Emulation on the Xbox Series S (PS2, GameCube, Wii, Dreamcast, and more)

I've seen a lot of hype about emulation on the Xbox Series S, and so I decided to put it to the test. Turns out the hype is real, and this is easily the best gaming performance you can get for $300. Oh, and it plays Xbox games, too.
Xbox Series S/X and Xbox One Emulation Guide: • Guide: Retro Emulation...
The Xbox Series S is currently available directly on the Microsoft Store with free shipping (non-affiliate link): www.xbox.com/en-US/consoles/x...
** Correction: since posting this video, I have learned that you can use an external hard drive to load/play Xbox One/360 games on the Series models, just not any that are upgraded or optimized for the Series consoles. So only upgraded and optimized games will need to be moved to the internal storage before booting.
Timestamps:
00:00 introduction
01:40 specs and unboxing
03:24 user experience and Xbox games
06:11 emulation setup
07:31 gameplay testing (various)
10:54 PSP testing
11:57 GameCube & Wii testing
15:16 PS2 testing
17:28 summary (likes and dislikes)
21:18 conclusion
If you want to support the channel, please consider Patreon: / retrogamecorps
Intro theme song sampled from "Hexadecimal Genome" by Bit Shifter:
bit-shifter.bandcamp.com/albu...
Note that this description may contain affiliate links. By clicking on an affiliate link and buying something, I may earn a small commission of the sale at no extra cost to you.
This video is for entertainment and educational purposes only.
#Xbox #RetroArch #RetroGaming

[@RetroGameCorps]

The complete Xbox Series S/X and Xbox One emulation guide is now live, check it out here! kzbin.info/www/bejne/eJW0e4mLq9F6aaM

[@IronKnee963]

I could either build a PC for 300 bucks or in most cases use my already existing PC to emulate these games. lol

[@crispyryce3585]

It looks like Microsoft are taking away dev mode from people who don't develop.

[@ehat]

I've really been enjoying this channel and this video is one of the best. Metrics are nice and all, but your ability to convey the overall experience of this device is unmatched. I can't wait for the setup video!

[@RetroGameCorps]

Thanks for watching, ehat!

[@JohnSmith-uu5ov]

I have a series x, what are your thoughts on getting an Xbox 360 emulator working on it? Maybe not at 4k 60fps, even 1080p 30fps would be an improvement, as the original Xbox 360 ran at 720p with frame rates well below 30fps. I'd settle for 720 if a decent frame rate was possible. Good video btw :)

[@dwaynehicks6714]

@@JohnSmith-uu5ov Isn't it backwards compatible with 360 games in any case? Why would you need emulation?

[@JohnSmith-uu5ov]

@@dwaynehicks6714 Yes, but back compat doesn't cover every game before the previous generation, so I can play all Xbox one games, and the main Xbox 360 games, and a large number of og Xbox games. But there are games that they haven't gotten permission for, like a few Konami games etc, many games are difficult to get the copy rights for. So I really want og Xbox and Xbox 360 emulator.

[@epobirs]

A major inaccuracy: you can in fact run all Xbox One, Xbox 360, and OG Xbox games from an external USB drive. They won't get the benefit of the SSD load times but will run identically to how they'd run on an Xbox One from external storage. (There is some speed up from the much faster CPU performing setup tasks like decompression far faster but the portion of the load entirely dependent on the drive and USB combination remains the same.) You can use an external SATA SSD to make fuller use of the USB bandwidth, as Microsoft chose to only support the 5Gb/s Gen 1 mode. The only software that has to live on the SSD to run is native apps that are designed with the SSD performance in mind. If the file isn't signed as a Series S/X app, the system doesn't care where it's stored.

[@stockpistol]

Oh shit I be able to play some og nfs games

[@hondasir21]

I don't think you can store roms/isos on external usb drive and load the games via retroAtch off from it.

[@MorrisseyMuse]

@@hondasir21 you actually can, I currently have N64 games running on my Xbox from a USB stick :)

[@girIcore]

Are you sure about ALL the old Xbox 360 and OG Xbox games?? I thought you could only play the ones they allow.. if so pls teach me

[@epobirs]

@@girIcore All the SUPPORTED BC games, obviously. I didn't think it was necessary to spell out every little detail but some of you kids are a bit slow.

[@scipio8866]

Thank you thank you. Can’t wait to try this out on my Series S. Looking forward to the next video

[@palistrokin]

I just discovered your channel a couple weeks ago and I have to say that you're doing a great job. The videos keep me interested throughout and the way you explain everything is fantastic. Keep up the great work!!!!

[@Khalrua]

I'm so into this channel!

[@RetroGameCorps]

I'm so into you being into this channel!

[@petergaming3748]

Randomly came across this video. Absolutely fantastic. Subscribed and looking forward to going through your catalogue. Thank you!

[@RetroGameCorps]

Welcome aboard!

