Xbox is testing out backward compatibility for older games on PCs

Today (7/22), Xbox introduced a new early release program it's calling Xbox Compatibility on PC. It's an interesting move as rival Sony faces an ongoing backlash for ditching discs.

In the announcement post, Xbox said that the program will let you play classic Xbox games on either your PC or gaming handheld consoles like the ROG Xbox Ally X.

"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."

The program is starting with four original Xbox games coming to PC for the first time. Xbox says that new features are also being added, like customizable graphic settings, up to 4x resolution upscaling, VSync support, Fullscreen and Windowed display modes, and anti-aliasing.

Here are the four starting games:

• BLiNX: The Time Sweeper 
• Conker: Live and Reloaded 
• Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge 
• Fuzion Frenzy

Each game costs $9.99, though at the time of writing, Fuzion Frenzy is on sale for $7.50. They're available for purchase now and are included in all Xbox Game Pass plans.

Of the four, I'd personally recommend Fuzion Frenzy or Crimson Skies. If you're unfamiliar, Crimson Skies is an arcade flier while Fuzion Frenzy is a more sci-fi Mario Party from the original Xbox.

If you already have licenses for these games, they'll carry over to your PC or handheld console.

Here are the minimum requirements to run these games per Xbox:

• 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

Xbox is starting with those four titles, but it's not clear when any more games will be added. Achievements will arrive in the coming months.

But these four are a decent start.

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