HD-DVD Emulator for Xbox 360 now free

Ever wanted to try out Microsoft‘s HD-DVD Emulator on your Xbox 360, but got scared off by the price? Then you’ve got no reason now, as the emulator itself is now going for absolutely zip. Yes, one can download the emulator for free – just remember that you still need an HD-DVD add-on drive for it. All the details after the jump.

For those of us who still want some HD-DVD love on our Xbox 360s, then good news: the downloadable emulator for the HD-DVD is now absolutely free, and one only needs to request a download token from the program’s official website. Nope, no payment needed – the thing is going for absolutely nothing.

But why is it free now, you ask? Well, if you’ve been in the loop with the format wars, then you’d have caught wind that Blu-ray, HD-DVD’s strongest competitor, came out on top – as evidenced by Toshiba making the announcement that they wouldn’t be making HD-DVD players anymore. This is partly the reason, of course – Microsoft also wants the developers who still want to make projects based on HD-DVD a chance to do them at no added cost, hence the freebie.

As for those of us who paid full price for the emulator, you’re not left out. Microsoft has announced that full refunds will be issued to those who bought the HD-DVD emulator. Not bad for a program that lets you develop and test complete HD-DVD projects, right?

So, if you’ve ever wanted to try this baby out, then go right ahead. It won’t cost you a cent.