Xbox Backward Compatibility on PC
The official title was such marketing speak that I hope no one blames me for changing it. Seemingly this only means the Xbox app on PC and not stores like Steam.
https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2026/07/22/xbox-backward-compatibility-on-pc/Open linkView original on lemmy.world
67 replies
My XBOX backwards compatibility on PC is called Xemu. On Linux, not just Windows 11.
Haven’t ever used it yet but it comes with Emudeck. My emulation backlog is a mile long so maybe someday will get to OG Xbox lol
My emulation backlog of games I want to (or started to) play is also huge. But besides that, I am also a sucker for games to try out without the intend to play them for longer session; especially true for really old systems from the 80s... XBOX holds up well, given its age off course. You don't have to play all games, its often just fun to try out to see how the game works and then move on.
For anyone starting with XBOX emulation, I recommend the files in .xiso format. That is a compressed .iso, which saves ton of space if you have lots of them (i am innocent!).
Xemu likes to randomly disappear my saves. I’ve given up on that shit
Bet my whole steam library that it doesn't
It requires Windows 11 the same way Halo 2 required Vista.
I'm assuming, not much?
Lol... Look at you all... These corporations can do heinous shit and then toss you a treat and you come running back. Pathetic.
You're not wrong, most folks have a memory span of about 5 minutes apparently.
When something good happens I'll say good job. When something bad happens I'll call it out. It's not like this is going to move back over to windows to get these, but you don't need to be an asshole.
Explain how this is good for anyone but Microsoft.
How is having access to previously xbox-exclusive games on the PC good for anyone? Seriously?
What? It's the same issue with not having a physical disc. Microsoft can revoke your access to any game anytime including these Xbox titles.
I'm happy to see titles that were console only becoming available on PC. Even if revoked it opens a path to still being playable on PC if game gets cracked, but initial hurdle is coming to PC in the first place.
You can approve and disapprove of different actions a company takes at the same time. This is a positive move for game preservation (at least on the surface I'm sure M$ will find a way to fuck it up). Still doesn't redeem them in my eyes, but I'm always for positive actions.
They seem to have taken the least-compatible course for preservation, when emulators work fine already (after many years of false starts due to folks believing that Xbox just had an x86 under the hood).
P.S. Meanwhile, PS Classic uses the PCSX ReARMed emulator, even though the game library is still pretty small at just twenty titles (but people sideload basically anything they want).
Thank you Asha Shawarma, forgive our gaming sins!
What's a bunch of horse shit. Sony did the same thinking awhile back.
The title reads like you get to play your old disks on PC.
What they're really saying is your can buy access to older Xbox games that are emulated.
Technically not emulated. They recompiled them for x86. They do need special Microsoft apis though.
If they don't come to Steam then people will simply continue to emulate.
They are pleased to support these games from now until they fire the emulation team. (Sometime in the next month)
Next month? Try two weeks ago.
Lol, holy shit.
This is absolutely huge. Ninja Gaiden Black and Ninja Gaiden 2 are finally released from the Xbox prison? It's enough to make a grown man weep. I know emulation exists but it has been very spotty for Xbox titles and marred with bugs and performance issues.
I mean this is emulation, just in an official capacity.
If it works the same way as Backwards Compatibility on the Xbox consoles it will also often have support for higher resolutions, higher frame rates and HDR. And I'm hoping the official support from Microsoft will mean better performance and fewer bugs.
What’s a “Radeon RX 68005”
Did they just add the 5 for fun? Or is there some new model I’m not aware of?
Probably someone saw the RX 6800S and misread the S as a 5.
Maybe it's 6800.5, halfway between 6800 and 6801?
When I saw the title I got excited for some kind of way you could actually use the old disks in your PC... but this is fine too I guess, if a lot less inspiring.
Which emulator did they fork?
It’s recompilation.
This is a fantastic start.
If I can finally play Gears 2, 3, Judgment, and Skate 3 on PC, I may never turn my Xbox on again. Until GTA I guess.
Not sure if you've seen but Gears 2 got some sort of recomp/port about a week ago. I haven't had a chance to play it too much yet but the tutorial with Carmine worked without a hitch. https://www.moddb.com/mods/gears-of-war-2-hollow
That is also pretty great. I know Gears 3 also has a working PC port that's been getting content not even in the actual game. I need to try and get all of that running while I wait for E-Day. Similarly, Internet Archive has a great version of the GFWL Gears 1 with added Horde mode and bot multiplayer. Runs on basically any PC too.
