hakuX 1.0 and 1.1: the Android original Xbox emulator gets a new core and leaves Adreno-only behind

Original Xbox emulation on Android just took a big step. Developer rfandango released hakuX 1.0.0 on October 23 and 1.1.0 a day later, on October 24. hakuX started this year as an Android fork built on xemu's code; 1.0 swaps out its heart.

1.0: a new core

• CPU: the Xbox's x86 code now runs on a JIT built on a fork of FEX, and the Xbox kernel is reimplemented natively. QEMU, which xemu's core is built on, is gone.
• GPU: the NV2A's push buffer is decoded into Vulkan. Custom Turnip drivers load through adrenotools.
• Mods: 60 and 120 fps mods for 13 games, plus per-game cheats and patches.
• Savestates per game in slots, per-controller player mapping, and a return to ES-DE or other frontends when a game closes.
• Less stutter: each game keeps its own pipeline cache, so the old shared cache no longer freezes the picture for up to 0.8 s, and audio latency drops from about 128 ms to about 32 ms.

1.1: beyond Adreno

• Mali, Xclipse and PowerVR (experimental): missing GPU features are replaced and known driver bugs are worked around. The developer says Burnout 3 and Mercenaries run cleanly on a Pixel 8 (Mali-G715).
• Vulkan 1.1 drivers run through a compatibility layer, and older Bifrost Mali and PowerVR Rogue GPUs get an experimental path too. On Adreno nothing changes.
• GPU driver screen (Settings → GPU driver) lists the system driver and your stored driver packages with their versions. Qualcomm devices on an old stock driver get a one-time Turnip suggestion.
• Handheld-friendly: full controller navigation, the Back key opens the in-game menu (including the Retroid Pocket 5's), and a dark theme.

How it runs

Android Authority got Halo 2 running at full speed (30 fps) on a Retroid Pocket G2 with a Turnip driver, and says the stock driver showed serious graphical glitches. Project Gotham Racing 2 was playable on both the Retroid and the lower-end ANBERNIC RG 55G1. We haven't tested 1.1 ourselves yet; when we do, results will go in the compatibility database.

What you need

An arm64 Android device with Vulkan and your own game images (ISO or XISO) dumped from discs you own. Per the project's README, no BIOS, MCPX ROM or hard disk image is needed. hakuX is free software under the GPL v3, and the 1.1.0 APK is on its GitHub releases page. hakuX checks GitHub for updates by itself from 1.0 on.

Sources: hakuX releases on GitHub, hakuX README on GitHub, Android Authority. Facts verified against the original reports; written by Overclocked.