Since 2025 fans have been turning individual Xbox 360 games into native PC programs. They do it without an emulator, using a technique called static recompilation. This page explains what that means, which tools are behind it and which projects we track. The live status list above is updated by our daily checks; the text below gives the background.
This site is not affiliated with any of these projects or with the games’ publishers. We do not host files.
What static recompilation is
An Xbox 360 game is a program compiled for the console’s PowerPC processor (Xenon) and its Xenos graphics chip. A PC cannot run that code as it is.
A static recompiler reads the game’s executable and converts every function, ahead of time, into C++ source code. That code is then compiled with a normal compiler into an ordinary Windows, Linux or macOS program. The XenonRecomp README describes the details: the CPU registers become a structure passed to every function, and big-endian memory reads and writes are byte-swapped for the little-endian PC. It also warns that the converted code does nothing on its own. Each game needs a runtime, written by the port’s developers, that stands in for the console’s graphics, audio, input, file system and kernel.
So a recompilation is closer to a port than to an emulator. Once the game runs natively, developers can add things the console never had: higher frame rates, ultrawide support, new menus and mod loaders.
How it differs from an emulator
An emulator such as Xenia translates the console’s code while you play, for any game in the library. That is flexible but expensive: your PC does the game’s work plus the translation every frame. A recompilation does the translation once, before release, and only for one game. As Held Games’ explainer puts it, this can make a recompiled game much lighter than the same game in emulation. The catch is coverage: each port is its own engineering project, and only a handful of games have one. Xenia still covers far more titles.
The toolchains
- XenonRecomp (hedge-dev, MIT licence): converts Xbox 360 executables to C++. It was inspired by N64: Recompiled and built for Unleashed Recompiled.
- XenosRecomp (hedge-dev, MIT licence): converts Xbox 360 shaders to HLSL, so a new renderer can draw the game through modern graphics APIs.
- ReXGlue SDK: a newer recompilation runtime and toolkit. Its README says it is rooted in Xenia’s code but generates C++ ahead of time instead of translating at run time, an approach inspired by XenonRecomp. It is in early development and has been used for a growing number of fan projects in 2026.
The projects we track
- Sonic Unleashed (Unleashed Recompiled): the project XenonRecomp was built for, and the best-known finished Xbox 360 recompilation, for Windows and Linux.
- Forza Motorsport 4: FM4-Recomp by Alexbeav, an experimental alpha built with a fork of ReXGlue. A separate repository by GabrielCRadu with the same name is an early, inactive attempt; see the entry.
- Forza Horizon: Pinyon Shift by arcanite24, a recompilation of the first Forza Horizon (which never had a PC release) using ShiftGlue, the author’s ReXGlue fork.
- GTA IV (Liberty Recompiled): an early attempt to rebuild the Xbox 360 version of GTA IV natively. It is separate from Rockstar’s own 2008 PC version.
Statuses change quickly, so check the list above or each project’s page rather than relying on this summary.
You need your own game files
None of these projects include the game. They ship the recompiled program and its runtime, and every one asks for files from your own copy of the Xbox 360 game. We do not explain how to get or extract game files, and we do not link sources for them. Only download a port from the repository named on its page: lookalike repositories and download sites appear regularly.
How this relates to the PS4 ports
In 2026 there was also a wave of fan “PC ports” of PS4 games, such as God of War III PC, many built on the shadPS4 emulator’s code. They work differently. The PS4 uses an x86-64 processor like a PC, so those ports can run the game’s own compiled code directly on the CPU and replace only the system libraries and graphics. The Xbox 360’s PowerPC code cannot run on a PC at all, so it has to be translated into new code first. That is why Xbox 360 projects need recompilers like XenonRecomp and ReXGlue, and why each one takes so much game-specific work.
FAQ
What is Xbox 360 static recompilation?
A way of porting one specific game. A tool reads the game's original PowerPC code and translates it, ahead of time, into C++ that is compiled into a normal Windows, Linux or macOS program. A runtime written for that game replaces the console's hardware and system software.
Is a recompiled port the same as an emulator like Xenia?
No. Xenia translates any game's code while it runs. A recompilation does the translation once, before release, and works only for the game it was made for. That usually makes it lighter to run and easier to mod or improve.
Do recompiled Xbox 360 ports include the game?
No. They contain only the recompiled program and its runtime. Every project listed here needs files from your own copy of the Xbox 360 game. This site does not explain how to get game files.
What are XenonRecomp and ReXGlue?
XenonRecomp, by the hedge-dev team, converts Xbox 360 executables into C++ and was built for Unleashed Recompiled. ReXGlue is a newer SDK based on the Xenia emulator's code that packages the same ahead-of-time approach with a runtime, so more people can attempt ports.
Why do PS4 ports work differently?
The PS4 uses an x86-64 processor like a PC, so ports such as God of War III PC run the game's own code directly. The Xbox 360 uses a PowerPC processor, so its code has to be translated first.