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Microsoft is bringing original XBOX games to your PC and handhelds
You can now play these classic games on your XBOX console, in the cloud, on PC, and on handhelds.
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Adamya Sharma / Android Authority
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- Microsoft is rolling out XBOX Backward Compatibility on PC.
- Players will now be able to play original XBOX games on PC and handhelds.
- You’ll also be able to enhance the experience with features such as 4x resolution upscaling, VSync support, enhanced anti-aliasing, and more.
To this day, there are still people who love playing original XBOX games. But if you don’t want to break out your original XBOX hardware, you’ll now have a new way to access these classic titles. Microsoft is rolling out a new program that will let you play these games on PCs and handhelds.
In a blog post, Microsoft announced the launch of XBOX Backward Compatibility on PC. The program will allow you to play original XBOX games on PCs and handhelds. According to the company, this program “marks the beginning of a broader effort to preserve XBOX games from the past and bring them to PC.”
The program is launching with four titles, which include BLiNX: The Time Sweeper, Conker: Live and Reloaded, Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge, and Fuzion Frenzy. Microsoft plans to expand this lineup over time, but it’s unknown how long it will be before more are added. You’ll be able to purchase these four games on PC and all Game Pass plans. However, if you already have the digital license, that license will now carry over to your PC or handheld.
XBOX Backward Compatibility will also bring new features to enhance the experience. A few of these features are 4x resolution upscaling, VSync support, enhanced anti-aliasing, fullscreen and windowed display modes, and anisotropic filtering. On top of that, there are also customizable language and audio settings. As a final surprise, Microsoft says it will bring Achievements to these games later this year.
To be able to run XBOX Backward Compatibility for PC, you’ll need a system with the following specifications:
- GPU: Nvidia GTX 950 or AMD Radeon RX 550 or Intel UHD 770 or Intel Arc A310
- CPU: Minimum four cores Intel Core i3-8100, AMD Ryzen 3 1200, or AMD Ryzen Z2 A processor
- RAM: 8GB
- OS: Windows 11
- Drivers and Versions: Latest version as of January 2026
Here are the recommended specifications:
- GPU: Radeon RX 68005, Nvidia GTX 1070 Ti, or Intel Arc A770
- CPU: Six cores and 12 threads Intel Core i5-10400, 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
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