​

UPDATE: It seems like this new method has been removed and blocked yet again, similar to last time. It took Microsoft just a meager few hours to counter this new method, though it remains to be seen if this will continue in any case. Some reports from after the 1st down mention that this method is back again, which means that a possible game of cat and mouse between Devs and Microsoft will be on the frontline again.

Back in April, several users started reporting that their emulator applications in UWP format were getting blocked from running under the Xbox Series' retail mode. It all came down to Microsoft locking down the applications from running with the following message showing up when attempting to boot them: "This game or app can't be launched as it violates the Microsoft Store Policy."
However, emulator apps could still be installed and run under Dev Mode for both Xbox Series S and X consoles, but that didn't stop several developers to still dive in and attempt a new method for Retail mode viability.

After a couple of months since the news, developers SirMangler and TRW have started work on a new method for being able to install those emulators into retail mode, bypassing Microsoft's security. A new app store, called UWeaPons Store, has opened up in Patreon, and offers a way to install those applications (like Dolphin, RetroArch, Xenia, XBSX2) back into the Xbox Series' Retail Mode:

The UWeaPons store is an Xbox Emulation team comprised of SirMangler and TRW, the developers behind the Xbox ports of XBSX2.0 (PS2), Xenia (Xbox360) and Dolphin (GameCube/Wii)!

We offer access to a variety of emulators and emulator frontends (including RetroArch) without the need for a developer account, as well as way to support us to develop and work on the emulators we love!

It must be taken into consideration, however, that if you previously had emulators installed through the new method, your configuration will most likely not carry over to this new apps installed through UWeaPons Store. This does NOT mean that Microsoft has lifted up the previous ban on the apps, as those previously installed apps will still be locked in the console.

While the full method in which this is possible hasn't been disclosed by the developers themselves (probably to mitigate Microsoft's action to an extend), the way the new method works for the user is similar to a previous one, meaning the user has to provide an email to be whitelisted and be able to download the app from the UWP App Store, and adding to its, there's now a $2 fee from their Patreon, which then allows access to this new store.

There seems to be two key differences here, with one being that a lot of the metadata and the manifest of the application has scrapped off almost everything related to emulation, as to not trigger Microsoft's security, and that the UWeaPons Store utilizes only one download for all emulators, making uploads/downloads easier for both devs and users, and this also seems to help with the detection mitigation for the app.

Additionally, there's the uncertainty of whether or not Microsoft will, or rather, when they will counter this new method, as there's always the possibility of them finding out about the new homebrew store and working to remove it and/or lock it, just as they did with the previous method.

UWeaPons Store Patreon

 

[Xenogeist]

I wonder what will happend to people who pay 2.00$ monthly fee for this.

I'm glad I didnt fall for it.

 

[chrisrlink]

you had your chance MS I'm just waiting for those hacks to stop being sold to them and released to the public (pretty sure shutting down dev mode completely will be the final nail) it will be as bad as the other OS fiasco but worse since you had to pay for access

 

[Purple_Shyguy]

This, people are really paying 2$ per month to some random patreon just to spite Microsoft lmao. Let me guess, the emu devs receive nothing?
I mean I also dislike MS but they are literally the only console developer to allow running your own stuff via Dev Mode and that's a one-time fee.

The two guys with the patreon ARE the emulator Devs.

 

[Brawl345]

The two guys with the patreon ARE the emulator Devs.

They only made the ports.

 

[Purple_Shyguy]

They only made the ports.

"They only are developers that ported the emulators to Xbox"

Uh huh?

 

[BaamAlex]

"They only are developers that ported the emulators to Xbox"

Uh huh?

They didn't develop the emulators. That's the point of his statement. They ported but didn't develop it.

 

[Purple_Shyguy]

They didn't develop the emulators. That's the point of his statement. They ported but didn't develop it.

Forking an open source emulator and porting it to another platform is still development. I guess I'll message all the people who worked on bringing emulators to Switch and tell them they're not "real" developers.

 

[BaamAlex]

Now you're mixing things here. Developers for the switch for example are the "real" devs behind these emulators. They developed it AND ported it.

 

[Purple_Shyguy]

Now you're mixing things here. Developers for the switch for example are the "real" devs behind these emulators. They developed it AND ported it.

M4xw never developed ppsspp, flycast, mupen plus next, or citra. But he's been working on them for years.

Fgfdss ported Quake 1/2/3, Serious Sam, Duke Nukem, Unreal, Gzdoom, castle Wolfenstein and morrowind. But he never created those source ports so I guess he's not contributed much, huh?

 

[BaamAlex]

I see, you don't get the point. It's useless to discuss this with you. No one said that these people are no developers. They are developers in some way.

