Since this is a translation of an overseas article, there may be some mistranslations.
https://www.tomshardware.com/software/linux/xbox-pc-and-game-pass-titles-are-coming-to-linux-through-xodus-heroic-launcher-devs-embark-on-new-open-source-reverse-engineering-project
'Xodus' Brings Xbox PC and Game Pass Titles to Linux — Heroic Launcher Developers Embark on New Open-Source Reverse-Engineering Project
Xbox PC titles will be playable on Linux.
Xbox PC games distributed through the Xbox app are not playable on Linux due to Microsoft's proprietary GDK runtime environment. This prevents Game Pass execution, even though the company supports cloud streaming of Game Pass titles.
The new open-source project 'Xodus' from the Heroic Launcher developers aims to solve this problem by reverse-engineering and emulating the essential components required for Xbox PC games on Linux.
Xodus primarily targets the latest GDK-based Xbox PC titles and their MSIXVC packages, excluding earlier UWP-based releases like Gears of War 4 or early Forza Horizon installments. DirectX API or x86 instructions are not the problem for these games; Proton and DXVK/VKD3D can already handle them. The reason why you can still play Xbox PC games on Linux even without DRM is that you can somehow get your hands on an executable file without DRM.
The real issues are Microsoft's proprietary GDK (Game Development Kit), the Xbox authentication service itself, and the encrypted MSIXVC package. This framework is responsible for verifying the license of games owned through the Xbox app. If it doesn't run in the background, the game will crash immediately or won't launch at all.
This is where Xodus comes into play. The Xodus team has confirmed that their project can already log into Xbox services, download game packages, and acquire game licenses. It includes a custom implementation of xgameruntime.dll, a fork of Wine and Proton, and xal-rs, an Xbox authentication library for Rust. Xodus uses a proxy library to interface with GDK games and intercepts API calls to send valid Xbox Live tokens.
The Xodus team has confirmed that their project can already log into Xbox services, download game packages, and acquire game licenses. It includes a custom implementation of xgameruntime.dll, a fork of Wine and Proton, and xal-rs, an Xbox authentication library for Rust. Xodus uses a proxy library to interface with GDK games and intercepts API calls to send valid Xbox Live tokens.
Another open-source project that brings Minecraft Bedrock to the platform, BedrockonLinux 2.0, already relies on similar reverse engineering techniques to handle these components since Microsoft transitioned the game to GDK. This allows the game to run in sandboxed environments like SteamOS (Linux) while still communicating with Xbox Live in real time through secure channels for token authentication.
Microsoft itself brought four original Xbox titles to PC last month, with more expected to follow. Leaked documents suggest that Xbox 360 titles will also be coming to PC next year. These games include a built-in Xbox 360 emulator. However, it is unclear whether these games use the same GDK stack as native Xbox PC titles.
▶ Source: https://www.tomshardware.com/software/linux/xbox-pc-and-game-pass-titles-are-coming-to-linux-through-xodus-heroic-launcher-devs-embark-on-new-open-source-reverse-engineering-project
