RUMOR: Emulators removed from Xbox Series X/S to avoid potential issues with Nintendo

You may have heard that emulators have recently been removed from the Microsoft Store on Xbox Series X and S. Many were surprised they were available in the first place, and now others are sad to see them go. While Microsoft hasn’t shared an official statement on the decision, it seems they were motivated to remove the software to avoid any potential issues with Nintendo.

While many suspected Microsoft wanted to stave off issues from dev/pubs who say their games being played without permission via these emulators, a rumored message from the Xbox Quality Assurance team paints a more specific picture. According to the team, the primary reason for the ban is related to Nintendo.

While emulation itself isn’t illegal, using emulators to play games from other platforms that are still under copyright protection without permission can lead to issues. Microsoft reportedly didn’t want to ruffle any feathers with partners, so they made the decision to yank emulators from the Microsoft Store.

Again, this is a rumored message, so take it as you will. Hopefully Microsoft will shed light on the decision in an official statement soon.