[@Nexus71c]

Great video! I've been using Dev mode for a decent time now, and must admit it's an amazing way to emulate games! When you mentioned stutters in Chains of Olympus for when you used a new ability, I almost figured you didn't know what shader cache was, then you mentioned it and I was like "I mean, he does this stuff all the time, so of course he knows lol" Also for when you bought MCC again.. I was just screaming "Buy Game Pass lol". It has a ton of first party titles that are there all the time, and they come day 1 upon release most of the time. For $10 just on Xbox, great deal and has a decent X/S Optimized library. $15 if you want it on PC as well as Gold attached. It's just way more worth it than buying the games on their own (especially those you own physically you can't play now thanks to No drive on the S) You probably know all this, but just saying it's a worthy investment And external drives work with emulation! You can launch games from that no problem! I forget if those need to be formatted or if they need to be unformatted to the Xbox. As for Xbox games, only Series X/S Optimized games require to be on the internal/expansion slot. Everything else can be played on external

[@brunopizarro9256]

"Even Terafloppier than the S" that cought me off guard XD

[@kingsontoast1848]

Yo im stoned n that blew my mind, almost choked my face off ha

[@feeglesnorf9351]

@@kingsontoast1848 you are the first other stoner ive met in the emulation community, cheers my baked friend and happy gaming

[@bryanx0317]

@@feeglesnorf9351 Checking in as a stoner here.

[@Lssj]

Did somebody say stoner? Count me in

[@kingsontoast1848]

@@Lssj hell yeah player

[@hadouken2123]

Going to try this on my series S this weekend. Thanks for the guide

[@unbearifiedbear1885]

We live in a world where the best place to play PlayStation Libraries is on a Xbox 😔

[@AR-ey1ur]

Wrong. There is no way you can emulate Playstations better on Xbox than on PC. PC is infinitely more powerful and PS emulators have been developed for PC for many, many years now...

[@unbearifiedbear1885]

@@AR-ey1ur 😂 awww

[@theinfinity2994]

@@AR-ey1ur PC is trash. Not worth paying $10,000 to play emulation

[@edypadron7292]

@@theinfinity2994 could literally run it on a PC less than 400$

[@birdman4birdlegs]

@@theinfinity2994 Running switch, ps3, wiiu and everything older than that with netplay on a 500 machine. I could go cheaper but I would have to go cheaper on my graphics card which dosen't get used as much as cpu during emulation. Your idea of what computers cost is wildly wrong

[@WickedGamerCollector]

It's indeed good concept with the Xbox & Retro Arch. 👌

[@RebornAudio]

Okay ✅

[@cameronrodriguez2730]

this is a TERRIBLE concept, If i remember correctly you have to put it in developer mode then you cant use the xbox to play xbox games???????? fuck that just get a laptop if you wanna play these old games

[@De1usionsofGrandeur]

@@cameronrodriguez2730 it is true that you use developer mode but you can switch back and forth anytime you want so you still have access to normal xbox stuff

[@ajaakola2]

@@cameronrodriguez2730 Getting that much power to play those games won't be happening on a cheap laptop lol. If you really.like emulation that consoles is a real beast

[@Nomidy]

@@cameronrodriguez2730 what 300$ laptop plays modern games at 120fps 1440p and emulates retro games perfectly? Exactly

[@Zro_KewL8496]

Another excellent video my emulation brother,One day I would love to see you go LIVE on one of your emulation guides or reviews that would be awesome 😎 well my friend keep up the guy work.. looking forward to more of your VIDS!!

[@L.A.Tex_Norway]

Brilliant video - keep up the fantastic work!!!

[@fabiobezerra9569]

Great vídeo, i have one console like this (but with disc drive) and never imagined it was able to do so much. Thank you very much. ✌️😁

[@DesertFoxNL]

Looking forward to the Guide, amazing !

[@goyban]

I'm doing this one year later, PS2 performance is very good! I'm playing God of War and Need for Speed Most Wanted and most of the times it's on 60 fps. It just shows how much it got better in 1 year and you may know that you don't even need to go to dev mode to this anymore!

[@JURARJ]

hello, sorry for my little update on the devkit subject. but I saw that you posted your comment recently and I would like to know how currently it is no longer necessary to go to Dev mode... can you help me please ?

[@goyban]

@@JURARJ Sorry I missed your reply, unfortunately Microsoft pulled the plug on this and everyone now has to go with Dev-mode for that.

[@leoultimaupgraded9914]

does it still work? I heard you cant use Retail mode but you can still use Dev Mode, does that mean this still works or it doesnt work anymore?

[@goyban]

@@leoultimaupgraded9914 was working untill couple of weeks ago but Microsoft decided to end it. But it is still possible with dev mode.

[@leejbird1984]

Emulation was the deciding factor for me to buy the Xbox series S. Can’t wait to see more of your videos on this!😊

[@RetroGameCorps]

Awesome, glad you found it useful!

[@petebagwell6666]

If I use this am I gonna get banned?

[@kylederksen2903]

@@petebagwell6666 No.

[@CeeWorld69]

@@petebagwell6666 Did you even listen to anything he said in the video lol?

