Hacking Official Xbox One Retroarch Thread

Donnie-Burger

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hi all, I have a very strange problem regarding the Xbox device portal .... I updated my Xbox One few days back, then switched to dev mode, Retroarch would not start (took too long to load error). Today I installed the latest version (RetroArch-msvc2019-UWP_x64), set it up, pointed browser to ROMs, played games, etc .... when I tried to upload some BIOS files to the LocalState > system folder via FireFox web browser the spinner went round but nothing uploaded.

Thing is, I can infact upload files to other Retroarch folders via the portal but the system is not accepting files, therefore I cannot play Neo Geo arcade, PS1, SEGA Naomi .... has anyone else encountered this & has a solution ? Its been many months since I uploaded via the portal using Firefox, maybe something has broken in the latest Firefox version ?

I have found this post but the fix method described didnt work: https://forums.hololens.com/discussion/9283/i-can-no-longer-upload-files-through-device-portal
Change retroarch from app to game. Put files anywhere retroarch has access to. Have retroarch point to the bios file in settings. You can also ftp in and do this or file explorers with access.
 
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DeanCode

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I was having issues with Mupen64Plus-Next just showing a black screen, so I copied the v1.9.5 core into the current retroarch build, and that seemed to fix the black screen issues I was having. However, some games are working flawlessly (Super Mario 64, Mario Kart 64), some are stuttering a lot (Mario Party 2, Dr. Mario 64), and some are giving me weird visuals where I can't see much (Pokemon Stadium, Pokemon Stadium 2). I'm assuming I could fix this by messing with the settings, but nothing I've been trying has helped. Would anyone with a XBOX ONE S and a working Mupen64Plus-Next core be willing to share their settings with a noob?
Someone can help me i have the same problem ? Where can i get the 1.9.5 core ?
 

hooky1992

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Change retroarch from app to game. Put files anywhere retroarch has access to. Have retroarch point to the bios file in settings. You can also ftp in and do this or file explorers with access.

I eventually copied the BIOS files to another folder & pointed retroarch to it via settings.

I did try the ftp route (youtube.com/watch?v=uCl9zgqb0Jo) (https://www.mediafire.com/file/bz4uwdj5enqq5om/UniversalFtpServer_1.4.4.0_Debug_Test.zip/file) and was able to connect to my Xbox with Filezilla, but after the internal folders were listed & I clicked on LOCALFOLDER it threw a 451 error and I could not get any further. I was able to open all other folders though.

I can only assume the latest version (RetroArch-msvc2019-UWP_x64) has some sort of read / write protection on system folders ?
 

hooky1992

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I eventually copied the BIOS files to another folder & pointed retroarch to it via settings.

I did try the ftp route (youtube.com/watch?v=uCl9zgqb0Jo) (https://www.mediafire.com/file/bz4uwdj5enqq5om/UniversalFtpServer_1.4.4.0_Debug_Test.zip/file) and was able to connect to my Xbox with Filezilla, but after the internal folders were listed & I clicked on LOCALFOLDER it threw a 451 error and I could not get any further. I was able to open all other folders though.

I can only assume the latest version (RetroArch-msvc2019-UWP_x64) has some sort of read / write protection on system folders ?

Seeing as the official LibRetro advice is to put ROMs outside the internal folder structure (https://gbatemp.net/threads/official-xbox-one-retroarch-thread.518329/page-80#post-9475535) I think I am correct, see video below:



I encountered another problem I have not seen before but was able to fix ..... after playing Tekken on PSP I then tried a Dreamcast game, it crashed back to Retroarch with the error message "Failed to load file_path/game_name (during copy read)". Had a browse of the internal folders and seen the following in LocalState:

LocalState full.PNG


As we know, there is an internal limit of 2GB. Doing some research I discovered that if a Cache folder is not specified, RetroArch extracts temporary files to the LocalState folder. Since I was loading large game files it was full after loading Tekken.

After a fresh install, I then designated a Cache folder outside the RetroArch file system via the Directory settings:

cache.png


I was able to play a PSP game, then a Dreamcast game, and when I checked the LocalState folder there was no temporary copy of either game (there wasnt in the new Cache folder I created either).

However, there is now a quirky behavior I was hoping someone could help me solve ....

