With the introduction of next-gen consoles, many people seem to write off the older consoles. However, don’t let go of the older consoles just yet as they still have plenty of juice in them. And, while the base models of PS4 and Xbox One haven’t aged well, the Xbox One X and PS4 Pro will continue to live on for many more years to come.
Both Sony and Microsoft have already promised future content for their last-gen consoles. This is because the new consoles are still in short supply and the install base is also pretty low. So, game developers wouldn’t want to alienate over 150 million people still rocking last-gen consoles. Furthermore, the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X, in particular, aren’t even that old, and people who have invested in these do deserve more value out of their consoles.
The Xbox One X is still great value
Hence, we can expect a lot of cross-gen games for the next 2 to 3 years at least. Not only that, but we could also expect the Xbox One X and PS4 Pro get supported beyond their older base models. This means that anyone who doesn’t want to churn out over $400 on a gaming console can still experience the same beautiful worlds and stories on their older consoles. These consoles are also a great entry point into gaming as these days, you can buy one for as low as $150 even.
For that price, something like an Xbox One X would be of incredible value. And, with a powerful GPU that runs games at 4K resolution, you are all set for the next 3 to 4 years at least.
Having said that, while the game consoles themselves are cheaper, the games still cost the same. And, in third-world countries with weaker currencies, game prices can be punishingly expensive that can push them into a realm of something that only the rich can afford. Furthermore, the official support from Microsoft and Sony is also extremely scarce within these countries. So, forget about being able to get localized prices or services for games in these countries, which makes gaming astronomically expensive.
Jailbreaking is a workaround for expensive games
One viable solution for this is to jailbreak your Xbox One X or PS4 Pro. For this particular guide, we’ll stick to the Xbox One X. You can check out our PS4 Pro version right here. Coming back to the topic, jailbreaking a console isn’t anything new. People have been able to jailbreak their Xbox consoles before and this continues to happen to this day as well. In fact, with the simplification of Xbox OS, which now runs a special version of Windows, the jailbreak process has become even simpler.
Having said that, you do need to note that when you jailbreak your Xbox One X, your warranty will go void and if you download any games through pirating, that will be illegal as well. So, we do not support, endorse, or recommend doing that and the responsibility lies entirely on you.
We do need to add though that the jailbreaking process itself may not be as bad it essentially just allows the modification of software and doesn’t involve any piracy. Having said that, we still do not recommend it and it will absolutely void your warranty.
What is jailbreak?
Before learning how to jailbreak an Xbox One X though, you need to know what jailbreaking actually is. Well, as the name suggests, jailbreaking refers to breaking out of the shackles of software limitations. In other words, a jailbreak procedure removes software and DRM restrictions from an OS and thus allows various modifications that were previously not possible.
A lot of different consoles have their own unique jailbreaking methods. Some require an external chip while others just need some tinkering with the software. As far as the Xbox One X is concerned, jailbreaking it is actually much easier than older consoles. Gone are the days when you’d have to spend hours trying to jailbreak a console as this can be done in mere minutes.
Not only that, but the Xbox One X also has multiple jailbreak methods. The easiest one is the infamous JTag method which has been used for previous generations of Xbox consoles as well. And, while the other ones are a bit more complicated, they’re still viable enough for pretty much everyone and you should have no problem jailbreaking your Xbox One X using either method. So, let’s jump straight into it and jailbreak that Xbox One X!
Xbox One X Jailbreak Method 1 – JTAG
JTAG is one of the most popular methods to jailbreak an Xbox One X. This method has also been used to jailbreak older consoles including the base Xbox One and even the Xbox 360. It is also the easiest jailbreaking method for an Xbox One X. Having said that, easy does not mean robust and can result in glitches and even bricking of your console.
