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ChonkyStation 3 UWP (Proof of Concept) Guide

This guide provides instructions for installing and running a Proof of Concept (POC) build of ChonkyStation 3 UWP, a PlayStation 3 emulator, on an Xbox Series S/X console in Developer Mode. This build is highly experimental and incomplete. Not all games will work, and those that do may have significant issues.

At a glance

ChonkyStation 3 (POC)

Highly experimental PS3 proof-of-concept, expect crashes and limited compatibility.

Last tested: 03/23/2025
Dev ModeRequired (Retail not supported)
StorageInternal LocalState only, needs space for sys files
User folderLocalAppData\[Chonkystation 3 app]\LocalState\dev_hdd0
DifficultyAdvanced - 30+ minutes
BIOS/keysUses provided sys folder files, no retail firmware flashing
ControllersXbox gamepad, limited feature set
Works
  • Single .elf can be loaded from dev_hdd0\game
  • Runs after copying sys folder contents to LocalState
  • Changing app type to Game improves stability
Known issues
  • Crashes common, POC only
  • Only one ELF at a time, no game list
  • Internal storage limits large assets

Use strictly for experimentation, compatibility is very low.

Ported By: @MoonPower

Prerequisites​

  • Xbox in Developer Mode: Your Xbox Series S/X must be in Developer Mode.
  • PC: A Windows PC for file transfers, accessing the Xbox Dev Portal, and potentially using RPCS3.
  • ChonkyStation 3 UWP package: Download from Experimental apps on Emulation Revival Store. You get ChonkyStation-UWP-*.zip, which currently includes:
    • ChonkyStation3_*_x64.msixbundle - main installer (sideload this first in Device Portal).
    • Dependencies.zip - extract it, inside Dependencies\x64 you add three packages in order when prompted: Microsoft.NET.Native.Framework.2.2.appx, Microsoft.NET.Native.Runtime.2.2.appx, and Microsoft.VCLibs.x64.14.00.appx (filenames can change slightly by release - add every .appx you find there).
    • sys - system files to copy into the app LocalState (see below).
    • donut.elf - sample homebrew you can try in dev_hdd0\game.
  • PKG GUI, TrueAncestor Resigner, PS3 ISO Tools, PSN Liberator, and RPCS3: If you wish to convert PS3 games, you will need some or all of these tools.

Installation and Setup​

Part 1: Install the MSIX bundle and dependencies​

  1. Extract the store ZIP: Extract ChonkyStation-UWP-*.zip on your PC. Extract Dependencies.zip as well so you have Dependencies\x64\*.appx.

  2. Access Xbox Dev Portal: On your PC, open a web browser and access the Xbox Device Portal (URL from Dev Home / Remote Access).

  3. Install the main package:

    • In the Dev Portal, go to "My games & apps" and click "Add".
    • Choose the ChonkyStation3_*_x64.msixbundle from the extracted folder.
    • Click "Next".

  4. Install dependencies:

    • When prompted, add each .appx from Dependencies\x64, one at a time (there should be three for the current mirror build).
    • Click "Start" to begin the installation.

Part 2: Copy System Files and Prepare Game Folder​

  1. Launch ChonkyStation 3 (Initial Launch): Launch the "ChunkyStation C#" application on your Xbox. It will likely crash, but this initial launch is required to create necessary folders.

  2. Access Xbox Dev Portal: Open the Xbox Device Portal in your web browser.

  3. Copy the System Files

    • Go to "File explorer".
    • Navigate to: LocalAppData - the folder for the Chonkystation 3 UWP app (long package name - use the one that appears after install) - LocalState.
    • Click Create new folder and name it dev_hdd0.
    • Navigate inside the dev_hdd0 and create a folder and name it game.

  4. Transfer System Files:

    • Go back to the extracted ChonkyStation 3 UWP folder on your PC. Find the sys folder.
    • Copy all the files inside the sys folder.
    • In the Dev Portal, navigate to the same app’s LocalAppData\…\LocalState path as above.
    • Paste the copied files into the LocalState folder.