[@matejamicic3037]

@@petebagwell6666 its literally a service officialy made by microsoft

[@cultofgaurav]

Such a comprehensive, entertaining video! You, sir, have earned a new subscriber/fan!

[@CJ_IceCissalc]

Wow! Simply WOW! To see Dreamcast being so well emulated!

[@TheWorldOfRipX]

Re Dream is awesome also

[@kingsontoast1848]

Awsome video dude, diggin the retro vibes and game pass is class, king on toast

[@arvindhmani06]

Regular watcher here, Russ. Your videos are a joy for a KZbin addict or for a video game nerd. You manage to check both boxes very well. Keep 'em coming!

[@xinx666]

Dude this is epic. I have an xbox series s and enjoy it very much. But i long so much to these old nintendo games that i got dolphin on android with an xbox controller in my phone casting to my tv. This is my next project to get all the consoles in one! Thank you so much for showing up on my feed!

[@CesarURamirez]

Just ordered mine last night I will be watching and studying retroarch closely thank you just subscribed

[@RetroGameCorps]

Hope you enjoy it!

[@TheGamingCirclePodcast]

Great video. I've been using my Series S (and X) for this purpose for a while now but its always nice to watch a good video on it. Looking forward to seeing your setup video. I've been tinkering with mine for months now and I still don't think I have it perfect. There are also other interesting emulators available outside of Retro Arch that you should consider.

[@MoBro-mf5tg]

Do you have any good emulator names on xbox to share ?

[@SkyScourgeGod]

My family, knowing I was a gamer kind of guy, bought me a Series S last Christmas much to my surprise. My Xbox collection is 95% physical so I had no real use for the Series S, but I knew of its potential for emulation so I was excited to get it regardless. It basically became my best excuse to try other games on other systems I didn't have access to yet. One of my favorite systems to emulate on the Series S is Virtual Boy, the VB itself kind of sucks to play but the games it has are mostly pretty great. You can play basically anything for the Virtual Boy perfectly and the core allows for alternate colors palates. I use the classic black, white and grey palate since its pretty close to looking like a supped up Gameboy Pocket that way. I also like trying out arcade games, though mileage has varied with those game when it comes to performance. By the way, pro tip if you'd like to use another controller: there are plenty of adapters you can use that allow other controllers like the Dualshock 3 and/or 4 to be used on your Xbox. Very handy when dealing with games that play better with a d-pad rather than an analog stick.

[@SkyScourgeGod]

@@hamiltondouglas2746 Assuming I could find one. Even then I still have to drop quite a bit of money to match the price of a Series X. Not only that, but I wouldn't use the Series X for dev mode as all of my memory would absolutely HAVE to go to the Xbox games since they're so huge. Some games on the retroarch emulator via dev mode won't play unless they're transfered to the internal drive for some reason. The Series S, while not ideal for a physical collector like me, still has its purpose. If I got a Series X it would replace my Xbox One not my Series S.

[@SkyScourgeGod]

@Yvng remixer (Dead) Its not dumb to be thought of during the holidays even if the gift isn't 100% ideal. My family isn't fully aware of my collecting preferences or even my current physical library. Us gamers are notoriously hard for others to get gifts for, but even then I found good use for the Series S so it worked out fine. I'm not in a rush toget a Series X so the Series S was a neat little experiment for me.

[@SkyScourgeGod]

@Yvng remixer (Dead) Oh for sure. I still have my OG One and my One X. My Series S only emulates what I don't have or don't plan to collect for which is mostly non-Neo Geo arcade stuff, Virtual Boy, NES and SNES. I've got a real console and real games for pretty much everything else. The Series S is also nice for Plex and Netflix.

[@REAL6]

@Yvng remixer That was such a dumb decision to not ready what he wrote correctly.

[@booyahmcdick]

loved your point on the Xbox disc for the new consoles as it was the main reason I bought an a series x. Mind you, its still painful once verified and downloaded (and that's all disc games), you still need to put in the disc every time like its PS3.

[@whiteboyfrik5864]

Just was i was looking for, awesome review

[@adamadkins7489]

I've bought two series s consoles, its the best looking next gen console. Very nice form factor and looks much better in person. The new series controllers feel high quality.

[@GORO911]

Already got a PS5. But the emulation capabilities on the X are amazing. Might be my first time buying an XboX, now it is definitely in my plan.

[@lopezfrancisco972]

Retroarch in xbox is that good cause u cant do vulkan nor opengl

[@johndamilkman]

That's not how you type Xbox

[@GORO911]

@@johndamilkman I am used to type it like that.

[@mike_t_007]

@@johndamilkman lol

[@Ri.DoBravaDo]

Really liked this video. Have learnt a lot about the Xbox series just now. Awesome stuff. Subscribed!

[@RetroGameCorps]

Welcome aboard!

[@Mlock76]

Thanks for another great video! Quick question: what settings do you recommend for N64 emulation specifically Goldeneye? I recently bought the Super Console X King (based off your awesome review video 👍) and wanna make sure am getting the best possible performance. Aside from upscaling to 720p, did you adjust anytime else in the options menu? Thanks again.

