is going to get hacked up the ass.

Seems kind of pointless, but since they're igniting the fire, then they're asking for it.

 

[DSoryu]

Damn, so it is actually Nintendo's fault....

Making friends as always/s

 

[Lumstar]

That sux! Makes you think that if MS was really against emulators they wouldn't've allowed it from day 1, which makes the theory about MS being pressured by a 3rd party like (Nintendo or Sony) more plausible imo, and this is the result of that (at least for now).

This isn't a new rule. It's closing a loophope.

Emulators that let you run any game (emulated commercial compilations are packaged/licensed for specific games), were never permissible on the Microsoft Store.

 

[DinohScene]

Ah shit, here we go again.

 

[naddel81]

I cannot find "duckstation-uwp.appx" for the life of me. Where to get it? Any help is highly appreciated.

 

[JeepX87]

I wish that Xbox Series S/X run full Windows OS and treat like PC gaming.

 

[Purple_Shyguy]

I feel for the dudes that was making bank off this but knew it was bound to happen. It's a retail Xbox system meant for retail Xbox official games. Us being able to do this was a luxury. Imo tons of new handhelds out there worth getting that does ps2 pretty smoothly if you don't want to pay the $20 a month dev mode option which I doubt they won't remove possibly ban accounts. No real major loss to me imo it was cool while it lasted.

One time $20. Not per month.

 

[K3Nv2]

One time $20. Not per month.

Hm swear it was monthly or I'm just use to everything in the books being a monthly charge.

 

[halfashark]

Microsoft should be more worried about fixing their OS Windows instead of "fixing" a console.
Really, these days, the end user has literally no rights over owned hardware.

Microsoft gave up on making anything off single-user licenses of their OS years ago. They make more money off office and cloud subscriptions and their console.
They will still happily charge you out the ass for a windows license but windows itself (outside of the gigantic pile of cash they get for selling OEM copies to laptop/PC manufacturers, offices and schools) is no longer their priority.

 

[samcambolt270]

Yeah, it eventually happened to me.

It's possible that turning the internet off for anyone who hasn't turned their xbox on since the rollout could maybe prevent it from revoking the license, maybe?

 

[godreborn]

It's possible that turning the internet off for anyone who hasn't turned their xbox on since the rollout could maybe prevent it from revoking the license, maybe?

Won't work. I think the series x forces you to be up to date or it will not function.

 

[CMDreamer]

MS is not cool again.

Never had been. This is one of the reasons I don't and never will own an xbox.

 

[samcambolt270]

Won't work. I think the series x forces you to be up to date or it will not function.

I don't have a series X, but series s at least runs apps just fine without being updated. I hadn't turned my internet on for it for weeks (after accidentally fucking up some port forwarding) and was able to play games on it just fine, including the retail mode emulators before.