Xemu LaunchBox Integration Plugin

Xemu is an emulator for the original Microsoft Xbox. The LaunchBox plugin provides a streamlined integration for downloading, updating, and configuring it inside LaunchBox.

With this plugin, LaunchBox can download Xemu automatically, keep it updated, create a LaunchBox-ready emulator profile, set up portable configuration, and help manage the required dependency files. Users should still expect to provide the required Xbox system files and configure controllers manually inside Xemu.

📊 Capabilities Matrix

⬇️ Download and Configure

LaunchBox downloads Xemu from the official Xemu GitHub releases and extracts it to LaunchBox\Emulators\Xemu.

After the emulator files are in place, LaunchBox creates the supporting folders and configuration needed for a portable LaunchBox setup. The plugin also performs a brief first run so Xemu can generate its initial local files, such as eeprom.bin.

🔄 Update and Reinstall

LaunchBox can check the installed Xemu version and compare it against the latest available release.

• Updates replace Xemu with the newer version while keeping the emulator entry pointed at xemu.exe

• Reinstalls can rebuild the local Xemu setup and recreate portable configuration when needed

If an existing Xemu installation does not already have a local xemu.toml file, LaunchBox creates one during reinstall so the setup behaves as a portable installation.

⚙️ LaunchBox Emulator Profile

LaunchBox creates a ready-to-use Xemu profile for Microsoft Xbox games, associates the Xbox platform, and can make Xemu its default emulator.

The profile configures fullscreen disc launching, startup screen support, and mouse-cursor hiding. It also maps the standard exit action so Xemu closes cleanly from LaunchBox.

📁 Portable Mode

The Xemu plugin sets up portable configuration by creating xemu.toml inside the Xemu emulator folder.

This keeps Xemu's configuration tied to the LaunchBox installation instead of relying on the default Windows app data location. The plugin also writes paths for files such as the hard disk image and EEPROM so the setup stays self-contained.

🧩 Dependency Files

Xemu requires several system files before Microsoft Xbox games can run. The LaunchBox plugin helps track these files and points users to the expected locations.

The dependency file checks include:

• mcpx_1.0.bin for the Xemu Boot ROM Image

• xbox_hdd.qcow2 for the Xemu HDD Image

• A supported Xemu BIOS or Flash ROM file, such as Complex_4627.bin, Complex_4627v1.03.bin, bios_debug_4627.bin, bios_retail_4627.bin, or xbox-4627_debug.bin

LaunchBox creates the expected bios and saves folders inside the Xemu folder. It can also download the standard xbox_hdd.qcow2 hard disk image automatically when creating the portable configuration.

Users are still responsible for providing any required Xbox BIOS or boot ROM files that cannot be distributed with LaunchBox or Xemu.

🏆 RetroAchievements Integration

Xemu does not support RetroAchievements integration through LaunchBox.

LaunchBox does not inject RetroAchievements credentials, manage Hardcore Mode, or scan Xemu titles for RetroAchievements support through this plugin.

🎮 Automatic Controller Configuration

Xemu does not automatically configure controllers in the way this documentation category is intended to describe. Users should expect to open Xemu and configure their controllers manually on first launch.

After that initial setup, Xemu can be launched normally through LaunchBox, but controller configuration is still handled inside Xemu itself.

🖼️ Bezel Download Integration

Xemu does not support bezel downloads through The Bezel Project. At present, this capability is limited to specific emulator integrations such as RetroArch and MAME.