Part 3: Add a Game (.elf)​

  1. Access Xbox Dev Portal: Open the Xbox Device Portal in your web browser.

  2. Navigate to dev_hdd0/game:

    • Go to "File explorer".
    • Navigate to: LocalAppData\[Chonkystation 3 package]\LocalState\dev_hdd0\game.

  3. Upload .elf: Place your desired game's .elf file into the dev_hdd0\game folder. You can do this by using the "Choose file" and "Upload" options in the Dev Portal, or by using FTP. Do not rename the file. The emulator will load the first .elf file it finds in this directory.

Part 4: Launch and Test​

  1. Launch ChonkyStation C#: Launch the "ChunkyStation C#" application on your Xbox.

How to Test Other Games​

  • ELF Format: Games must be in .elf format.
  • Location: Place the game's .elf file in the dev_hdd0/game folder within the app's LocalState folder. Only one game can be loaded at a time due to the POC nature of the build. The emulator will load the first .elf it finds. You must remove or rename any other .elf files in that directory.

Creating .elf Files (from PS3 Games)​

This section describes how to convert legally obtained PS3 game files to .elf format.

There are multiple methods to obtain .elf files from PS3 games:

Method 1: PKG Games (PSN Store Versions)

  1. Download Tools:

  2. Extract EBOOT.BIN: Use PKG GUI to extract the EBOOT.BIN file from the PS3 game's PKG package. The EBOOT.BIN is typically located within the USRDIR folder inside the extracted PKG contents.

  3. Resign EBOOT.BIN:

    • Copy the extracted EBOOT.BIN file to the TrueAncestor Self Resigner folder.
    • Run resigner.exe (or the equivalent executable).
    • Choose option 1 ("Resign EBOOT.BIN to SELF").
    • This will generate a .elf file in the same directory as the EBOOT.BIN.

Method 2: ISO Games (Disc Images)

  1. Download Tool:

  2. Extract ISO: Use PS3 ISO Tools to extract the contents of the ISO image.

  3. Locate EBOOT.BIN: Find the EBOOT.BIN file within the extracted files. It's usually located in the PS3_GAME\USRDIR folder.

  4. Resign EBOOT.BIN: Follow the same steps as in Method 1 (using TrueAncestor Self Resigner) to convert the EBOOT.BIN to a .elf file.

Method 3: Converting PKG to ISO

Method 4: Using RPCS3 (PC Emulator)

  1. Decrypt Game: Ensure your PS3 game is decrypted and in folder format. You can confirm this by navigating to the game folder. You should see a PS3_GAME folder, and inside that, a USRDIR folder. The EBOOT.BIN file will be inside USRDIR. Not all games require a separate .edat file for decryption. Some games use a key.edat, others may use a differently named .edat file (e.g., drm.edat), and some games don't require one at all. The .edat file, if needed, is usually found in the USRDIR folder.

  2. RPCS3: Download and Open the RPCS3 emulator on your PC.

  3. Decrypt Binaries:

    • Go to the "Utilities" tab.
    • Select "Decrypt PS3 Binaries".
    • Navigate to the game's PS3_GAME\USRDIR folder and select the EBOOT.BIN file.
    • If required by the game, you may also need to select the appropriate .edat file during the decryption process. RPCS3 will usually prompt you if it needs an .edat file.
    • RPCS3 will decrypt the file, and you'll find the EBOOT.elf in the same folder as the EBOOT.BIN.

Common Errors (RPCS3 Method):

  • "32 Digit HEX code" prompt: If RPCS3 asks for a 32-digit HEX code when you select the EBOOT.BIN, your game is not decrypted. You'll need to decrypt the game files before proceeding. This often involves finding or generating an appropriate decryption key (which is beyond the scope of this guide, and may have legal implications).

Important Notes​

caution

Proof of Concept: This build of ChonkyStation 3 UWP is a proof of concept and is highly experimental. Do not expect full compatibility or performance.

caution

Game Compatibility: Not all games will work, and those that do may have significant issues.

info

WIP: This is a work in progress, and future updates may improve compatibility and performance.