# Best Xbox 360 emulator: Xenia Canary, the Gold Cartridge pick

Page: https://whichemulator.wtf/xbox360/ · Reference: WEM-XBOX360-ORZJ

The Ask API at `GET https://whichemulator.wtf/ask` answers questions from the same data as this page, and it is the only place the setup steps are published. It takes `q` (the question, 3 to 500 characters) and an optional `page` (a local path such as `/xbox360/`). It returns JSON `{answer, consoles, sources, follow_ups}`, or Markdown when the request sends `Accept: text/markdown`. No key; 30 requests a minute per IP. Guide: https://whichemulator.wtf/skill.md

Microsoft Xbox 360, Microsoft, 2005.

## Recommended: Xenia Canary

whichemulator.wtf calls its recommendation for each system the Gold Cartridge pick. For the Xbox 360, the Gold Cartridge pick is Xenia Canary.

Canary is the actively developed fork of Xenia and runs far more games than the original. It ships near-daily builds plus per-game patches and recommended settings. It's built for Windows first; Linux builds exist but are less polished.

Runs on Windows · Linux. Open source. Download: https://xenia.jp

**Hardware matters:** Xenia refuses to start without an AVX-capable CPU and a Direct3D 12 or Vulkan GPU. Integrated graphics are generally too slow, and AMD GPUs have known driver issues.

**No system files needed:** Unlike most consoles on this site, Xenia doesn't need a BIOS or firmware. Just your games.

## Alternatives

- [Xenia Edge](https://github.com/has207/xenia-edge) (Windows · Linux · Mac, open source): A fork of Canary with a stronger focus on Linux, Vulkan and usability, plus an early macOS build. Pick it if you're on Linux, but it lacks Canary's netplay.

## RetroArch cores

There is no Xbox 360 core.

## Hardware

- CPU: IBM Xenon, 3 cores / 6 threads, 3.2 GHz
- GPU: ATI Xenos, 500 MHz, 10MB eDRAM
- Memory: 512MB GDDR3 shared
- Media: DVD (Xbox Game Disc)
- Library: ~2,100 games

## Notes

### What to expect

Plenty of the big games are playable, but compatibility is uneven. Many titles get into gameplay and then crash, softlock or show graphical glitches, and a per-game config tweak often makes the difference. Check the compatibility tracker before you buy anything.

Kinect titles, Xbox Live Indie games and some later disc formats aren't supported in Canary.

### Linux and Mac

Canary publishes Linux builds, but the project itself says the port still needs work, and its docs still point Linux users at Proton. Xenia Edge is the better bet if you want a native build on Linux. Mac support only exists in Edge and other offshoot forks, and it's early.

## Support the developers

- [Patreon (Xenia project)](https://www.patreon.com/xenia_project)
- [Star on GitHub](https://github.com/xenia-canary/xenia-canary)

## Questions the Ask API answers

- [Which Xbox 360 emulator should I use on macOS?](https://whichemulator.wtf/ask?q=Which+Xbox+360+emulator+should+I+use+on+macOS%3F&page=%2Fxbox360%2F&via=page)