[@T.Sizzle]

Wow. This on the latest generation of Xbox at this time is … game changing (cringe saying that, but it really is) Recently discovered your channel. Very nice. Awesome work! You’ve revived my retro gaming bug! And it’s something my teenage son & I can do together. Quick question: what about some of this emulation on Xbox One X ? Is some of the capability still there? Thanks for all the info!

[@T.Sizzle]

I asked too soon. Another excellent video guide you created answers all my questions! Thanks again! kzbin.info/www/bejne/eJW0e4mLq9F6aaM

[@jasonwilson30]

You can play all previous gen games from the external hard-drive/SSD. You can even quick-resume from the external.

[@thommohawk1216]

I dont think it was covered in the video (elsewise fantastic btw) but id be curious to know what the shader situation is like on the Xbox consoles as you cannot run them on Vita at all and you need decent hardware to run most of the shaders well - especially Crt Royale etc. Got the idea to use the Analog shader pack on the Xbox could be a great mix for HDTVs to properly mimic Crt televisions in this case.

[@mietek7068]

I was waiting for this!!!

[@NorthGameStudio]

This was awesome. What a great idea. Looks like I might hold out for the series X after all. I wonder if there is a mod that can be setup for using your own external drive?

[@KinaRori]

Using your own external drive is fine, and that will be okay for Xbox 360 games. The reason the expansion card is expensive is its a small form factor plug n play SSD. In order for the newer Xbox Series X|S to function and run properly they need to run on an SSD as they were designed for that. That being said, Dev kit mode is only for internal storage. In summary, an external drive is usable, but only for archiving series X|S games or keeping xbox 360 games. The internal storage and proprietary card are for emulation and new games.

[@hikermicefrommars.2724]

@@KinaRori you also run Xbox one games from an external.

[@biglevian]

Just to be clear, the series s can also output 4k@120hz, it's just not the target for development. You also can play none- Series games just fine from an external drive.

[@Jaceftp]

only by upscaling, which can look shiet.

[@oddgbmo3036]

​@@Jaceftp same is said for Xbox series x and PS5. Most of the time games have upscaling enabled for 4k. Look at Fortnite for example, Lumen mode in 4k 60 fps has not only upscaling but dynamic resolution as well. It runs 800 to 1000p in most instances.

[@mcksolutions]

Great video, perfect breakdown. I have a series x and also run the nvidia shield, so options. Where are you getting all of your roms?

[@Louc4356]

Perfect timing I was just thinking about getting one

[@kabutocub]

Can I just say... your channel is amazing. Your videos are so well put together, your voice and narration are great to listen to, and your laser focus on affordable retro-emulation devices and solutions is perfect. Without naming other similar channels by name, because I do also enjoy those channels, I will say that the fact that you keep a certain price range with the devices you cover is pretty great. Other channels will review "tiny computers" that are worth hundreds of dollars, or PC builds for emulation that again, are worth hundreds of dollars, and to me that falls beyond the scope of retro-emulation. Of course a Ryzen PC will run everything. Duh. My main computer is pretty powerful, I already know I can run almost everything there. You keep it in the realm of affordable Chinese-made mini consoles, portables and SBCs which I think is a lot more interesting (this video being a relative exception to that formula for obvious and interesting reasons). Anyways, sorry for rambling, I just love your channel. You deserve all the views and all the follows. Thanks for all the hard work!

[@RetroGameCorps]

Thanks Javier, I appreciate you taking the time to write this. I'll obviously dip into more expensive material when I get my hands on the Steam Deck, but you're very right that I think the sub-$300 space is the sweet spot for retro gaming, and also the most interesting :)

[@merman1974]

I am in a similar position, a load of Xbox discs from the past and Games With Gold freebies - I definitely want an Xbox Series machine, considering the X more after this video and definitely interested in emulation on it.

[@newrockerofficial294]

Great video, really enjoyed it. I'm going to buy that 1TB expansion for My Series S so I can play The Old Xbox games that I cannot access through the store.

[@shalom8858]

You should do an updated video about Series S emulation. They dropped a standalone dolphin front end and it’s gaining a lot steam. Not seeing many newer videos discussing other system emulation though.

[@MashTec]

Hmm…great idea to make the Xbox a retro gaming station ;) really brings a lot of value with it by supporting so many systems and even "never ones" like the Wii.

[@hantke1989]

2 days after buying a Series S, what a nice gift :) Thank you!

[@RetroGameCorps]

Enjoy!

[@HUYI1]

Can you buy a Xbox series s without paying high prices tho?

[@hantke1989]

@@HUYI1 I pay 300 eur (I live in Spain) here the console is on stock, so you do not have to overpay. I even get 3 months of ultimate pass for 20 eur (normally, each month is like 12 eur I think). On the other hand, getting a series X or PS5 is really difficult.

[@scipio8866]

@@HUYI1 I found one at Target the other day

[@philsurtees]

I have a Series X, so this is *_INCREDIBLY USEFUL_* thank you!

