Sonic Unleashed Recompiled Guide

Guide Author: Jeen

This guide provides instructions for installing and setting up the “Sonic Unleashed Recompiled” fan project (UWP port by WorleyDL) on an Xbox Series S/X console running in Developer Mode. It also covers how to set up mods using HedgeModManager

CRITICAL REQUIREMENT: E:\ Drive Letter

This UWP port absolutely requires that your external USB drive is assigned the drive letter E: when connected to your Windows PC during the setup process (specifically for preparing game data and mods).
If Windows assigns a different letter (like D:, F:, etc.), the game data and mods will not be found by the UWP application on Xbox.
Instructions on how to check and potentially change the drive letter are included in Part 1.

Other Important Notes

This is a fan-made project based on the original Sonic Unleashed and is not an official SEGA product.
This UWP port is by WorleyDL. Please report UWP-specific issues to their repository, NOT the official Hedge-Dev or original Sonic Unleashed Recompiled teams.
This guide is based on setup processes demonstrated in videos and community guides. Ensure you download the correct files.
External USB Drive REQUIRED: This port requires an External USB Drive for storing the main game data files and mods.
This port is confirmed to work on **Xbox Series X S** only. It will not work on Xbox One consoles.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure the following conditions are met:

Xbox Developer Mode Activated: Your Xbox Series S/X must be successfully set up and running in Developer Mode.
Remote Access Enabled: Remote Access must be enabled and configured within the Xbox Dev Home application.
External USB Drive: A USB drive formatted as NTFS with full read/write permissions set for UWP applications. This drive must appear as drive E: when connected to your Windows PC.
PC: A Windows PC for downloading files, running the PC installer, using HedgeModManager, and accessing the Xbox Dev Portal.
Sonic Unleashed Game Files: You need your own copy (dump) of the Xbox 360 version of Sonic Unleashed (ISO or extracted folder format), the latest Title Update, and optionally, any DLCs.
Sonic Unleashed Recompiled PC Installer: The Windows version installer is needed to generate game data files.
Sonic Unleashed Recompiled UWP App: The UWP application package (.msixbundle) and dependency (.appx) for installation on the Xbox.

Need help with prerequisites? See the Xbox Dev Mode Setup guide for detailed instructions on activating Dev Mode, setting up Remote Access, and preparing a USB drive (including formatting and permissions, but double-check the drive letter requirement below).

Part 1: Preparing Game Data Files on the E:\ Drive (Using PC Installer)

This step must be done on your PC, and the USB drive must be assigned the letter E:.

1.1. Ensure Your USB Drive is Assigned E:

Connect USB Drive: Plug your prepared (NTFS, permissions set) USB drive into your Windows PC.
Check Drive Letter: Open File Explorer (This PC). Note the drive letter assigned to your USB drive.
If Not E:, Attempt to Change: If the drive letter is not E:, you must attempt to change it. Warning: Changing drive letters can sometimes affect programs that expect a drive at a specific letter. Proceed with caution.
- Open Disk Management:
  - Right-click the Windows Start button and select “Disk Management”.
  - Alternatively, press Win + R, type diskmgmt.msc, and press Enter.
- Identify USB Drive: Locate your USB drive in the list of disks and partitions. It will likely show as “Removable”. Be absolutely sure you have identified the correct drive based on its size and label.
- Change Drive Letter:
  - Right-click on the main partition of your USB drive (the large block representing the storage).
  - Select “Change Drive Letter and Paths…”.
  - Click the “Change…” button.
  - Select the radio button for “Assign the following drive letter:”.
  - From the dropdown menu, select E.
  - Click “OK”.
  - If E: is Taken: If E: is already in use by another drive (internal or external), you will first need to change that drive’s letter to something else (like G:, H:, etc.) using the same process, then change your USB drive’s letter to E:.
- Confirm Warning: Windows may warn you that changing the drive letter might cause programs to stop working. Click “Yes” to proceed.
- Verify: Close Disk Management and check File Explorer again to confirm your USB drive is now assigned the letter E:.

1.2. Prepare Installer and Game Files on E:\ Drive

(Assuming your USB drive is now successfully assigned as E:)

Download PC Installer: Go to the official Sonic Unleashed Recompiled GitHub releases page: https://github.com/hedge-dev/UnleashedRecompiled/releases
Download Windows Zip: Download the UnleashedRecompiled-Windows.zip file.
Extract Installer: Extract the .zip file to a temporary location on your PC.
Create unleashed Folder on USB: On your E:\ drive (your USB drive), create a new folder named exactly unleashed (Path: E:\unleashed).
Move Installer Contents to USB: Copy all contents from the extracted UnleashedRecompiled-Windows folder into the E:\unleashed folder.
Prepare Game Source Files on USB:
- Inside the E:\unleashed folder, create a subfolder named my sonic files.
- Copy your Sonic Unleashed game files (ISO or extracted folder), Title Update, and DLCs into E:\unleashed\my sonic files.
Run PC Installer (from USB):
- Navigate to E:\unleashed.
- Run UnleashedRecompiled.exe from the USB drive.
- Select language, click “Next”, click “Next”.
Add Game Sources (from USB):
- Game: Click “Add Files”. Navigate to E:\unleashed\my sonic files and select your game file (.iso or default.xex). Click “Open”.
- Update: Click “Update” tab > “Add Files”. Navigate to E:\unleashed\my sonic files and select your Title Update. Click “Open”.
- DLC (Optional): Click “DLC” tab > “Add Files”. Select all DLC files in E:\unleashed\my sonic files. Click “Open”. Or click “Skip”.
Install Files (to USB): Click “Next”. Click “Next” again. The installer will generate game data folders (game, update, etc.) inside E:\unleashed. Wait for completion.
Finish Installation: Click “Next”, then “Exit”. Your E:\unleashed folder now contains the necessary generated game data. (You can delete my sonic files now if desired).