First look: New Windows 11 PCs and handhelds sold in the US now come with an offer of 25 Xbox games valued at more than $500. How far that library reaches beyond the PC depends on which titles support Xbox Play Anywhere. Between that uneven cross-device support and eligibility rules built around specific hardware and software setups, what the offer is really worth comes down to the machine a buyer chooses.
Microsoft is delivering the X25 bundle through the Microsoft Store app on Windows 11, not through codes or retailer redemptions. The bundle will appear on eligible machines no later than the end of November, and owners can claim all 25 games from there. The promotion runs through December and is limited to buyers in the US. It is part of the run-up to Xbox's 25th anniversary.
Eligibility depends on what is preinstalled on the machine. Under Microsoft's terms, any new Windows PC or handheld that ships with Windows Home qualifies, while new PCs that ship with Windows Pro qualify only if they run on Nvidia RTX Spark silicon. Refurbished machines are excluded, as are PCs bought from unauthorized resellers, online marketplaces, liquidators or auction sites.
In practice, those rules leave out most Pro-licensed business hardware. Microsoft also says it may revoke the promotional benefits if a purchase is returned, canceled or not completed for other reasons, so buyers who plan to claim the games and send the PC back risk losing them.
For anyone who plays on both a console and a PC, the technical detail that matters most is Xbox Play Anywhere. With that support, one purchase covers both the Windows and Xbox console versions of a game. Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, Gears of War: Reloaded and The Elder Scrolls Online all support it, so claiming them on a new PC also gives access on Xbox hardware.
Several of the bigger titles don't. Call of Duty: WWII, Fallout 76, Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary and Minecraft Dungeons have separate Windows and Xbox versions. Claiming those through the bundle covers the PC version only.
The 25 games cover most of Xbox's history and the Bethesda and Activision catalogs Microsoft now owns. The id Software games include Doom, Doom II, Quake, Quake II and Wolfenstein: The New Order. Bethesda's role-playing lineup includes The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition, The Elder Scrolls Online and Fallout 76.
The strategy games are Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, Age of Mythology: Retold, Rise of Nations: Extended Edition, Gears Tactics and Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire. Original Xbox-era games include Fuzion Frenzy, Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge and BLINX: The Time Sweeper, along with Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary.
The rest of the list is Gears of War: Reloaded, Call of Duty: WWII, Minecraft Dungeons, The Outer Worlds, As Dusk Falls, Battletoads and Zoo Tycoon: Ultimate Animal Collection.
Because new handhelds running Windows Home are eligible, portable gaming PCs are among the cheapest ways to get the bundle, and they are expected to be popular gifts this holiday season. They can be used on the road or around the house, and the Play Anywhere titles in the bundle carry over to an Xbox console as well.
Microsoft is giving away 25 Xbox games worth over $500 with new Windows PCs and handhelds
no thanks, really.