[@martinlear6414]

Another Great Video, Been waiting for your Nvidia shield TV Review for comparison.

[@RetroGameCorps]

Sorry, it's taken a backburner due to other projects I'm working on. It's near the top of my list though!

[@martinlear6414]

@@RetroGameCorps Thanks so much for the reply, your videos are so good to watch. Keep up the great work and look forward to the Nvidia shield Video. Your channel will grow quickly because it's so well put together and is very informative.

[@wolffactor56]

Definitely would be interested in batocera version in the future.

[@retroman7331]

Batocera is the best

[@msipandaify]

Another great one!! I got a series s because it was all I could get my hands on, and it was annoying to buy some games that I have in disc form... But then I put RetroArch on it and because of that I have finally played through wind waker!

[@RetroGameCorps]

And the best thing about Wind Waker on RetroArch...I can remap the right analog stick so that it doesn't hurt my brain any more! :)

[@darthwiizius]

@@RetroGameCorps Yeah they really hadn't figured out the twin stick back in the GC days, weird really because Goldeneye had an option to use 2 pads for that purpose way back. The game that remapping the pad helps me the most on is Beyond Good & Evil because I like to invert my right stick up and down but when you invert on this game it also inverts your left and right, even on the current PC version to this day as far as I know(haven't launched the PC version for a couple of years) which is a shame because it's a really fun game otherwise.

[@RetroGameCorps]

@@darthwiizius loved that game.

[@darthwiizius]

@@RetroGameCorps Yeah it's one of the best multi plat ARPGs I ever played. I got on Cube, 360 and PC(so far).

[@pancon5]

@@RetroGameCorps I did the same thing on the marvellous Cemu (Windows only sadly), brain hurts otherwise!

[@47thdarkdimension]

You've got the best intro music 🎵

[@jasonshiers5771]

I braught a £50 pound kindle fire 7 , put Google play on there and it plays N64 no problems as well as most of the PSP library. I'm gonna try Dolphin this weekend and see if it preforms. I'm not expecting much as it can't run Dreamcast that well. Good video Russ.

[@patrickrainville]

That’s a shame about some of the performance on PS2 games. Has this been addressed at all in the last month or so? I would primarily be using it to play Xenosaga and Shadow Hearts trilogies

[@MorrisseyMuse]

I doubt it alas, there's alot of bad performance with many emulators on the Xbox still in my experience. N64 games like No Mercy and many PS2 games run a lot better on native hardware. I'm hoping it will improve one day

[@The_Phoenix_Saga]

Oh hear hear - if xenosaga manages to be played on it - I hope I find out about it so I can do it myself

[@TAMPATLBLACK]

Heard the PS2 games run much better if do em without the dev kit on Series S?!.

[@HonkeyKong54]

Give it time. There is people working on them I'm pretty sure.

[@Ahakartune]

Yessir just played vice city stories for 2 hours at a silky smooth 4k and locked 30 fps compared to 19-27 on ps2 lol look up xbsx2 videos 💪🏼

[@bugboy459]

Question, in terms of storage space, why couldn't you just buy an external Hard Drive with a couple TBs and use that to store your emulated games? Can RetroArch not read off the external hard drive?

[@HonkeyKong54]

It can yes but they start way faster off the internal imo.

[@hotdogflavoureddrink]

Super informative video. I want to get an S just for emulation!

[@kpm1023]

your videos always blow my mind i didnt even think of using the series s for emulation. great video

[@anonymousprofessor8866]

@Retro Game Corps. I definitely found this outstanding video helpful. I have the Series X and am hoping one day Batocera will work on my console. How cool would it be to just plug in that Cassette style Batocera build 2TB HDD I got from china and play it with the Xbox series X.

[@RetroGameCorps]

That would be amazing!

[@anonymousprofessor8866]

@@RetroGameCorps This mini PC reviewed by ETA PRIME I think is a good emulation option for Batocera and would like to know your thoughts. kzbin.info/www/bejne/sKLJXmxtfrqaZ8k Also I want to say that your channel and videos are amazing and helpful!!

[@BashoStrikes]

I have all four next gens in my collection but this is the only console that gets played out of the four. I set it up for emulation in my party room and folks just love it! The other three consoles just sit on display looking....... next gen.

[@RetroGameCorps]

Of the next gen consoles I had planned on buying a PS5, but I have really been loving this Series S so I understand your sentiment :)

[@Cyko..]

Fantastic video! I don't own the XBOX Series S or X yet. I haven't been able to find either at retail price. But I look forward to when I do find one so I can enjoy both worlds of XBOX gaming and retro gaming on one system!

[@RetroGameCorps]

If you're in the US, I've found that the Microsoft Store consistently has Series S devices for sale at retail price and with free shipping. Places like Best Buy are continuously cleaned out!

[@MrCumstein]

I was hoping you'd delve into using this as an emulation console. The value of this system is through the roof. Thanks, Russ.

