Microsoft has just announced Xbox Backward Compatibility for PC. Launching in Early Access today on PC, XBOX Backward Compatibility will allow you to play four classic original XBOX games on PC and handhelds for the first time ever.
The four games that are currently available are BLiNX: The Time Sweeper, Conker: Live and Reloaded, Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge, and Fuzion Frenzy.
Each of these games is now available for purchase on PC. They are also included with all XBOX Game Pass plans. Moreover, if you already own a digital license for these games on console, that license can carry over to your PC or handheld.
What’s also cool here is that MS has added some PC features. For instance, players can customize graphics settings, including up to 4X resolution upscaling, VSync support, Fullscreen and Windowed display modes, Anisotropic Filtering, Enhanced Anti-Aliasing, and more. These games also include customizable language and audio settings.
I’m pretty sure that this XBOX Backward Compatibility program is based on emulation. Or at least that’s what makes sense. So, I’m curious to see how well these games run on PC. Do they have any glitches? And is this official emulator better than what we already had on PC?
For what it’s worth, MS has not stated whether it plans to expand the program to include Xbox 360 games. If I had to guess, I think that could happen under two conditions. First, the program would need to be successful and profitable. Second, Microsoft would likely want to add most original Xbox games before moving on to Xbox 360 titles.
Microsoft has also released the PC specs for XBOX Backward Compatibility. PC gamers will at least need an Intel Core i3-8100, an AMD Ryzen 3 1200, or an AMD Ryzen Z2 A with 8GB of RAM and an Nvidia GTX 950, an AMD Radeon RX 550, an Intel UHD 770, or an Intel Arc A310. MS also states that the latest version of Windows 11 is required for it. So, I don’t know whether or not it’s also compatible with Windows 10.
Microsoft recommends using an Intel Core i5-10400, an AMD Ryzen 5 3600, or an AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme with 8GB of RAM and an AMD Radeon RX 6800, an Nvidia GTX 1070 Ti, or an Intel Arc A770.
This is great news for those who wanted to play some classic XBOX games. Microsoft will add more XBOX titles in the future, so we will most likely be able to enjoy games like Far Cry Instincts, RalliSport Challenge 2, Project Gotham Racing, and Dino Crisis 3.
Stay tuned for more!
John is the founder and Editor in Chief at DSOGaming. He is a PC gaming fan and highly supports the modding and indie communities. Before creating DSOGaming, John worked on numerous gaming websites. While he is a die-hard PC gamer, his gaming roots can be found on consoles. John loved – and still does – the 16-bit consoles, and considers SNES to be one of the best consoles. Still, the PC platform won him over consoles. That was mainly due to 3DFX and its iconic dedicated 3D accelerator graphics card, Voodoo 2. John has also written a higher degree thesis on the “The Evolution of PC graphics cards.”
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