Xbox is bringing its backward compatibility to PC and handhelds, launching today with four classic original Xbox games that are playable off-console for the very first time. As Xbox put it, the goal is to make it easier to play classic games from the past across PC and handhelds, including the ROG Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X - and we're pretty thrilled to see this kind of preservation effort in action.
Rolling out today in early release, Xbox Backward Compatibility on PC starts with four original Xbox titles and marks the beginning of a broader push to preserve older Xbox games and bring them to PC over time. And this isn't just a straight port either - Xbox is adding new features to modernize the experience.
Which games are available at launch?
Players can jump into the following games on PC and supported handheld devices starting today in supported regions:
BLiNX: The Time Sweeper
Conker: Live and Reloaded
Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge
Fuzion Frenzy
Each of these games is available for purchase on PC (normally 10 USD each)and is also included with all Xbox Game Pass plans. If you already own a digital license for these games on console, that license now carries over to your PC or handheld. Thanks to Xbox Play Anywhere and Xbox Cloud Gaming, you can play these classics across your Xbox console, the cloud, PC, and handheld.
What new features are included on PC?
Xbox says it has added new features to enhance the experience on PC while preserving the original gameplay. Those enhancements include:
Up to 4x resolution upscaling
VSync support
Fullscreen and Windowed display modes
Anisotropic filtering
Enhanced anti-aliasing
Customizable language and audio settings
And there's more on the way. Later this year, Xbox plans to bring one of the top fan-requested features to select original Xbox games on both console and PC: Achievements. The first four games releasing in preview today will be updated to include them in the coming months.
How do you get started?
If your PC or handheld meets the minimum system requirements, you can access backward compatible titles through the Xbox app on PC.
Minimum system requirements:
GPU: Nvidia GTX 950 or AMD Radeon RX 550 or Intel UHD 770 or Intel Arc A310
CPU: Min 4 Cores Intel Core i3-8100 or AMD Ryzen 3 1200 or AMD Ryzen Z2 A Processor
RAM: 8GB
OS: Windows 11
Drivers and Versions: Latest Version as of January 2026
Recommended specifications:
GPU: Radeon RX 68005 (according to Xbox Wire, this is definitely a typo on their part) or Nvidia GTX 1070 Ti or Intel Arc A770
CPU: 6 cores and 12 threads Intel Core i5-10400 or AMD Ryzen 5 3600 or AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme
DirectX Version: DirectX12 API, Hardware Feature Level 11
GPU VRAM: 8GB
OS: Windows 11
Drivers and Versions: Latest Version as of January 2026
Quote From Xbox Wire Today, we're introducing Xbox Backward Compatibility on PC, making it easier to play classic Xbox games from the past across PC and handhelds, including the ROG Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X.
Your library is more than just a collection of games. It is your personal history of epic stories and treasured memories from the past. And as players, we don't want to leave our gaming legacy behind even as technology continues to evolve and advance. We expect our library of games to move forward with us and to be able to play them in entirely new ways.
Rolling out today, Xbox Backward Compatibility on PC launches in early release, starting with four classic original Xbox games, now playable on PC and handhelds for the first time ever. This marks the beginning of a broader effort to preserve Xbox games from the past and bring them to PC over time. And we are not just enabling you to play them on PC. We are also adding new features to make your gaming experience better than ever.
Players can jump into the following games on PC and supported handheld devices beginning today in supported regions: 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 and also included with all Xbox Game Pass plans. If you already own a digital license for these games on console, that license now carries over to your PC or handheld. Through the power of Xbox Play Anywhere and Xbox Cloud Gaming, you can now play these classic games from the past on your Xbox console, cloud, PC and handheld.
In addition to making these games available on PC for the first time ever, we've added new features to enhance the experience on PC while preserving the original gameplay. 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.
We plan to add even more features to Xbox Backward Compatibility games in the future. I'm excited to share that later this year we will be bringing one of the top fan-requested features to select original Xbox games on both console and PC: Achievements. The first four games releasing in preview today will be updated to include Achievements in the coming months.
Getting started is simple. If your PC or handheld meets the minimum system requirements, you'll be able to access backward compatible titles through the Xbox on PC app.
Xbox Backward Compatibility on PC is another step toward preserving the games from the past and making it easier for you to enjoy and play more of the games you already own across the devices you use every day.
What do you think of the game selection? Any of them you're looking forward to (re)play? What other games do you want to see added? Let us know in the comments below!
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