Original Xbox emulation for iOS and macOS, built from xemu with a native Swift interface.

DukeX is an experimental iOS and macOS frontend for xemu. The iOS build embeds the xemu core in a native Swift shell and presents the Vulkan renderer through MoltenVK and native Metal presentation. The macOS build packages a nested desktop Xemu fork inside a Mac Catalyst DukeX experience.

DukeX does not include Xbox system files, game images, or signing certificates. Users and testers are required to provide their own legally obtained files. DukeX is intended solely for legitimate emulation and preservation purposes, and is not designed for use with pirated materials.

At a Glance

• Latest release: v1.0.2.
• Device target: iPhoneOS arm64, install target iOS 16.0 or later; a native macOS DMG is also available through GitHub Releases.
• Runtime: TCG with version-aware JIT setup; iOS 26 or later uses the StikDebug Universal.js flow.
• Graphics: iOS uses the xemu Vulkan renderer through MoltenVK with a native Metal presenter and AirPlay display support; macOS uses the bundled desktop Xemu presentation path inside the DukeX shell.
• Interface: native SwiftUI library, profile, settings, Activity Feed, and controller-focused landscape experiences.
• Networking: Insignia-oriented NAT defaults plus XB.Live profile, Rich Presence, messaging, social, community, and cloud-sync features.
• Known work: rendering correctness, touch-control behavior after rotation, Metal HUD visibility, and title-by-title tuning.

Features

Category	Details
Game library	Cover artwork, automatic cover art retrieval for supported titles, game launch, dashboard launch, favorites/title/live/recent sorting, portrait and landscape column options, controller landscape mode on iOS, long-press actions, native launch links, and Insignia live indicators for supported titles.
File management	User-accessible BIOS, ROMs, Covers, GameConfigs, and ShaderCaches folders through iOS file sharing.
JIT workflow	Optional automatic StikDebug handoff for the iOS 26+ Universal.js JIT flow.
Display	iOS MoltenVK-backed Metal presenter with portrait and landscape-aware sizing, rendering stability work, expanded AirPlay support, and external-display handling; macOS presentation through the bundled desktop Xemu runtime.
Input	Controller support through iOS GameController APIs plus customizable touch controls through .manicskin, .deltaskin, and .gammaskin layouts.
Online setup	Insignia-focused NAT defaults, editable network settings, XB.Live profile integration, Rich Presence, playtime tracking, friends, messages, community event tracking, and supported cloud sync.
Profile	App-side profile tab with XB.Live identity, Activity Feed, achievement, friends, message, event, game-invite, and cloud-sync support.
Themes	Selectable interface themes and personalization options.
Per-game tuning	Custom config import and shader-cache clearing from each game menu.
Diagnostics	Built-in FPS/system statistics HUD and app-owned launch logs for device-side testing.
Advanced runtime	TCG translation block cache size controls for performance testing.

Availability

Current DukeX builds are published through GitHub Releases. iOS releases are distributed for sideloading through StikStore and SideStore metadata under altsource/source.json, while the native macOS build is distributed as a drag-to-Applications DMG.

Compatibility and performance vary by title, device, iOS version, JIT availability, and touch-control orientation state. DukeX should be treated as experimental software.

Dependencies

Runtime

• Supported iPhone or iPad hardware for device testing. DukeX requires an Apple A14 Bionic or Apple M1 processor or newer.
• iOS 16.0 or later. iOS 16 through 18 use W^X reprotection after JIT has been enabled for the process. iOS 26 or later requires StikDebug with Universal.js assigned to the DukeX bundle identifier.
• Legally obtained Xbox flash BIOS, MCPX ROM, and HDD image.
• Legally obtained XISO game images.
• Optional Insignia account and registered dashboard for online service testing.
• Optional XB.Live account for Rich Presence, playtime tracking, messaging, Activity Feed, social features, and supported cloud sync.

Build

• macOS with Xcode 26 or newer and the iPhoneOS SDK.
• Xcode Mac Catalyst support for the desktop shell.
• MoltenVK iOS framework and headers for the iOS build, supplied locally and not committed.
• vcpkg arm64-ios dependency prefix used by the embedded xemu core.
• Meson, Ninja, Python, and the standard xemu/QEMU build toolchain.
• Apple signing assets only when creating signed device builds or sideload release packages.

Documentation

• Changelog
• iOS port overview
• iOS build instructions
• Renderer notes

Repository Layout

DukeX keeps the QEMU/xemu source tree at the repository root because the upstream build system expects that layout. The main DukeX-specific areas are:

Path	Purpose
ios/	Native Swift shell, assets, settings UI, and device build scripts.
desktop/	Mac Catalyst DukeX shell, bundled Xemu sidecar integration, and desktop build assets.
altsource/	AltStore/SideStore source metadata and store-facing image assets.
docs/ios-port/	DukeX iOS build and renderer notes.
docs/assets/branding/	README and release-facing DukeX image assets.
hw/xbox/, target/i386/, tcg/, ui/, net/, block/	Core emulator code used by the embedded iOS runtime.
docs/upstream/	Preserved upstream QEMU reference files for provenance and contributor context.

Upstream And Licensing

DukeX is based on xemu, which is itself based on QEMU. For upstream xemu information, visit xemu.app.

QEMU/xemu licensing information remains in LICENSE, COPYING, and source file headers throughout the tree. DukeX is not affiliated with Microsoft, Xbox, or the xemu project.