[@HUYI1]

Not really tbh when you consider gamepass and Xbox live too

[@rajakhan12346]

@@HUYI1 sthu

[@MrCumstein]

@@HUYI1 Doesn’t that just contribute to the value? 😂

[@studioviper3016]

I hope Launchbox gets ported over... Retroarch is great as a backend, but awful as a frontend

[@retroman7331]

Launchbox/bigbox isn't that good, so much to set up. What you want is Retrobat or batocera, free and all set up already.

[@studioviper3016]

@@retroman7331 yeah, fine.. I prefer Launchbox but I'd be happy with any front end being ported.

[@Bosquez88]

I'm really interested in getting the Series S. Simply for the emulation.

[@xxobitoxx3277]

Great video as always! Hold on I thought if you turn on development mode you couldn’t play regular series x/s games or did I understand that wrong? Hoping I’m wrong!

[@RetroGameCorps]

It's a dual-boot mode, you can switch between the two freely.

[@xxobitoxx3277]

@@RetroGameCorps oh I was already looking forward to your video on how to set it up but now I can’t wait!

[@gzero26]

Very good review, glad the Xbox series s is getting some love. Might have to pick one up if this video doesn't make it impossible to get one now lol

[@RetroGameCorps]

I'm not sure that I've reached that "influencer" status yet :)

[@bryanx0317]

I think there's no question that the series s hardware can handle any of these retro consoles. In fact I doubt there's any significant improvement if you were to try it on a series x. No, as you stated, give this a year or two and I think any retro system will be emulated perfectly on the series s/x

[@RetroGameCorps]

So far, the only performance difference I've seen based on my experience with the S and watching videos with the X is that PS2 and Wii seem to run a bit better (likely due to the .2GHZ CPU clockspeed improvement on the X). But yeah they're very close!

[@bryanx0317]

Considering the Xbox Series X/S is one of the "big 3's" newly released consoles and has full access to developer mode, this system should see more love for old school emulation than any other system other than an actual Windows PC.

[@Simon_83]

Hey, You don't have to move games to the internal storage to play them, I'm using a 1tb external hard drive what I used to use for my Ps4 and pretty much all the games on game pass play from it, even the master chief collection works fine, even though it has been enhanced. Most new games do need to play from the internal storage though.

[@looweegee252]

Same

[@Nexus71c]

You only have to move games to internal if it's X/S Optimized. Anything else can be played through an external

[@assrapedsydephil9514]

I have roms on an external drive on pc. Would i be able to download xbox games/roms on xbox without formatting the pc roms?

[@looweegee252]

@@assrapedsydephil9514 nah you gotta format it when you plug it into the Xbox

[@Yolocheese]

Thank you dude, I’m buying an Xbox one tomorrow and can’t wait to emulate. Definitely subscribed from now on. Hopefully the PS2 emulation will get better 😭

[@RetroGameCorps]

Welcome aboard!

[@pixytorres7117]

Same I hope PS2 gets a good emulation then we will have them all.

[@xXGregzXx]

Does PS2 emulation is better in series x? I think it should be

[@ggwpezpzlemonsqueezy]

bruh im waiting the golden word "yeah man, i want to do it" but unfortunately there is none xD . anyway, this is very good vid and well explained russ

[@RetroGameCorps]

I'll try to sneak it in during the next video :)

[@harrison78]

I've been considering a series S for emulation for some time. But you also enforced why a series X could be a case more logical purchase. I own a lot of older Xbox games on disc, plus there is the limited internal storage issue which is actually a big problem for all nrw gen systems. The PS5 and Series X also suffer badly because many games are now ao huge. Compare that with the PS4 and I've got a 4TB external drive connected and nearly every game I own installed and instantly available. Hope they managed to find a solution to this as storage limitations have been putting me off. That and the inability to find either a PS5 or Series X anywhere in stock in the UK since launch.

[@simonjack9699]

That's because Xbox S is Affordable powerful just like the Xbox X not to mention you can enjoy the next-gen experience for a affordable price that's what every review for the Xbox S tells people... most people don't have $1,000 to spend on a gaming console especially during the pandemic Lumber in 2019 the consulate posed to be $500 not 1000... the only reason it went up was because of the pandemic supply-and-demand people are stuck at home because of the pandemic some more people are going to want a game console they raise the prices because that's what people want

[@harrison78]

@@simonjack9699 it's only scalpers trying to cash in on supply shortages that are selling them at silly prices, not the actual retailers. Yes the S is affordable, and allows you to play next gen games, but remember in terms of power it's not that different to the outgoing One S. So you still don't have 4k. But many still haven't upgraded to 4k yet anyway so the S is prefecture fine. But as I said before it's storage that's a massive issue on all new systems. Only being able to install 5 or so games at once is a big limitation. Yes people argue they are only playing a couple of games at a time anyway. But I f.ex. have games I go back to all the time such as multiplayer games I play with the family. I want those installed all the time. They need to address the storage problems.

[@edwardmg1]

I've seen a lot of the reviews of xbox series S with retroarch and this is the most precise explanation of if it's worth it

[@RetroGameCorps]

Thanks for watching Edward!

