Xodus project aims to bring Xbox Game Pass to Linux and macOS

Developers associated with the Heroic Games Launcher are working on an open-source project called Xodus to enable Xbox PC and Game Pass titles to run on Linux and macOS. Unlike traditional compatibility layers like Proton or Wine that focus on translating graphics and system calls, Xodus uses reverse engineering to address the specific hurdles of the Microsoft ecosystem.

The project has successfully achieved milestones in user authentication, license verification, and the decryption of Microsoft’s proprietary MSIXVC package formats. This allows users to log into their Xbox accounts and download games directly.

The current primary technical challenge is recreating the Microsoft Game Development Kit (GDK) runtime environment. Once the developers can emulate the necessary services and runtime, users will be able to execute the downloaded games locally on their systems without needing Windows. The project aims to support most GDK-based titles, though older UWP-based games may remain unsupported.