Forward-looking: Since Microsoft began expanding some Xbox console features to Windows 11, many users have wondered whether the company would eventually include compatibility with older Xbox games. Microsoft has now confirmed this to be the case with a small pilot program set to expand in the coming months.
Four games from the original Xbox are now available on PC for the first time via the Xbox app on Windows 11. More titles are on the horizon, but Microsoft has not specified which games will be added or when they will arrive.
The initial releases – BliNX: The Time Sweeper, Conker: Live and Reloaded, Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge, and Fusion Frenzy – were previously available on Xbox One and Xbox Series consoles via Microsoft's backward compatibility initiative. They will likely be followed by other games from the program, which includes hundreds of original Xbox and Xbox 360 titles, some of which never received PC versions.
Players can access the games either through a Game Pass Essential subscription or by purchasing them separately from the Xbox app for $10 each. Customers who previously purchased digital copies on Xbox consoles can also download them without paying again.
Digital Foundry reports that users can play each game at up to quadruple its original rendering resolution, reaching a maximum of 2,560 x 1,920 pixels. Although users are limited to the games' original 4:3 aspect ratio and framerates – 60fps for Fusion Frenzy and 30fps for the others – they can adjust v-sync, anti-aliasing, and anisotropic filtering beyond what was possible on the original Xbox. Windowed and fullscreen modes are also available, and Microsoft confirmed that achievements are coming later this year.
The system requirements for Microsoft's official Xbox emulation program are quite modest, ensuring support for the ROG Xbox Ally and other handheld gaming PCs. The games require at least an Nvidia GTX 950, AMD Radeon RX 550, Intel Arc A310, or UHD 770 integrated graphics, and at least four CPU cores. However, the company recommends at least an RX 6800, GTX 1070 Ti, or Arc A770, at least 8GB of VRAM, and 6 CPU cores with 12 threads.
While bringing the Xbox backward compatibility program to PC signals Microsoft's continued commitment to Windows gaming, it remains unclear whether the list of viable games will expand beyond those currently available on Xbox consoles. Kevin LaChapelle, the lead engineer of the backward compatibility program, was one of 1,600 employees Microsoft laid off earlier this month amid a massive restructuring attempt. A further 1,600 layoffs are set to roll out over the next 12 months.