Freedom251 › Game Console Emulators
Cxbx-Reloaded
What Cxbx-Reloaded is
Cxbx-Reloaded is a free, open-source emulator for running Microsoft Xbox games on Windows. The project also lists Sega Chihiro among its supported console systems. Its website provides a searchable compatibility list that labels games Playable, In-Game, Boots, Nothing, or Untested. The homepage reports 166 of 1,032 games as Playable to 100% completion without major issues; 510 are In-Game, 273 Boots, 83 Nothing, and none are marked Untested. The project currently supplies pre-release builds rather than stable builds. The latest homepage-listed build is CI-585c49a, dated April 19, 2026. Windows requirements include Windows 7 or later x64 and a GPU supporting Direct3D 9.0c, Pixel Shader Model 2.x, and Vertex Shader Model 3.0. The download page requires the 32-bit Visual C++ redistributable. Npcap supports Windows network emulation, while Wine is used for Linux and may affect compatibility.
Who it suits
It suits Windows users seeking a free Xbox emulator and checking game compatibility before trying a title. Linux users can use Wine, but the project warns that Wine may affect compatibility.
What it does well
- Free and open-source
- Searchable compatibility list
- Reports completion-oriented game statuses
- Supports Windows and Linux through Wine
- Network emulation uses Npcap
What to know first
- No stable builds are currently available
- Only 166 of 1,032 games are fully playable
- Linux Wine use may affect compatibility
- macOS with Wine does not work
Verdict
Cxbx-Reloaded offers a free, open-source route to Xbox emulation with detailed compatibility tracking. Its pre-release status and uneven game support mean users should check individual titles first.
Facts from Cxbx-Reloaded's own pages
- Community submissions
- Submitting compatibility entries requires Discord authentication and admin approval, according to the homepage notes. · cxbx-reloaded.co.uk, 11 Oct 2026
- Compatibility caveat
- The homepage notes that known compatibility entries were still being imported and that some game cover images may be incorrect, especially regional variants. · cxbx-reloaded.co.uk, 11 Oct 2026
- Compatibility coverage
- The homepage lists 166 of 1,032 games as Playable, 510 as In-Game, 273 as Boots, 83 as Nothing, and 0 as Untested. · cxbx-reloaded.co.uk, 11 Oct 2026
- Compatibility limits
- The site reports 166 of 1,032 games as playable to 100% completion with no major issues. · cxbx-reloaded.co.uk, 11 Oct 2026
- Compatibility search
- The compatibility page provides a search input for finding games. · cxbx-reloaded.co.uk, 11 Oct 2026
- Compatibility tracking
- The website provides a compatibility list with statuses for playable, in-game, boots, nothing, and untested titles. · cxbx-reloaded.co.uk, 11 Oct 2026
- Controller support
- The project README says a WinUSB-compliant driver is optional and needed only for USB pass-through of original Xbox and Steel Battalion controllers. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Current builds
- The download page lists pre-release builds and says the 32-bit Visual C++ redistributable for Visual Studio is required. · cxbx-reloaded.co.uk, 11 Oct 2026
- Latest build
- The homepage lists CI-585c49a, dated April 19, 2026, as the latest build. · cxbx-reloaded.co.uk, 11 Oct 2026
- Linux support
- The project README describes Linux use through Wine and warns that Wine is relatively unstable and may affect compatibility. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
- macOS and BSD
- The project README says macOS with Wine is known not to work and BSD-based systems are untested. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Network emulation
- The project README says Npcap is used for network emulation on Windows. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
- No stable builds
- The project README says Cxbx-Reloaded does not currently have stable builds and offers pre-release builds through its official download page. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Cxbx-Reloaded is an emulator for running Xbox games on Microsoft Windows. · cxbx-reloaded.co.uk, 11 Oct 2026
- Runtime requirement
- The download page says Cxbx-Reloaded requires the 32-bit Visual C++ redistributable for Visual Studio. · cxbx-reloaded.co.uk, 11 Oct 2026
- Screenshot reports
- The homepage says users can attach screenshots to new compatibility reports. · cxbx-reloaded.co.uk, 11 Oct 2026
- Support
- The project README says users can support Luke Usher, initiator of Cxbx-Reloaded, on Patreon. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Website availability
- The homepage notes that code deployments may cause temporary outages of 1–5 minutes. · cxbx-reloaded.co.uk, 11 Oct 2026
- Website submissions
- The website requires Discord authentication and admin approval to submit compatibility entries to reduce spam and false reports. · cxbx-reloaded.co.uk, 11 Oct 2026
- Windows requirements
- The project README lists Windows 7 or later x64 and a GPU supporting Direct3D 9.0c with Pixel Shader Model 2.x and Vertex Shader Model 3.0 as minimum requirements. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Where Cxbx-Reloaded stands on Freedom251
- Game Console Emulators#24 of 35