[@nicodoise]

Awesome video, thanks for that ! Do you know what would be the PS2 / Gamecube games performance using the same emulation process on an Xbox one X ? Would that be good/playable ?

[@SuperMagicHands]

Also would like to know this.

[@FL50ssp]

I'm not sure if this has been mentioned or not. Regarding your comments on storage options. There are others available that offer performance near that of the internal SSD and MS Seagate storage option. In my case, I went with SATA III using the following: SAMSUNG 870 QVO SATA III 2.5" SSD 1TB (MZ-77Q1T0B) and SABRENT USB 3.1 (Type-A) to SSD / 2.5-Inch SATA Hard Drive Adapter [Optimized for SSD, Support UASP SATA III] (EC-SS31). The only downside is you cannot use this option for native Series X/S games, these must be stored on the internal SSD or Seagate drive to work. So, I use the internal for native Series X/S games and the SATA III for everything else. And it works just fine with no issues or delays waiting for my games to load from the external SATA III drive. Hope this helps.

[@IceKoldKilla]

The price of the Xbox Series S + 1TB expansion = same price as Xbox Series X. Might as well go for that even if you're losing out on 500GB in comparison. You gain so much more especially with a disc drive. You can kick up so many games for dirt cheap on disc.

[@ajaakola2]

I see series s up all the time, but don't see any series x consoles

[@simonjack9699]

Yeah but it's better to buy series S because there's no need for a f****** disk drive most people buy things digital. Example are you going to buy a DVD player or are you going to buy a DVD player with a VHS when nobody uses VHS anymore..

[@David01984]

Perfect timing because my series S just arrived lol

[@RetroGameCorps]

Awesome!

[@Binighted]

Yes! Glad you finally got one!

[@jrfjosh]

You can use an external usb drive for most games. Some newer games need to be on the internal drive. I use a 1tb Ssd sata drive in a usb external enclosure. Works great.

[@Cyberbrickmaster1986]

I was considering using this method, until I got side tracked with a promising mini PC and an interesting open source Linux OS known as Batocera. So I ended up taking those chances instead.

[@RetroGameCorps]

All good options :)

[@Cyberbrickmaster1986]

@@RetroGameCorps It wasn't a cheap one either. It costed me over 1000 AU dollars, but it does have an Intel i7, 16GB ram and I think a 512GB built in SSD.

[@RetroGameCorps]

@@Cyberbrickmaster1986 that should perform really well, have fun!

[@mrgigglebutts]

5:17 this is false, You can play games off the external HDD you just can't play the optimized version.

[@floateruk]

Thank you so much for the video. Cannot wait for the full guide. I will be trying this out until the steam deck is released. Do you feel this or the steam deck will have greater capabilities?

[@nuckv7544]

archades has a great setup guide.

[@glokkdj]

I'm pretty sure the steam deck is weaker and more expensive

[@nuckv7544]

@@glokkdj yeah, I mean it’s tough building a handheld as powerful as a current gen home console so I highly doubt the steam deck can match even the series s

[@vince5260]

Darn, I was really hoping PS2 performance was better. I was hoping of grabbing one of these to play some ratchet and clank online multiplayer and Wii on the same console. Might still buy one because you’re also getting a great controller and HDMI cable.

[@darthwiizius]

For slightly less than the cheapest Zen 2 8 core chip you get 8 zen 2 cores, 10GB of DDR6, a 4+TB RDNA GPU, 1/2TB SSD, PCB etc and an Xbox controller, so yeah there is no way you build anything for the £250 this costs that can match it for performance, not even close to it. Fun fact: MS are losing more per console on the Series S than the Series X.

[@ajaakola2]

Digital sales and gamepass will give them more.money so they are betting on that. Its a nice system I must say and would like to get one but I got no real.use for it as I mostly game on pc

[@darthwiizius]

@@ajaakola2 Same as but for folk with old/lower power or no PC it's a good entry point for not much cash.

[@gioac96]

About the AA batteries, I strongly believe that they’re far better than an integrated battery. Integrated batteries are hard to replace when they degrade and would force you to recharge the controller constantly. These days you can buy rechargeable AA batteries and a charger for less than 15€, which is a far superior choice for peripherals that are supposed to last 5-10 years.

[@adamadkins7489]

Not all games have to be on internal storage. You can play back compatible games off an external ssd or hdd. The price on the expandable storage is likely going to drop early next year when seagates deal is over later this year.

[@jamesperrine4153]

Game changer! This plus a dedicated android phone with a razor kishi is amazing. I just setup save/state/rom syncing between this and my phone so I can continue right where I left off!

[@skootdiggity1301]

Pretty sure only the optimized for Series S/X games need to be moved to an nvme drive to launch. You can keep all your older games on an older USB drive.

[@RetroGameCorps]

Crap, you're right, good catch. Only Series optimized and upgraded Xbox One games need to be on NVME. www.windowscentral.com/xbox-series-x-s-storage-guide

[@nerosr2393]

Yes and No, that's a retroarch thing, if you read from usb, reatroarch copies to internal storage before running the game (until you change for another game). Also, retroarch can only copy games that are not that big (usually smaller then 2.5gb), so if you want to play something bigger, you need to send it manually to internal storage.

