- Boot Into DevMode using the most recent (green) app in Xbox Microsoft Store.
- Access URL from Dev Home, https, will have to trust certificate.
- First upload App, later will be asked for Libraries/Dependencies (Take a look at RetroArch Download Page, look for Xbox.
- In Dev Home go over RetroArch, press select/view, info, change from App to Game. This will enable reading from memory stick.
- You need to setup a input hotkey for accessing RetroArch menu, other than it you'll have to close RetroArch to quit game.
- By default just D-Pad works, there is an option to enable analogue.
After taking a look at current emulation scenario, found myself pretty excited about how easy it is to get multiple hardware emulation with RetroArch. Installed it into my Android smartphone, got pretty good results. Made my roms collection and as I have a Xbox One, decided to try installing into it. Doing this took me some time, I've not found an complete guide with all caveats I needed to learn the hard way.
- Xbox One ( or later I believe )
- USB stick that fits your roms. ( no need for usb 3.0, a regular one will be enough )
- Computer or Smartphone with OTG -> USB Plug
For being able to install not Microsoft store app you'll need to swap your Xbox into Developer Mode. For this you will have to pay an one-time fee to register yourself as developer. For this you'll have to follow this steps.
- Search for Dev Mode in Xbox Microsoft Store ( on console )
- This is the only big caveat about dev mode: It will show two apps, at time I write it, it is a green and a black one. If you check the release date of then you'll note that green is more recent. You have to install the most recent one, first time I tried with black one, got into some problems, had to reset console, but didn't lost any storage data ( games and apps ).
- Just follow the steps in the Dev Mode App, it will give you an code and asks to access an website and place it there.
- When accessing this website you'll have to acquire the one-time fee I mention before.
- After it it will ask to restart your console. It will take longer than usual, but will boot in Developer Mode.
An attention point here is, you may seen this in dev mode app instructions but may help to enforce it, when you boot into Dev Mode you'll not be able to see any of your Xbox Games or Apps. This does not hold you from leaving Dev Mode back into Retail mode ( normal mode ) and use your console normally, will give a tip about doing that later.
After booting, you will see an developer dashboard. From this you'll be able to jump into regular home and from home will be a Developer Home Page tile in home screen, so you may jump back to developer dashboard. In dev mode your console will commonly boot into this Developer Dashboard, you may change it to first load Regular Dashboard and get in Dev Home through Regular Home. For this go into Dev Home Setting ( currently second option under Home in the left side ), then go all the way down to bottom right corner, there will be a "Default home experience" menu, change it from Dev Home to Retail Mode, if you want to. Back to Dev Home, in the bottom right corner you'll find "Remote Access", there will be an address that looks like https://192.168.1.XXX:11443 , before accessing it in your browser I suggest getting into "Remote Access Settings" and disable Authentication, I didn't care about it as it is open just inside my home network and without auth was faster to get the job done. But feel free to keep auth and change username and password if you want to. On the device ( computer or smartphone ) you,ll access Xbox remote access, download the latest release of RetroArch, you may find it here. Under Xbox logo will be two important links, Download and Visual Studio Runtime Libraries, download both of them. Now access the Remote Access URL, Don't miss that it is a https link. When accessing it your browser say it could not check it SSL certify, no problem, go to advanced and click in trust and confirm. Exactly steps may vary to each browser. After the page load, you'll find "My games and Apps" section with a green Add button, click on it select the file you got from download like, after it'll asks for dependencies/libraries, select the one you got from Visual Studio Runtime. Proceed and wait for game upload and install. After installation, Retroarch will show in Dev Home (in console) "Games & Apps" middle section. Go over RetroArch and press select/view button. Select the view details options Change from App to Game. This is important other wise RetroArch won't be able to see files on external storage. That's it for side-loading, now RetroArch may be up and running, you will find it in your games.
No secrets here, just suggest creating a folder to each console type and use zip files, as RetroArch is able to run zipped files. I did it all by my smartphone using OTG adapter, Android asked for formatting it ( default ExFat, may also work with NTFS, didn't test), then just copy files to it. Plug it in any USB port and you are good to go.
Open RetroArch, in main menu go to on-line updater. Click in Update Core Files, Resources, Controller Profile, Data Base and Overlays/Menu Theme. You will notice even font change after update one of these. Other config you must do before starting playing, is choose a hotkey to open RetroArch menu after inside a game. For these follow this steps:
- Configurations
- Input
- hotkeys
- Combination for menu ( currently second option )
- I've choose Start + Select
Go to import content, there is analyze directory but I got better experience doing manual analysis.
In Manual Analysis, select directory of one console, probably will find your memory stick files in E:/, if not try other until find you data. Choose System Name, most of then is in - pattern. Then choose default core, for this one will bring this suggestion list, most of then I got from sites recommending then as best to each console type:
- GBA: mGBA
- GB/GBC: Gambatte
- SNES: Snes9x - Current ( not sure if others are better, open to suggestions )
- PSP: PPSSPP
PS: May add some other with suggestions.
Enable analyse inside files, this will enable load Roms directly from zip files. Then click Initialize Analysis. After this, when you go back into main RetroArch menu, you will find different console after a separator in left-side. Do the same for other consoles.
- Configurations
- On-line Updater
- Update thumbnails/miniatures of reproduction list.
Default games will work just with D-Pad and buttons, you may enable Analog Sticks:
- Configurations
- Input
- Control Port 1
- Type of Analogic to Digital
- Left Analogic
Looks like doing it without any Rom loaded, applies it it all cores, not sure about that.
- Configuration
- Screen/Display exhibition.
- Screen Notification
- Notification Visibility
- Show/Display Frames/FPS
Now just choose console, Rom and execute/play. You may add a Rom to favorites or change core to run it.
Go into Dev Home, in Quick actions is Leave Dev Mode. When click it make sure to Uncheck Delete side loaded games and apps, otherwise you'll lost your RetroArch and it's configs. It'll reboot to your Default Home and you'll be able again to play your games.
My RetroArch is not in English language, cause of it I made some <word>/<other_word> as I was not sure how it was written in English.
Please feel free to comment suggestions so we may improve this guide.
https://www.reddit.com/r/RetroArch/comments/k9ntv5/launching_roms_from_external_drive_on_xbox_series/ https://www.howtogeek.com/703144/how-to-install-the-retroarch-emulator-on-xbox-series-x-or-s/