Xbox has been the target of the entire gaming industry lately, and for good reason. Between the layoffs, rising prices, canceled projects, and several decisions that haven’t exactly made Xbox fans happy, the company hasn’t been doing itself any favors. That said, I can’t sit here and pretend that this news doesn’t excite me, because Xbox is finally bringing original Xbox backward compatibility to PC.
Starting today, Xbox Backward Compatibility on PC is rolling out in early release, allowing players to purchase and play several original Xbox games on Windows PCs and supported handhelds, including the ROG Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X. For the first batch, Xbox is bringing over Blinx: The Time Sweeper, Conker: Live and Reloaded, Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge, and Fuzion Frenzy.
Now, I know what you’re probably thinking. Four games isn’t exactly a lot, and you’d be right. Xbox has a massive library of original Xbox games sitting around, many of which fans have been asking to play on modern hardware for years. Still, this is being called the beginning of a much larger effort to preserve older Xbox games and bring more of them to PC over time, so I’m willing to see where this goes.
Ever since Xbox started its original backward compatibility efforts, bringing older Xbox and Xbox 360 games to the Xbox One and eventually the Xbox Series X|S, I’ve always felt that it was one of the best things the company ever did. Not only did it keep those games alive, but it also meant that people didn’t have to keep several old consoles connected just to play the games they already owned. Now, Xbox is taking that same idea and bringing it to PC and Windows-powered handhelds, and honestly, I’m all for it.
Each of the four games is available to purchase through the Xbox PC app and is also included with every Xbox Game Pass plan. Better yet, if you already own a digital copy of any of these games on Xbox, you won’t have to buy them again. Your existing license will carry over to PC and supported handhelds, which is exactly how something like this should work.
For those wondering if the games are only cloud-based not, I can tell you that they do install location. Of course, I could wait to download Crimson Skies, so I can replay it again after so many years and after paying for it since I don’t subscribe to Xbox Game Pass, I was given the option of where to install it. I’m so happy, that I am finally put Windows back onto my Legion Go 2, just so I play that game whenever I want. Well, maybe reinstall Windows.
The games are also getting several PC-specific improvements, including up to 4x resolution upscaling, VSync support, fullscreen and windowed display modes, anisotropic filtering, enhanced anti-aliasing, and customizable audio and language settings. Xbox is also planning to add Achievements to select original Xbox games later this year, with all four of the launch titles receiving Achievement support in the coming months.
Ok, now let’s address the elephant in the room. Look, one good announcement isn’t going to suddenly erase everything Xbox has done over the past few years, and I’m not about to act like it does. However, bringing original Xbox games to PC, honoring existing digital purchases, and adding modern graphical options is a very good move. This is the kind of thing Xbox should be doing, especially if it wants people to believe that their game libraries actually matter.
Now comes the important part. Xbox needs to keep this going and not abandon it after a few months. Give us Jet Set Radio Future, MechAssault, Project Gotham Racing (I know this isn’t happening, but let me dream), and the countless other original Xbox games that have been stuck on aging hardware for far too long. If Xbox is serious about game preservation, then this is a good start, but there is still a lot more work to be done.