Can't speak to the others, but you can emulate Skate 3 with RPCS3. Has a few glitches, but totally playable.
Judgment and the sequel are on Steam, btw.
I know 4 and 5 are natively on PC, along with UE and Reloaded, but I don't think Judgment is on PC.
Oh, I was talking about Judgment the Yakuza spin-off. My bad.
Ahhh, no you're good. I should check that out too actually.
Blinx. Are you fucking kidding me.
Nope. It was my flavor of weird when I was a kid. I loved the sequel, Blinx 2, which let you play as the Tom Tom Gang and customize your timesweepers/pig-men. The levels were all super cool too, like the ice caves or the Egyptian ruins. The whole "multiverse of time" thing was cool too.
Neat. I wonder how they're doing this though, because I'm assuming it's just an Xbox emulator adding the games on PC. Or are they proper PC ports?
The Xbox One and Series use x86 CPUs and Radeon GPUs, so emulation is not necessary, it's more likely a compatibility layer, similar to what Proton does to allow Windows games to run on Linux.
This is for OG Xbox games though?
Same thing, the only Xbox that was not x86 was the 360.
To be fair the original Xbox uses x86 and a nvidia gpu, so not that different from the one and series either
Both the Xbox 360 and the Xbox One/Series are using emulators to run OG Xbox games. Its called Xefu (Xenon Fusion Emulator).
Just having a x86 CPU doesn't mean console generations are interchangable.
So to answer the parent comment, yes, it's emulation.
@xCookes @TORFdot0 If I recall, the OG Xbox had a custom Nvidia GPU that caused problems for a while. Didn’t help that Nvidia and MS didnt get along for a hot minute.
Crimson Skies on PC? :O
Crimson skies had a PC release in 2000. Amazing game.
Loved that game as a kid, and still have my OG copy.
It wasn’t until going back and playing as an adult that I recognized Timothy Omundson as the lead VA. Loved him in Psych and in Supernatural. Apparently he voiced various characters is KoTOR 2 and I desperately need to replay that as an adult.
Well shit... If I had known that, I woulda got it on PC so I wouldn't have had to have XBL to play it online. :/
(not that I paid for XBL anyway on the OG xbox; i was getting a new game at least once a month, and most of them came with a 3 month pass to XBL 🤣)
Crimson Skies on Xbox was actually Crimson Skies 2. Crimson Skies 1 on PC was a completely different game. Still great if you like less arcade-like flight sims, though.
"Backward compatibility"? So I can put my Xbox discs into my PC and run the games?
I only read the headline but I'm 100% sure they mean you can purchase your games again at full price
For an original Xbox, you'll need to soft mod the Xbox (you need a game controller to USB adapter cable to connect your PC into your Xbox) Then you can ftp the game files off the dvd drive.
After the head of the BC program got sacked in the last round of layoffs, I lost all hope about it going anywhere in the near future. I'm happy I was proven wrong.
What's not clear in the linked article is how to access the BC games: do I need to buy them from the store, or is a disc allowed like on Xbox console?
A lot of BC games have been delisted over the years, so being able to access them via disc would be great. It's not an immediate concern as they only made four games available on PC, but I'm thinking ahead.
It’s clearly spelled out literally right after the announcement of the first 4 games.
Sorry, maybe I didn't make myself clear.
Yes, it's spelled out clearly for these 4 games in early release. As I said, I was thinking ahead. Lots of 360 games I own are not available to buy anymore, unfortunately. If this BC program only affects digital licences, it will be a bummer.
I seem to remember they were looking into ways to convert disc into digital licenses, so maybe that's how they are planning to do it.
We don’t know how they’ll handle games that are no longer available for sale. I’d say they won’t be a focus, but will probably be available for those of you who already owned it digitally.
I seem to remember needing a special drive to read the x-box discs. But i might be wrong.
Most early disc consoles had nonstandard discs in some way. Even if they are readable with a standard drive I doubt MS will support it. (They've surprised me with this announcement though, so who knows)
Now they just need to get Blinx 2 on there and my life will be almost complete.
Fuck MS, make that backwards compatible!
They should have had cross play with windows from the start. Fuck Microsoft.