Microsoft clamps down on Xbox dev mode access that can be used for emulators

Update: Following an apparent crackdown on folks using Xbox dev mode to emulate games, a Microsoft spokesperson has issued a statement saying there are “no plans to remove or disable” dev mode on Xbox.

A bunch of Xbox users were startled earlier today when they received an email from Microsoft saying their access to Xbox dev mode was being revoked due to inactivity. It was never explicitly stated that the move was intended to curb the increasing popularity of using dev mode to turn Xbox Series S/X consoles into emulators, but it was a very popular theory on the GBAtemp community forums. Now, Xbox director of program management Jason Ronald has apparently responded to reports suggesting as much, promising Xbox dev mode is here to stay.

“We have no plans to remove or disable Developer Mode on Xbox consoles,” Ronald said in a series of tweets shared Wednesday afternoon. “We continue to believe in and support a healthy independent app and game development community on Xbox.”

Ronald goes on to explain that the accounts that lost access to dev mode were deactivated “inadvertently” during a routine sweep of inactive accounts. “We are actively working on identifying and reenabling these accounts as soon as possible,” Ronald added. “Once an account has been reactivated, users will be able to reenable Developer Mode on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S consoles.”

If your account was deactivated and you’d like access restored as promptly as possible, Ronald invites you to shoot ReportApp@microsoft.com an email explaining your situation.

Curiously, the statement never directly addresses the common concern that Microsoft could indeed be cracking down on the practice of using Xbox dev mode to emulate games, sometimes from its direct competitor, PlayStation. It’s entirely possible that there were some accounts that were intentionally deactivated and others that were shuttered mistakenly. We’ve reached out to Microsoft for clarification and will update this article if we hear back.

Original story…

It looks like Microsoft is revoking Xbox dev mode access to a large number of users, possibly in response to the feature’s common usage for running emulators.

Users posting on the GBAtemp community forums noticed the recent change in policy, which came in the form of Microsoft revoking access to Partner Center accounts to users who have not uploaded anything to the store in the last 90 days. The notifications sent to users reference the developer code of conduct, “which says that an active presence in the Store must be maintained.”

While it’s intended to let developers use standard retail consoles as development kits for making their own games and apps, enabling and entering dev mode on an Xbox One or Xbox Series X or S also allows users to install popular emulators such as RetroArch. From there you can use your Xbox console as an emulation machine for 4K upscaled PlayStation games and beyond, all without needing to hack or otherwise modify your console.

YouTuber Modern Vintage Gamer points to this potential for emulation as the likely impetus for Microsoft clamping down on access to dev mode on consoles, calling it a “very disappointing move” – especially since getting access to dev mode in the first place does require paying a small fee. We’ll have to wait and see if Microsoft softens or reverses course on this decision, or if it’s just going to be that much more selective regarding who gets to use Xbox dev mode from now on.

In happier retro gaming news, a new set of Goldeneye 007 achievements make an Xbox revival seem imminent.

I got a BA in journalism from Central Michigan University – though the best education I received there was from CM Life, its student-run newspaper. Long before that, I started pursuing my degree in video games by bugging my older brother to let me play Zelda on the Super Nintendo. I’ve previously been a news intern for GameSpot, a news writer for CVG, and now I’m a staff writer here at GamesRadar.