While it's not likely to actually be released, this program would allow for retro gaming emulation via Xbox One.
The relationship between the gaming industry and emulator programs has always been a bit rocky. While there is technically nothing illegal about emulators so long as they are being used by people that are creating digital copies of physical games they already own, much like torrents, a good number of people that use emulators are doing so in a technically illegal fashion. As such, most major gaming developers and manufacturers have chosen to turn a blind eye to the entire concept whenever possible.
This makes it all the more bizarre that a retro gaming emulator has just received certification for release on the Xbox One.
Nesbox, an emulator program that allows users to play NES, Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis, GameBoy Color, and GameBoy Advance games on their PC as well as create their own games, has actually managed to pass the certification requirements for release on the Windows Store. This means that it would be available to download via the Xbox One.
This upcoming version of nesbox is believed to function similarly to how it currently operates on PC, but will take advantage of certain Xbox One features to incorporate things like USB uploads and OneDrive cloud functionality for those that wish to store information in the cloud.
How likely it is that the nesbox program actually makes its way to Xbox One? Not very. While the world of emulators on PC is a tangled web of legal confusion that would take companies like Nintendo far too much time and money to properly unravel, a program such as this appearing on the Xbox One is something that they and any other affected developers would mostly likely be able to directly target with a takedown request. As many of you will know from recent history, Nintendo is not afraid to pull the trigger on those takedown requests when they have to.
So while it would certainly be interesting to play Super Mario World on an Xbox One, don't expect that to happen anytime soon.
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