Microsoft’s budget-focused next-gen machine Xbox Series S is a fantastic piece of kit as an entry point into the next seven years of console gaming, but it turns out the cute little box is also extremely good for emulation.
The fantastic emulation/console security YouTuber MVG (Modern Vintage Gamer) recently released a video covering the emulation possibilities of the new Microsoft machine for gamers who have access to the console’s Dev Mode.
Dev Mode on Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X is the same as that available on Xbox One. For a small cost of $20, Microsoft will allow you to access a developer environment to install homebrew software on the system.
With everything set up properly, Xbox Series S and X players can install the amazing emulation suite Retroarch and play games from most consoles you could ever care about: GameCube, Dreamcast (hell, yeah!), PSP, Nintendo Wii, PS1 and more.
While there are some stutters and compatibility issues with certain games, MVG notes that the performance on most compatible titles is incredible, knocking out the Nvidia Shield TV as the best emulation box currently on the market. Check out the YouTuber’s fantastic video below:
MVG does also state that PlayStation 2 emulation should be on the way to Xbox’s Retroarch in the future, an exciting possibility!
In our review of the Xbox Series S, we unfortunately didn’t test out the system’s emulation, but we did put the budget next-gen machine through its paces of current-gen, next-gen and even OG Xbox and Xbox 360 games.
“Overall, the Xbox Series S is a remarkable little machine made outstanding by its price. It may not have the sheer staggering performance of its big brother Series X, but for only £250 you have an incredibly quick machine for a generation of gaming that doesn’t require you to run out and buy a 4K TV to make the most of it. With full backward compatibility, Quick Resume and the backing of Xbox Game Pass, Microsoft’s Xbox Series S is certainly worth the entry into Xbox’s ecosystem,” reads our review.