Xenia is one of the most technically sophisticated Xbox 360 emulators in existence — and that’s no accident. Behind the scenes, it’s powered by a carefully designed development environment built to handle the intense demands of console emulation. From memory emulation to GPU instruction decoding, Xenia uses modern programming languages and tools to deliver speed, scalability, and portability.
Whether you’re a developer interested in contributing or just curious about how this emulator works under the hood, this guide breaks down the technologies, platforms, and programming choices that make Xenia possible.
Xenia is written to be fast, modular, and as accurate as reasonably possible without sacrificing playability. It’s also open-source, meaning anyone can inspect the codebase, contribute features, or help fix bugs.
At its core, Xenia is:
🧠 Performance-oriented — targeting real-time emulation on consumer-grade hardware
🔀 Cross-platform — designed to run on both Windows and Linux (experimental)
⚙️ Modular — with separate components for CPU, GPU, audio, memory, and kernel emulation
🤝 Community-driven — with contributions from developers across the globe
This architectural flexibility allows the emulator to evolve quickly while still maintaining a high level of quality and performance.
The majority of Xenia is written in modern C++, chosen for its unparalleled combination of speed, control, and maturity. C++ allows direct access to system-level APIs, efficient memory management, and support for multi-threaded execution — all essential when emulating a console like the Xbox 360.
C++ is used to implement:
The CPU JIT Recompiler, responsible for translating PowerPC instructions into x86
The GPU command stream decoder, which simulates the Xbox 360’s graphics pipeline
The memory and MMIO subsystems, including virtual memory management
The kernel API layer, replicating Xbox system calls
Core emulator services like file I/O, synchronization, threading, and input handling
The choice of C++ ensures that Xenia remains efficient and portable across different platforms while enabling low-level hardware interaction where needed.
While C++ handles the bulk of logic, x86-64 Assembly is used sparingly in areas where performance is paramount. These include:
Low-level instruction handling in the CPU recompiler
Specialized memory-mapped I/O (MMIO) routines
Hand-tuned routines for register management or floating-point conversion
Assembly provides direct access to CPU instructions and registers, allowing Xenia to squeeze out every bit of performance when simulating time-sensitive operations from the Xbox 360.
Although not part of the runtime emulator itself, Python plays a supporting role in the build and development workflow.
Python is used for:
Automating the build process
Generating shader headers and assets
Running developer tools such as texture processors and file format converters
Because Python is highly readable and flexible, it helps streamline development tasks and minimize boilerplate during contribution.
Windows 10 & Windows 11 (x86-64 architecture)
Full support for Direct3D 12 and XAudio2
Recommended development environment
Linux (x86-64 only)
Vulkan backend required
Build system is functional but lacks feature parity with Windows
Audio and input handling are in-progress using alternatives like SDL and OpenAL
macOS
Lack of official support for Vulkan or Direct3D 12
Limited driver-level support for required graphics APIs
No immediate plans for support due to Apple’s proprietary restrictions
Xenia uses CMake to generate build configurations for various platforms. This allows contributors to work in their preferred IDEs while keeping the build process consistent across systems.
Windows:
Primary: Microsoft Visual Studio (MSVC) with the C++ toolset
Linux:
Clang/LLVM or GCC (for experimental builds)
Direct3D 12 (Windows-only)
The primary rendering backend, used for high-performance GPU emulation
Vulkan (Windows & Linux)
An alternative backend under active development, offering better cross-platform potential
XAudio2 – Used on Windows for low-latency sound output
SDL/OpenAL – Proposed for Linux builds
GLM – Math library used for 3D graphics operations (e.g., matrices, vectors)
SDL2 – Used in some builds for input handling and cross-platform windowing
Python – Required for running asset preparation and helper scripts
Want to build Xenia yourself or contribute to development? Here’s how:
Clone the Xenia GitHub repository:git clone --recursive https://github.com/xenia-project/xenia.git
Install:
Visual Studio with the Desktop C++ workload
Python 3.x
CMake
Configure the project using CMake (cmake . or use CMake GUI)
Build using MSVC (inside Visual Studio or via command line)
Run the generated .exe to test your build
Install required packages: clang, cmake, python3, vulkan-sdk, etc.
Clone the repo and configure using CMake
Compile using make or ninja
Launch Xenia with Vulkan backend (Note: UI and compatibility may be limited)
As a fully open-source project, Xenia thrives on community involvement. Developers of all skill levels are welcome to contribute, especially in the following areas:
🐛 Bug fixes and regression testing
🧱 Kernel API expansion for unimplemented syscalls
🎮 Game compatibility fixes
🖥️ GUI improvements and tooling (e.g., Xenia Manager)
🧪 Testing experimental Linux and Vulkan support
Contributions are submitted through GitHub via Pull Requests, and community members help review, test, and integrate these updates.
To get started, check out the official Xenia GitHub repository and browse open issues, feature requests, or join the Xenia Discord.
Q: What programming language is Xenia written in?
A: Xenia is primarily written in C++, with limited use of x86-64 Assembly and Python for scripting.
Q: Can I build Xenia on Linux?
A: Yes, but support is experimental and requires Vulkan. Features like UI, audio, and input may be limited.
Q: Why not support macOS?
A: Apple’s graphics stack doesn’t support Direct3D 12 or Vulkan natively. Porting Xenia would require major rewrites and workarounds.
Q: Do I need a powerful PC to contribute?
A: Not necessarily. As long as your system supports CMake and Visual Studio (or Clang on Linux), you can help with testing, docs, and even core code.
Xenia’s development environment is a showcase of modern emulation engineering. Built primarily in C++, supported by Assembly for critical performance paths, and automated via Python tools, it balances raw power with accessibility. With support for Direct3D 12 and Vulkan, and an open-source workflow driven by CMake, the project is approachable for new contributors and powerful enough to push the boundaries of Xbox 360 emulation.
Whether you’re looking to tinker, fix bugs, or help shape the future of emulation, Xenia offers a flexible, active, and welcoming developer ecosystem.
