Original Xbox And Windows NT 3.5 Source Code Leaks To The Internet
But today, that original Xbox is back in the news, as The Verge is reporting that the source code for the console has been leaked online. Being that it was released way back in 2001, the console was running a custom version of the Windows NT kernel, with its own customized user interface. The source code apparently first leaked earlier this month, and reportedly includes the Xbox Development Kit, test emulators, internal documents and a number of build environments.
Despite the age of the Xbox console, the mod community hasn’t encountered widespread success in emulating games for the platform. According to The Verge, of the nearly 1,000 games that were available for the platform, only 40 have “limited” emulation support at this time.
The Xbox debuted on November 15th 2001, and went on to sell 24 million units over the course of its lifetime. The Xbox was followed up by the Xbox 360, and subsequently by the Xbox One family. Microsoft’s next-generation Xbox Series X is launching during “Holiday 2020” and will be powered by AMD hardware (both CPU and GPU) alongside a fast PCIe 3.0 SSD.
In addition to news of the Xbox leak, it’s also reported that the source code for Windows NT 3.5 has been leaked, although we doubt that must will put up a fuss over that news given that the operating system barely registers a blip on the radar screen on active PC systems. For its part, Microsoft said in a statement regarding the leaks, “We’re aware of these reports and are investigating.”