What exactly is JTAG though? Well, the word JTAG stands for ‘Joint Test Action Group’. It is mainly a debugging tool that’s used to program and test out micro-controllers and integrated circuits. So, if you are installing a JTAG OS on your Xbox One X, you’re pretty much diving into the deep end. In order to jailbreak your Xbox One X using the JTAG method, just follow these steps:
- Download the JTAG Tools file from here.
- Extract the JTAG Tools .rar file that you downloaded earlier. You can extract it anywhere you want.
- You’ll need a USB drive now (at least 4 GB in size). Plug in that USB drive and create two folders inside called XBOX and XBOXMOD.
- Once you’ve made the folders, copy the JTAG tools file you extracted earlier and pasted it into the XBOXMOD folder.
- Plug the USB flash drive into your Xbox One X and head over to the System Update page within settings.
- Select the ‘Search of Updates’ option. The Xbox will start looking for a system update.
- Once you see the JTAG update file, select it and agree to the terms and conditions.
- Start the installation process for the JTAG update.
- After installation is complete, the Xbox One X will shut itself down.
- Turn your Xbox One X back on and you should be now present in the JTAG OS which will allow you to sideload games manually and play them.
Microsoft is still continually updating the Xbox One X and the JTAG OS method is very old so it may not work due to newer system updates. However, as of now, it is working and you should be fine.
Xbox One X Jailbreak Method 2 – The Jailbreak Tool
The jailbreak tool was specifically developed to break into the Xbox One X OS, unlike JTAG. And, while this also applies to a wide range of Xbox consoles, the jailbreak tool is a lot more robust than JTAG. Having said that, the installation procedure for the Jailbreak Tool is more or less the same as JTAG i.e. you have to manually update your console and let the Jailbreak tool override the OS.
In order to use the Jailbreak Tool on your Xbox One X, follow these steps:
- Head over to this link and download the Jailbreak Tool for Xbox One X.
- Extract the downloaded file anywhere, which should expand into three different files.
- Plug in a USB Flash drive (at least 4GB) into your PC and create a new folder in it called UPDATE.
- Copy the Jailbreak Tool files and paste them into the UPDATE folder in your USB flash drive.
- Plug the USB stick into your Xbox One X and head over to the System Update menu within System Settings.
- As you did with JTAG, select the search for updates option and choose the Jailbreak tool system update.
- Agree to the terms and conditions and wait for the update to finish installation. Your Xbox One X will turn off once the installation process is complete.
- Turn your console back on and now you’ll be able to use the Jailbreak Tool OS which, like JTAG, allows you to manually download and sideload games.
While this jailbreak is less likely to revert itself via a software update, you’d still be better off not ever connecting your Xbox One X to the internet.
Xbox One X Jailbreak Method 3 – Booster Tools
Unlike the previous two jailbreaking methods, the Booster tools method does not work for other consoles in the Xbox family. Instead, it is locked to the Xbox One ecosystem and thus, is much better optimized for the console. This also gives the Booster Tools method a lot more longevity as compared to JTAG or Jailbreak Tools.
To jailbreak your Xbox One X using Booster Tools, follow these steps:
- Download Booster Tools and extract the .rar file anywhere on your PC.
- Plug in a USB flash drive into your PC and create two new folders within called XBOX and UPDATE.
- Paste the Booster Tools that you extracted earlier into the UPDATE folder in the USB flash drive and safely remove it.
- Mount the USB Flash Drive onto your Xbox One X and head over to the System Update menu in settings.
- Search for a new system update and select Booster Tools.
- Skip through the terms and conditions and start the installation process. Once the update is finished, your Xbox One X will be powered off.
- Turn it back on to be greeted by a modified Booster Tools Xbox OS, which you can use to download and install games manually for free.
This method is the most robust out of all three but getting a good version of Booster Tools can be tricky nowadays. Nevertheless, once you have jailbroken into your Xbox One X, try to stay offline for as long as you can as there is a risk of an account ban if Microsoft servers detect discrepancies within the OS.
Now you can sit back and enjoy your games on the Xbox One X for free!