After nearly sixteen years since its original launch in November 2008, Sonic Unleashed finally makes its grand debut as a fully-fledged native PC port called Unleashed Recompiled. This impressive feat is the result of dedicated fans utilizing the XenonRecomp and XenosRecomp tools. These tools make it possible to translate PowerPC code and Xenos shaders into x86 PC-compatible C++ and HLSL code, respectively.
What this means is significant: theoretically, any Xbox 360 game can now be transformed into a native PC port. This includes titles that aren’t supported by modern Xbox Backward Compatibility, essentially rescuing numerous games from obscurity and unlocking new potential for modding. If this rings a bell, it might be because a similar project led to Zelda 64: Recompiled and N64: Recompiled, which we’ve previously explored.
Turning our attention to Sonic Unleashed, one might wonder why fans felt compelled to create a PC port before Sega did. For years, Sonic Unleashed has been a coveted project among the Sonic modding community. The Unleashed Project, along with numerous related mods, aimed to bring the game’s standout content (like the Daytime stages, which inspired future Boost formula gameplay) to the existing PC port of Sonic Generations. Before the availability of Xbox Series S/X Backwards Compatibility and FPS Boost, modding Generations PC was the only method to enjoy these levels at a smooth 60 FPS. The original PS3 and Xbox 360 hardware often struggled to maintain even 30 FPS, especially with Unleashed’s expansive levels teeming with graphical features like full Global Illumination, albeit pre-baked rather than the cutting-edge RTGI of today.
In recent times, advancements in Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 emulation via Xenia and RPCS3 have made progress, allowing players to experience the full game on PC. However, this came at the cost of performance due to the overhead of emulation compared to modding Generations.
Now, Sonic Unleashed fans can relish the game truly unleashed on modern platforms thanks to Unleashed Recompiled. This version, building upon Xenia’s emulation advancements, has been fine-tuned into an easily accessible PC port. It includes all the standard features you’d expect, like uncapped resolution support and customizable graphics settings. There are even some neat additions, such as a “Music Attenuation” feature that lowers in-game music volume when you’re listening to external audio. Although you can increase the FPS cap beyond 60 FPS, the physics might misbehave. Therefore, it’s advisable to use Lossless Scaling or your GPU’s universal Frame Generation solution to enjoy higher FPS smoothly.
Naturally, those interested in playing Unleashed Recompiled or creating their own Xbox 360 recompilations need to have their own legally acquired copies of the Xbox 360 games and associated DLC. But compared to playing these games on consoles — especially considering that Unleashed Recompiled supports extensive graphics and gameplay mods like Foreign Input System and Improved Progression via the HedgeModManager — it’s clear that playing Xbox 360 games on PC has never been more appealing.
Welcome to the PC realm, Sonic Unleashed — we’ve been eagerly anticipating this!
