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Xbox Brings Backwards Compatibility To PC, Starting With Four Classics
Microsoft has launched an early-release Xbox Backward Compatibility programme for PC, allowing selected original Xbox games to run officially on Windows PCs and compatible handhelds for the first time. The move extends Xbox’s preservation efforts beyond consoles and could make more older, previously console-only games available on modern hardware.
The programme begins with four titles: BLiNX: The Time Sweeper, Conker: Live and Reloaded, Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge and Fuzion Frenzy. They can be bought through the Xbox PC app or accessed through any Xbox Game Pass plan, with graphics options including higher resolution scaling, VSync and enhanced anti-aliasing; Xbox says further games and features may follow.
In short
- Xbox has introduced backwards compatibility for PC.
- Four original Xbox games are available initially.
- The games are purchasable or included with Game Pass.
Explained simply
Xbox is Microsoft’s gaming brand, spanning consoles, Windows PCs and the Game Pass subscription service. Backwards compatibility means making games from an older system playable on newer hardware, so players can revisit them without using the original console.
The original Xbox launched in 2001, and some of its games were designed only for that console. Microsoft has added older games to newer Xbox consoles over time; bringing selected titles to PC extends that effort to Windows computers and compatible handhelds.
The programme starts with four games from the original Xbox era, available through the Xbox PC app or Game Pass. Its scope matters to players interested in older games and their preservation, though only selected titles are included so far.
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