retropie-xcloud

Use Xbox Game Pass Cloud Gaming (xcloud) directly from within Retropie.

Installation

All installation and configuration steps will happen in a command prompt.

Install google chrome browser

Google chrome works very flawlessly with xcloud. You might also set-up another browser, hower you need to adapt the launch script.

• Downlaod the debian package

wget https://dl.google.com/linux/direct/google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb

• Install the debian package

sudo dpkg -i google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb

Add a new system to emulationstation

Copy the es_systems.cfg file to your retropie configs directory, s.t. an update will not overwrite your configuration.

sudo cp /etc/emulationstation/es_systems.cfg /opt/retropie/configs/all/emulationstation/es_systems.cfg

Replace <your_username> and append the following lines to /opt/retropie/configs/all/emulationstation/es_systems.cfg between the existing systems:

  <system>
    <name>xbox-gamepass</name>
    <fullname>Xbox Game Pass</fullname>
    <path>/home/<your_username>/RetroPie/roms/xcloud</path>
    <extension>.sh</extension>
    <command>/opt/retropie/supplementary/runcommand/runcommand.sh 0 _SYS_ xbox-gamepass %ROM%</command>
    <theme>xbox-gamepass</theme>
  </system>

Copy the launch script

Copy the launch script, which will start google chrome in fullscreen app mode, to your roms folder of RetroPie

cd <repo_path>
cp --parents RetroPie/roms/xcloud/xcloud.sh ~/

Finalize

• Now reboot emulationstation (or your device) to see the new entry in your emulationstation menu.
• Start the xcloud entry to see whether chrome opens app in fullscreen app mode and opens xcloud.
• If you want to stay logged in, accept all cookies. Otherwise reject them. (You'll need a keyboard to log-in)
• Have fun

Improve

Theme

• In order to make your new system entry look good, you can add some graphics to your current theme. These instructions are for the default carbon theme.
• Optional: Copy your current theme directory to your retropie configs directory, s.t. an update will not overwrite your configuration.

sudo cp -r /etc/emulationstation/themes/carbon-2021 /opt/retropie/configs/all/emulationstation/themes/carbon-2021-mod

• Get a vector graphic (.svg) for the systems image and for the controller image ** Recommendation for system: Wikimedia ** Recommendation for controller: Duimon's front-end assets
• Copy the system svg to the art/systems/ directory inside your copied theme directory
• Copy the controller svg to the art/controllers/ directory inside your copied theme directory
• Rename both svgs to xbox-gamepass.svg
• Reboot your emulationstation or your system

Controller hotkey

• In order to close the chrome browser rendering your xcloud games, you'll need a keyboard and a mouse (press ESC and click the X of the window header).
• You can use my Retropie PCSX2 Wrapper, which will allow you to use your gamepad to close xcloud
• Set-up Retropie PCSX2 Wrapper and configure your controller as described in the other repo
• Modify the file gamepad_wrapper.json to add the xcloud system ** Add the following line to "proc_names" (don't forget the , after the entry before):

"xbox-gamepass": "/opt/google/chrome/chrome"