Series X/S owners now have to pay for dev mode to reactivate emulation.
And surprise, wouldn't you know it, Nintendo strikes again.
https://www.theverge.com/2023/4/7/23674707/microsoft-xbox-emulators-ban-nintendo
Series X/S owners now have to pay for dev mode to reactivate emulation.
And surprise, wouldn't you know it, Nintendo strikes again.
https://www.theverge.com/2023/4/7/23674707/microsoft-xbox-emulators-ban-nintendo
I have to wonder if Microsoft will expand this to the PC and mandate the blocking of exe/msi files that allow the installation and running of emulators on Windows via SmartScreen on exactly the same grounds as they have with the Series X/S? I can imagine that using them on Dev Mode without being an actual developer is living on borrowed time and Microsoft will go further - probably vastly increasing the cost of enabling Dev Mode to put off gamers only using it to run emulators but not enough to dissuade independent developers.
Emulators allow someone with a retro game collection to run their games on modern hardware with no additional money exchanging hands between the user, the hardware manufacturer and the IP. That's what the likes of Nintendo find offensive and wish to end once and for all. They want emulation but on their terms - where you pay again for software you already own on every single iteration of hardware they release and pay continuously for it behind a paywall and where they can revoke access whenever they like. Which they can't do with your cartridge, CD or console.
This move sets a dangerous precedent where Microsoft can come under pressure or just simply decide they can block whatever they like and say "our OS, our rules" despite holding an effective monopoly for PC/Laptop OS usage.
Sounds likely, when you literally power up a new OOBE Windows PC for the first time after bringing it home, you're locked into an S Mode where any third party non-WEP apps are blocked and you can ONLY use Edge, you have to dig deep to turn it off