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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

 

[TheDerpyDolphin]

Was considering buying a modern Xbox because of all the emulators available on it. Looks like Xbox has lost a potential new customer.

 

[Hayato213]

I don't own a xbox to know, but what's the difference between the retail mode and dev mode besides paying a fee to use it?

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.

 

[samcambolt270]

I don't own a xbox to know, but what's the difference between the retail mode and dev mode besides paying a fee to use it?

dev mode is a sandboxed mode where you can install your own signed applications, primarily for the purposes of testing stuff you made on real hardware prior to being released. Retail mode doesn't let you install your own stuff (obvs). The only reason people were able to uploade retail mode emulators was because some people were compiling and uploading the emulators as unlisted via their own dev mode xboxs

 

[emmanu888]

Shit. And i copied over my DDR Universe series DLC onto my One S last week to use it with Xenia.

But dev mode being a one time fee does make it interesting just to regain access to emulators.

 

[samcambolt270]

Shit. And i copied over my DDR Universe series DLC onto my One S last week to use it with Xenia.

But dev mode being a one time fee does make it interesting just to regain access to emulators.

From what I understand, you wont "regain access." You get to install emulators again, but you wont be able to access the old ones. Those are "ratail mode apps" and even if they didn't get their license revoked, you still wouldn't be able to access them in dev mode. You would have to essentially move all your settings and files over to the new ones.

 

[emmanu888]

From what I understand, you wont "regain access." You get to install emulators again, but you wont be able to access the old ones. Those are "ratail mode apps" and even if they didn't get their license revoked, you still wouldn't be able to access them in dev mode. You would have to essentially move all your settings and files over to the new ones.

Yeah that's what i thought. At least i only copied over small files like BIOS and DLC and kept all ISO's and ROM's on a USB drive.

 

[Sonic Angel Knight]

I see now. Seems kinda weird to have no access to games with a dev mode. But I guess they assume people will try to hack or cheat and stuff, maybe. So basically anyone can pay a fee to just get this dev mode and upload whatever apps they make for the xbox. I wonder if it's different than the dev mode stuff companies like capcom or square enix use to make retail games for the console. Has any... guess I'll call them hobbyist, been able to release a microsoft approved app that can be purchased on the xbox game store? I figured that's what the dev mode was for.

 

[godreborn]

I don't own a xbox to know, but what's the difference between the retail mode and dev mode besides paying a fee to use it?

you get more system resources supposedly, but I've never really noticed a difference other than how fucked up ftp is in dev mode, but you can use a file manager through xbox portal. only problem is you can only transfer one file at a time unless you zip up, which it will unzip transferring to the system.

 

[8376986e9]

Good thing I decided against getting an xbox and go for dedicated pc.

 

[Bladexdsl]

Of course Nintendo is responsible for this…

it wasn't good enough they tried to stop emualtors on their shitty tablet now they are going after other consoles that don't even have anything to do with them oh noz we cannot allow them to play our shitty mario games on a non nintendo console that is blasphemy!. they truly are pathetic now 100 times worse than apple ever was!!

 

[SylverReZ]

MS must be joking right.

 

[godreborn]

Give it another try. It seems that it takes the system a moment to revoke the access.

Yeah, it eventually happened to me.

 

[codezer0]

Being able to do this, was basically all of the reason I was ever considering a series x. Because I knew storage would eventually be a problem with it, and ps5 has zero games or compatibility to even care about beyond how quickly it can be hacked.

 

[ZeroFX]

Microsoft is a joke, along with Xbox.

 

[naddel81]

you get more system resources supposedly, but I've never really noticed a difference other than how fucked up ftp is in dev mode, but you can use a file manager through xbox portal. only problem is you can only transfer one file at a time unless you zip up, which it will unzip transferring to the system.

so you cannot USB your stuff over like in retail mode?

 

[Purple_Shyguy]

I feel like if I pay £20 for dev mode just to access emulators again it's like I'm bending over and lubing up my asshole for Microsoft.

 

[godreborn]

so you cannot USB your stuff over like in retail mode?

You can, I'm referring to ftp.

 

[CoolMe]

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).

 

[Xzi]

Well that didn't last long. Makes you wonder why they started allowing them in the first place, they had to have known a letter from Nintendo was going to be coming regardless of legal standing.

 

[b17bomber]

It looks like Microsoft is putting the screws to dev mode too.

"Anyone using dev mode, or planning to use dev mode should leave the Xbox Insider program

Why?
We've seen multiple consoles get hard bricked from updating in dev mode whilst in the Xbox Insider tier. "