Microsoft Starts Original Xbox Games PC Port Effort | First Four Titles Ship Today, Included in Game Pass
TL;DR
Microsoft is porting original Xbox games to PC — first batch of four titles hits preview today and is included in all Xbox Game Pass tiers.
Microsoft announced today it is expanding the Xbox backward-compatibility program to port original Xbox games to PC. Four classic Xbox titles hit PC preview today: Blinx: The Time Sweeper, Fuzion Frenzy, Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge, and Voodoo Vince — the four launch titles.
Distribution follows the recent playbook: each can be purchased and downloaded individually on PC, and all are included in every Xbox Game Pass tier. Users who already own digital versions can now play them on PC — or on Xbox Ally / Xbox Ally X handhelds — with no re-purchase required.
Worth comparing: Nintendo Switch 2 just added GameCube streaming to its online subscription earlier this year. Original Xbox hardware legacy (2001–2005) was previously locked to Xbox Series emulation. This time Microsoft opens the entry point to the PC side, effectively moving the "old Xbox lottery" onto the much larger Windows PC plus handheld install base. More console games will follow on PC — part of the larger plan.
via The Verge
Distribution follows the recent playbook: each can be purchased and downloaded individually on PC, and all are included in every Xbox Game Pass tier. Users who already own digital versions can now play them on PC — or on Xbox Ally / Xbox Ally X handhelds — with no re-purchase required.
Worth comparing: Nintendo Switch 2 just added GameCube streaming to its online subscription earlier this year. Original Xbox hardware legacy (2001–2005) was previously locked to Xbox Series emulation. This time Microsoft opens the entry point to the PC side, effectively moving the "old Xbox lottery" onto the much larger Windows PC plus handheld install base. More console games will follow on PC — part of the larger plan.
via The Verge
