Microsoft’s Xbox PC Game Pass subscription games may become locally playable on Linux, albeit unofficially, as a new open-source project called Xodus is trying to reverse-engineer the service. Developed by the team behind Heroic Games Launcher, as well as other contributors, Xodus aims to make titles built with Microsoft’s Game Development Kit (GDK) playable outside of Windows.
The new project is already partially working – specifically, the authorisation and game download part. That said, it’s still in its infancy, with the next target being the game SDK required to actually run games. In other words, while downloading games is possible, they cannot launch on Linux yet, be it via Wine or Proton.
Xodus aims to support most of the Game Pass catalogue, specifically those built using Microsoft’s GDK libraries/APIs, and the MSIXVC container file format used to distribute games via the Microsoft Store. This means that Gears of War 4, for example, won’t be supported, at least in the beginning, as it relies on the older Universal Windows Platform (UWP) architecture.
As a result, the first compatible titles will be modern ones that use Microsoft’s GDK. Older UWP titles can then follow on a per-game basis, as they need additional patches to work with Wine, DXVK, or VKD3D-Proton.
Bear in mind that this project is not affiliated with, or supported by, Microsoft, meaning it’s legally dubious. Even if it becomes fully functional, Microsoft could ban Game Pass users if it deems this project against its terms of service. Currently, Game Pass members have only one official system to enjoy their games on Linux, via Xbox Cloud streaming. Xodus could change this situation, which could end up motivating Microsoft to make an official Xbox app on Linux.
Considering that Valve’s Steam Machine and Steam Deck both run Linux, Xodus could be useful for thousands of players, especially if the developers manage to add some sort of integration with Steam to avoid quitting Big Picture mode.
