A fresh Xbox 360 emulator for Android just broke cover in a new demo

Xbox 360 emulation on Android was a pipe dream until last year, when the aX360e emulator arrived on the platform. However, another Xbox 360 emulator is in the works for Android, and while we’re still somewhat skeptical, this might be the real deal.

YouTube videos purportedly showing an emulator dubbed X360 Mobile have surfaced in the last two weeks. The clips claim to show various games in action on the AYN Odin 3 handheld. We were extremely skeptical at first, as it’s not uncommon to see fake or mispresented YouTube videos of this nature. Furthermore, the channel claims that the emulator is still in development and not available for download just yet.

However, Spanish YouTube channel El Poder del Androide Verde apparently got their hands on a working version of X360 Mobile from the anonymous developer. The channel posted an extensive video along with a deep dive on their website, featuring a lengthy Q&A with the developer. It also looks like the developer might be the source of the aforementioned YouTube videos, as they confirm that they’re indeed using an Odin 3 handheld to create the emulator.

The developer insists during the interview that X360 Mobile isn’t a fork of the earlier aX360e emulator, but is actually based on the Xenia Canary Arm build. The aX360e emulator is based on the standard Xenia Arm version but purportedly incorporates “most of the code” from the Canary version.

The outlet’s video gives us a good look at the app’s interface, which incorporates a pleasant Metro-style UI. The host also runs X360 Mobile through an antivirus check in an attempt to assuage malware concerns. Furthermore, we get a look at the setup process, and it turns out that the app indeed supports custom Turnip drivers.

What about gameplay, then? The outlet’s video shows a variety of titles running via the emulator on a Galaxy S25 Ultra, with varying degrees of performance. Games like Castle Crashers, Arkanoid, and Rayman Origins ran very smoothly. Meanwhile, titles like Ace Combat Assault Horizon and Forza Horizon were a step above slideshows and not playable for most people. The video host also notes that at least one game (Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2) which was shown to run at ~60fps on the developer’s YouTube channel only runs at ~30fps on their Samsung handset. This suggests that Samsung software could be the issue. The developer’s official website also contains a compatibility list. However, I’d take this with a grain of salt as some “playable” games run at a slideshow’s pace in YouTube clips.

The developer also revealed system requirements on their website, confirming that you need a Snapdragon chipset with Adreno 600 to 800 series graphics, at least 6GB of RAM, Android 12 or newer, and custom Turnip drivers for playable performance. However, they specifically call for a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor and 8GB of RAM for the best experience. A previous release introduced compatibility with Mali GPUs, but the developer clarifies that this is only “partial” support. So don’t expect your MediaTek-powered phone to run games any time soon.

Do be wary of any websites claiming to offer the app, though, as it’s apparently restricted to just four private testers right now. The Spanish outlet reports that an alpha version (v0.5) could be released to the public via the official website at the end of May. Furthermore, the developer aims to eventually offer the app via the Google Play Store.

Again, we’re still a little skeptical about X360 Mobile, especially in the era of vibe-coded apps. Furthermore, the developer is apparently undecided about whether or not this will be an open-source project. An open-source approach would be the way to go for security purposes, as it would allow anyone to comb through the code. However, we do recall seeing other developers keep parts of their project closed-source. In any event, we’d definitely recommend you check out the El Poder del Androide Verde article and YouTube video for plenty more details about this project.