 

[TimPV3]

No one said that these people are no developers. They are developers in some way.

This guy

They only made the ports.

 

[driverdis]

What worries me about playing cat and mouse with retail mode is Microsoft just straight up removing Dev mode in retaliation.

Companies don’t learn so pulling an OtherOS move is something Microsoft would do and then pretend to not regret it later when the system ends up compromised.

 

[Deleted member 559230]

This guy

That shit cracked me up.

 

[wolffangalchemist]

I can emulate on my pc if i want for free at that, most modern computers can handle upto ps2 or wii emulation fairly well, and i have game pass on pc so i don't feel a need to invest in the xbox hardware let alone hack what is essentially archetectually a standard computer now days anyway. Pay gating the actual emulators that are suposed to be free is wrong even if it is $2, and eventually if they haven't already microsoft will stop that too.... If you have a xbox and must emulate other consoles on it just pay for dev mode it isn't that expensive.

 

[Purple_Shyguy]

I can emulate on my pc if i want for free at that, most modern computers can handle upto ps2 or wii emulation fairly well, and i have game pass on pc so i don't feel a need to invest in the xbox hardware let alone hack what is essentially archetectually a standard computer now days anyway. Pay gating the actual emulators that are suposed to be free is wrong even if it is $2, and eventually if they haven't already microsoft will stop that too.... If you have a xbox and must emulate other consoles on it just pay for dev mode it isn't that expensive.

I can't understand this mindset. There's people who pay $100+ for switch modchips. You used to pay $40+ for a flashcard back in the day for older systems.

Why is $2 a big deal to help throw a coffee at developers? I have a few people on patreon I pay $1 a month to like mx4w who work on emulators. What's the big deal? These dudes do this shit for free in their spare time why not throw a couple o bucks at them to help them out a little.

 

[linuxares]

@Purple_Shyguy

Because the entitled generation wants all for free

 

[Teletron1]

why this is an instant fail

one you tried to accept money .. this is rule number one in the gray hacking community you are tying yourself to an account leaving a digital trail while breaking federal and international laws

two every ding dong running to post a video

just pay for the stupid developer fee because non of that money is ever going to the developers of the emulators

 

[urbanman2004]

Xbox Series X | S Can Run Emulators in Retail Mode Again Thanks to a New Workaround

 

[wolffangalchemist]

I can't understand this mindset. There's people who pay $100+ for switch modchips. You used to pay $40+ for a flashcard back in the day for older systems.

Why is $2 a big deal to help throw a coffee at developers? I have a few people on patreon I pay $1 a month to like mx4w who work on emulators. What's the big deal? These dudes do this shit for free in their spare time why not throw a couple o bucks at them to help them out a little.

well.. if i must explain... in this case it's the risk of access being taken away by M$ for what you are now paying for, give dev's money if you like the apps and programs they make that isn't the issue here. and if these are open source projects from multiple dev's.. i doubt this is getting distributed between them, probably going to someone simply packaging them. just donate directly to the emulator dev's so you know the right people get to spend the money on coffee. as a long time supporter of free open source software who has made donations to people who do good work, i can say morally it is wrong to obligate anyone to pay for acess to open sounce software to even use it in the first place. make a close source app from scratch and sell it, no issues with that. this simply put isn't ok, right, or a good thing to start trending.

@Purple_Shyguy

Because the entitled generation wants all for free

ah yes me being 33 and entitled for not giving money to others who aren't even the original dev's of the emulators and the fact you could lose access to the software you are now paying for that was before completely free. what i said was apparently interpreted wrong and partially overlooked.
again if you feel a open source dev deserves some pocket money donate to them directly.
also most dev's don't obligate donations in the first place for access to the software this is a obligatory $2 to get access to open source projects and that's very wrong from a morality stand point. being entitled and not paying for open source software are not the same thing. if this was a closed source project all around built from the ground up yeah.. sure... pay for it...

 

[mrcroket]

I can't understand this mindset. There's people who pay $100+ for switch modchips. You used to pay $40+ for a flashcard back in the day for older systems.

Why is $2 a big deal to help throw a coffee at developers? I have a few people on patreon I pay $1 a month to like mx4w who work on emulators. What's the big deal? These dudes do this shit for free in their spare time why not throw a couple o bucks at them to help them out a little.

You are wrong, first, developing and porting software is not the same thing, not even close, so no, porting an already developed code does not make you a developer.

Second, porting open source software and wanting to charge people for it should make these people ashamed of themselves, because they are taking advantage of other people's non-profit work.

Lastly, if you were really interested in supporting developers you would donate money to the real developers, who have worked for years for free and selflessly to give us the community the possibility to play games on other platforms, not these freeloaders who take advantage of a security flaw to try to scrape as much money as they can.