Previously (using version RetroArch-msvc2017-UWP_x64) I was able to play SEGA Naomi arcade games via flycast emulator with no issues. Using the updated RetroArch-msvc2019-UWP_x64 I tried to play Asian Dynamite (asndynmt.zip), it crashed with an error message of "Core does not support VFS". I then tried to open Capcom vs SNK (capsnk.zip) and the game played with no issues. Both game files are in the same folder outside the internal xbox folder structure by the way .

Had a browse of the internal folders and in LocalState there was copies of both games (asndynmt.zip and capsnk.zip). I was able to delete capsnk.zip straight away but no matter how many times I tired asndynmt.zip would not delete it took several attempts to delete asndynmt.zip .

Any ideas why this is happening & how to fix ? All feedback is much appreciated as always !!
 
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Digitalecho

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Hey guys, when trying to enter DEV mode, it tells me I need to update my Xbox when there's no update available for download.
I'm on Skip Ahead Insider program.
Anyone have a solution?
Hey yes, you need to go to the xbox store and download devkit activation. Once downloaded, open the app and you should get into dev mode
 
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hooky1992

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well that's the end of that 😡



UPDATE: Microsoft says it has no plans to remove or disable dev mode on Xbox consoles. A number of Partner Center accounts were disabled by mistake. “We are actively working on identifying and re-enabling these accounts as soon as possible.”

1641457487452.png


1641457562745.png


 
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hooky1992

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RetroArch 1.10.0 release​

(https://www.libretro.com/index.php/retroarch-1-10-0-release/)

Seems to be quite a few improvements for Xbox UWP:
  • UWP/XBOX: Fix content over 4GB (approx) failing to load, improve/speed up copy/load times
  • UWP/XBOX: Fix scanning for playlists
  • UWP/XBOX: Move content copied to LocalState to a dedicated dir and clear on startup
  • UWP/XBOX: Make content copy to a specific cache directory in the LocalState folder when it’s copied
  • UWP/XBOX: Auto delete VFS cache dir on startup
  • UWP/XBOX: Make resolution switching automatic and fix angle output issues
  • UWP/XBOX: Force ANGLE to render at 1080p regardless of screensize as the output is 1080p regardless of screensize. This fixes an issue where at 4k any angle output would be zoomed into a corner.
  • UWP/XBOX: Set resolution based on display resolution (auto 4k)
  • UWP/XBOX: Set driver to D3D11 if booting with opengl
  • UWP/XBOX: Reset width and height of output on boot to match display
  • UWP/XBOX: Mitigate need for VFS cores on NTFS drives
  • UWP/XBOX: Make check for standard I/O by access rather than the just assuming based on path string
  • UWP/XBOX: Add code to auto permissions so files can be accessed by non VFS cores (no exFAT or FAT32 support yet)

Also the following advice for anyone experiencing issues with USB drives:

* Connect your drive to a Windows PC
* Go to File Explorer
* Right click on your NTFS drive
* Do the following: Properties -> Security -> Advanced -> Add -> Select Principal -> Advanced -> Find Now > All App Packages > Ok > Tick Full Control > Ok > Enable Inheritance.
 

hooky1992

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RetroArch 1.10.0 release​

(https://www.libretro.com/index.php/retroarch-1-10-0-release/)

Seems to be quite a few improvements for Xbox UWP:
  • UWP/XBOX: Fix content over 4GB (approx) failing to load, improve/speed up copy/load times
  • UWP/XBOX: Fix scanning for playlists
  • UWP/XBOX: Move content copied to LocalState to a dedicated dir and clear on startup
  • UWP/XBOX: Make content copy to a specific cache directory in the LocalState folder when it’s copied
  • UWP/XBOX: Auto delete VFS cache dir on startup
  • UWP/XBOX: Make resolution switching automatic and fix angle output issues
  • UWP/XBOX: Force ANGLE to render at 1080p regardless of screensize as the output is 1080p regardless of screensize. This fixes an issue where at 4k any angle output would be zoomed into a corner.
  • UWP/XBOX: Set resolution based on display resolution (auto 4k)
  • UWP/XBOX: Set driver to D3D11 if booting with opengl
  • UWP/XBOX: Reset width and height of output on boot to match display
  • UWP/XBOX: Mitigate need for VFS cores on NTFS drives
  • UWP/XBOX: Make check for standard I/O by access rather than the just assuming based on path string
  • UWP/XBOX: Add code to auto permissions so files can be accessed by non VFS cores (no exFAT or FAT32 support yet)

Also the following advice for anyone experiencing issues with USB drives:

* Connect your drive to a Windows PC
* Go to File Explorer
* Right click on your NTFS drive
* Do the following: Properties -> Security -> Advanced -> Add -> Select Principal -> Advanced -> Find Now > All App Packages > Ok > Tick Full Control > Ok > Enable Inheritance.

