# Def Jam: Fight for NY XBE Recomp: a native Linux port

> Def Jam: Fight for NY XBE Recomp builds a native Linux port of the original Xbox game by translating its x86 XBE into C++ ahead of time. The port implements Xbox kernel and XDK services at the API level, renders through Vulkan, and uses SDL3 for sound and input. The author reports booting through menus and into fights while gameplay testing continues.

- Type: Case study
- Targets: Game
- Category: Independent reconstruction cases
- Relationship: Independent reconstruction project
- Sources reviewed: 2026-11-06
- Added to the catalog: 2026-11-09
- Original resource: <https://github.com/datfooldive/DEFJAM-XBERecomp-Linux>
- Primary source: <https://github.com/datfooldive/DEFJAM-XBERecomp-Linux/blob/13398ebd935cf133ff601edf0d5fc9cc387fc3cf/README.md>
- Catalog page: <https://awesomerea.org/resources/def-jam-fight-for-ny-linux-case/>
- Record JSON: <https://awesomerea.org/resources/def-jam-fight-for-ny-linux-case/record.json>
- Chinese version: [简体中文](https://awesomerea.org/zh/resources/def-jam-fight-for-ny-linux-case/index.md)

## Requirements & limits

- **Prerequisites:** A user-supplied Xbox copy of Def Jam: Fight for NY, as an ISO or default.xbe with data folders, is required.
- **Prerequisites:** Linux with Wayland or X11, a Vulkan 1.3+ GPU, Clang, LLD, CMake, Ninja, shaderc, and SDL3 build dependencies is required.
- **Limits:** Gameplay is still being tested; XNet and XOnline are unimplemented.
- **License:** The repository has no root-level license file; the bundled SDK is MIT-licensed.

## Primary sources

1. <https://github.com/datfooldive/DEFJAM-XBERecomp-Linux/blob/13398ebd935cf133ff601edf0d5fc9cc387fc3cf/README.md>

## More in Games

- [Def Jam: Fight for NY — statically recompiling the Xbox game](https://awesomerea.org/resources/defjam-ffny/index.md) · Case study
- [defjam-sw: a static recompilation of Def Jam: Fight for NY](https://awesomerea.org/resources/defjam-sw-case/index.md) · Case study
- [Demon's Souls PC: a PS3 static recompilation for Windows](https://awesomerea.org/resources/demons-souls-pc-case/index.md) · Case study
- [Demon's Souls: native Windows port of the PS3 game](https://awesomerea.org/resources/demons-souls-recomp-case/index.md) · Case study
- [Destruction Derby 2 Recompiled: a PlayStation setup host for local static recompilation](https://awesomerea.org/resources/destruction-derby-2-recomp-case/index.md) · Case study
- [Destruction Derby Raw: a local PSXRecomp build](https://awesomerea.org/resources/destruction-derby-raw-recomp-case/index.md) · Case study

## About this entry

The description was reviewed against primary sources.
Original editorial content: MIT. Linked projects, papers and assets retain their own rights and licenses.