[@RetroGameCorps]

@@nerosr2393 Right, I'll go into that in my setup guide this weekend. I was referring to storage the Xbox side only in this video.

[@skootdiggity1301]

@@nerosr2393 I was referring to Xbox games, not roms.

[@nerosr2393]

@@skootdiggity1301 My bad, xbox one games are fine on usb, newer or series opmized games are not

[@willalan9167]

Not anymore!

[@rafaelsantana8843]

?

[@willalan9167]

@@rafaelsantana8843 They started blacklisting accounts that haven't put anything on MS store

[@rafaelsantana8843]

@@willalan9167 that was an error, they fix this exactly after this happen.

[@rafaelsantana8843]

Emulation still working on Series S and Series X...

[@josemairena4747]

your videos are great and useful thx I love love love retro gaming

[@RetroGameCorps]

Thanks for watching!

[@SyndicateThreat]

would i be able to load the roms and emulators from an external ssd? I just bought the Series S as my first ever xbox and this is amazing news! I never owned a Wii so playing those games will bring me so much joy.

[@disco7379]

This looks great, then I can play a proper football game like 2K5, forget the trash that is Madden 22

[@imnotayoutuber8494]

Yes! 2K5 goat lol

[@RetroGameCorps]

I most definitely loaded up Tiger Woods 2006 on this!

[@disco7379]

@@RetroGameCorps PS2/Xbox/GameCube really was the peak of the sports games.

[@xXRustyShacklefordXx]

Just wanted to add that with a brook wingman xb you can actually use retrobits saturn, genesis, and SNES style controllers flawlessly. You will need to change the input to x input by holding start and b.

[@bwoeYT]

@@disco7379 Xbox Live and PSN ruined sports games, that's when they moved to providing a service over providing a quality gaming experience. PES6 from 2006 is still the best football/soccer game ever made, it's embarrassing.

[@markcooperartcom]

The S is almost $500 on Amazon. Hard pass.

[@HUYI1]

Excatly my point, shield TV is still selling for 200 and doesn't require a licence to run emulators, doesn't need a adapter to run anything on the closed os, and I can use any external hard drive I want and controllers with ease without paying a extra penny!

[@misterkeebler]

S systems are available all the time at retail if you watch out for them. Im assuming you're talking about in the states where these things are $300, but someone charging 500 on Amazon is just selling at scalper prices.

[@misterkeebler]

@@HUYI1 i have a shield too and it is definitely weaker with the emulation than this S. It's a great device but not in the same power bracket.

[@RetroGameCorps]

It’s $300 and readily available via the Microsoft Store with free shipping.

[@ruffnutts]

What a great video Russ, I was toying with the idea of doing this myself, I'm not even an Xbox fan lol, thanks for sharing... I'm still thinking about it though :)

[@dubmarvel]

👏 👏 👏 👏 loved the vid. Thank you.

[@zachariahm.kemper7406]

They said you can turn in your disks to get digital copies, also you can play none series games off an external drive I'm pretty sure, my sister has a ss and she keeps all her games on an external hard drive, but great video, been thinking bout replacing my 1x (I think it needs a cleaning, I want to wait til it isn't my only computer outside side of my phone before I go opening it, I got it used since I was a ps guy til they removed watching movies in the browser) for an sx once I have a job again (covid), but knowing that most of my emulation can be handled by an ss might save me some cash

[@cufsc]

Hello, one small correction, you can play every game from a standard external ssd or hdd as long as it is not optimized for the series X / S. Othewise great content.

[@RetroGameCorps]

Thanks, yeah someone else pointed that out earlier, I had read it wrong! It's a relief to hear that I could put my Xbox One/360 games on an external...if only they weren't all on disc :)

[@TheAfroman]

Awesome. I just commented this because it seemed in the video you didn’t realize that. You mentioned the only game you had that was optimized was Hellblade. But all the others were not. All those others work just fine. Pick up a big ass 4tb drive and download them. I did that and I have a series X.

[@shadowpeople89]

I picked mine up couple days ago and don't regret it. Can finally play my old PS2 games again. If my goddamn computer didn't blow up I would still be playing them on there but this will do for now.

[@Gregnolaa]

I didn't know i could do this with my series s, i would love to get back into my old GameCube games.

[@chedhead3278]

Cheers Russ, pretty darned cool. :)

[@RetroGameCorps]

Thanks 👍

[@theillegitking1304]

As someone who already owns a series x, the realization of this and seeing your video was like an evil villain realization moment. I just laughed so hard. I’m so stoked

[@ChaozzZJohnny]

Hi! I know, I am late to the party, but the framerate counter in Flycast actually IS accurate. If you check out the footage from Virtua Tennis 2 frame by frame you can see that there is almost always a duplicate after every new rendered frame which means it is only slightly above 30 fps. I know some 30-fps-games can feel like 60 fps, but human perception is prone to get fooled by itself. :)