I have installed this & boy oh boy is there a massive jump in performance on my Xbox One S !!

# PSP & Dreamcast games load instantly instead of waiting up to a few minutes
# games look awesome in full HD (internal resolution 1440 x 1080) with no slowdown
# I dont have to set frame skip in PSP anymore to avoid jerky visuals
# more descriptive error messaging when ROMs dont load
# no more caching ROMs in LocalState folder that then need deleting

So, the issue I had above with Asian Dynamite on Naomi ? Tried it with new version of Retroarch & it threw an error: "cant find 317-0495-com.ic3".

Googled it & found my own tutorial from last year, that spells out the exact problem! (https://gbatemp.net/threads/official-xbox-one-retroarch-thread.518329/page-80). Seems I had an outdated ROM for some bizarre reason ... and when I uploaded the proper ROM it worked perfect.

So glad the developers made the effort of getting the maximum power out of Xbox hardware, makes such a massive difference to everyone on lower spec versions like me. Might give the SEGA Saturn another go !!
 
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Donnie-Burger

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I have installed this & boy oh boy is there a massive jump in performance on my Xboe One S !!

# PSP & Dreamcast games load instantly instead of waiting up to a few minutes
# games look awesome in full HD (internal resolution 1440 x 1080) with no slowdown
# I dont have to set frame skip in PSP anymore to avoid jerky visuals
# more descriptive error messaging when ROMs dont load
# no more caching ROMs in LocalState folder that then need deleting

So, the issue I had above with Asian Dynamite on Naomi ? Tried it with new version of Retroarch & it threw an error: "cant find 317-0495-com.ic3".

Googled it & found my own tutorial from last year, that spells out the exact problem! (https://gbatemp.net/threads/official-xbox-one-retroarch-thread.518329/page-80). Seems I had an outdated ROM for some bizarre reason ... and when I uploaded the proper ROM it worked perfect.

So glad the developers made the effort of getting the maximum power out of Xbox hardware, makes such a massive difference to everyone on lower spec versions like me. Might give the SEGA Saturn another go !!
Yeah naomi and atomiswave you need the right roms.
 

wolfclpha

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For their next update they should either increase the internal drive from 30 GB to something like 50 GB or higher..... issue is some like myself would like to add a lot of HD texture packs which tend to be 2 to 4 times bigger than the actual game and the texture packs HAVE to be installed on the internal because of how the Retroarch app runs.
 
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Donnie-Burger

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For their next update they should either increase the internal drive from 30 GB to something like 50 GB or higher..... issue is some like myself would like to add a lot of HD texture packs which tend to be 2 to 4 times bigger than the actual game and the texture packs HAVE to be installed on the internal because of how the Retroarch app runs.
You can change that to your liking in dev mode.
 

wolfclpha

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You can change that to your liking in dev mode.
issue is i'm on my xbox series x and using retail mode. I had dev mode but its a pain to switch between the two modes. Also i can view and party chat with friends and access the rest of my xbox in retail mode. I know retroarch is now starting to put more focus on retail mode over dev which is a good thing. They just need to up the internal storage which i don 't know why they started so low. Originally it was 16 gb and they upped it to 30 gb last year. Here's to 2022 they up it to 50 gb or higher.
 
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GABO1423

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issue is i'm on my xbox series x and using retail mode. I had dev mode but its a pain to switch between the two modes. Also i can view and party chat with friends and access the rest of my xbox in retail mode. I know retroarch is now starting to put more focus on retail mode over dev which is a good thing. They just need to up the internal storage which i don 't know why they started so low. Originally it was 16 gb and they upped it to 30 gb last year. Here's to 2022 they up it to 50 gb or higher.
That isn't what happened. It's still 16 GB on Xbox One systems, and it always was 30 GB for the Series consoles. And this is something only Microsoft can do because it's just how the internal drive is partitioned. A simple update can't do that.

Also, Retail is still not the main focus of the Devs since its still unofficial. They only offer versions for Dev Mode, which other third parties take and upload to Retail (until those uploads are delisted anyway).
 

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