Microsoft has launched a new Xbox backwards compatibility programme for PC, allowing select Xbox console games to be played on Windows PCs for the first time. The initiative extends Xbox's long-running backwards compatibility efforts beyond consoles, giving PC players access to older titles that previously required an Xbox 360 or Xbox One to run, and signals Microsoft's continued push to blur the lines between its console and PC gaming ecosystems.

The programme launches with four games from the early 2000s, all originally released for the original Xbox console, now made playable on PC through this new compatibility scheme. The move fits into Microsoft's broader strategy of unifying its gaming platforms under the Xbox brand, following similar efforts such as Xbox Play Anywhere and cloud gaming, and suggests further titles could be added to the PC backwards compatibility catalogue over time.