Sonic Unleashed Recompiled Marks the Launch of Complete Xbox 360 Emulation on PC

Nearly sixteen years after Sonic Unleashed made its debut in November 2008, we’re finally seeing a fully-fledged native PC port, known as Unleashed Recompiled. Credit for this goes to dedicated fans and their work with XenonRecomp and XenosRecomp tools, which are instrumental in transforming PowerPC code and Xenos shaders into x86 PC-compatible C++ and HLSL code.

This breakthrough suggests that practically any Xbox 360 game could potentially receive a similar treatment, regardless of whether it’s compatible with the current Xbox Backward Compatibility lineup. This not only means some forgotten titles might be revived, but it also significantly expands the horizons for game modding. If this strikes a chord, it’s probably because a similar project led to Zelda 64: Recompiled and N64: Recompiled, which we have previously talked about.

When it comes to Sonic Unleashed specifically, you might wonder why fans were so impassioned to create a native PC port before Sega got around to it. The game has always been a sort of elusive dream for the Sonic modding community. Mods like the Unleashed Project have long sought to bring over the game’s signature content — particularly the Daytime stages that laid the groundwork for the Boost gameplay style — into Sonic Generations for PC. Before the Xbox Series S/X arrived with Backwards Compatibility and FPS Boost features, modding Sonic Generations was the only way to enjoy these levels at a consistent 60 FPS. The original PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions often struggled, dipping under 30 FPS due to the game’s demanding levels and advanced graphical elements like pre-baked Global Illumination.

In recent years, emulation advancements through programs like Xenia for Xbox 360 and RPCS3 for PlayStation 3 have allowed full-game experiences on PC, albeit with some performance trade-offs due to the nature of emulation.

Now, Sonic Unleashed fans can play the game fully optimized for today’s platforms. Unleashed Recompiled, built on top of the progress made by Xenia’s emulation, is now a much more accessible PC port. It includes features we’ve come to expect, like uncapped resolution support and comprehensive graphic settings. Moreover, it brings some interesting features such as “Music Attenuation,” which cleverly lowers in-game music when you’re listening to your own tunes. While you can adjust the FPS cap above 60, beware of physics issues that may arise. It’s advisable to use solutions like Lossless Scaling or your GPU’s universal Frame Generation to enjoy the game above 60 FPS.

For anyone eager to dive into Unleashed Recompiled or undertake their own Xbox 360 recompilations, it’s important to emphasize that securing your own legal copies of the Xbox 360 games and any associated DLC is a must, as is customary with emulation-related projects. However, given how much more robust this PC option is — especially with support for comprehensive mods through HedgeModManager — it’s clearly the superior choice for enjoying Xbox 360 titles today.

Sonic Unleashed, welcome to the world of PC gaming — we’ve been eagerly waiting for you!