An N64 emulator appeared on the Xbox One Store on Sunday, and it only took two days for Microsoft to remove the app from the console's marketplace.
The emulator, titled Win64e10, wasn't really discovered by Reddit until Monday, but it didn't take long for word to spread. The emulator itself has actually existed for some time now, but only recently came to the Xbox One Store. The Xbox One update that occurred over the summer made this emulator's appearance on the Xbox One Store possible. The update allows the console to support Windows 10 compatible apps from the Windows Store.
Well how exactly did Microsoft let something like this slip by so easily? Well, the app never actually received a Microsoft-approved launch. The only way to find it was to search it by name on the Xbox Store.
The emulator was up for sale on the marketplace for $9.99 USD. While the app has been removed from the Xbox One Store, all those that did pay for it can continue to use it freely.
The emulator itself isn't exactly illegal, but it opens the door for other potential lawsuits. See, the app plays N64 games using illegal ROM versions of games. You download the ROM from the internet, save it to OneDrive - Microsoft's cloud-based storage system - and then you re-upload the files to Win64e10. While Microsoft seems to be opposed to allowing emulator's on the Xbox Store, Microsoft continues to allow them on their other platforms. Win64e10 is still available on PC, tablets, and Windows phones.
This isn't the first time Microsoft has removed an emulator from the Xbox One Store. Earlier this month, an emulator capable of playing NES, SNES, and Sega Genesis games was also removed from the console's marketplace.
What do you think of Microsoft cracking down on emulators on Xbox One? Should they allow them on console or only on other platforms? Neither? Let us know in the comment section below!