Xbox app now brings original Xbox games to PC: BLiNX, Conker and more

Microsoft started rolling out original Xbox games to PC through the Xbox app on Windows 11 today. That makes this the company’s first official backward compatibility program for original Xbox games on PC, built around titles from the first Xbox era.

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The opening batch has BLiNX: The Time Sweeper, Conker: Live and Reloaded, Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge, and Fuzion Frenzy. If you already own supported digital Xbox versions, you can play them on PC at no extra charge through Xbox Play Anywhere. They’re also included across Xbox Game Pass tiers. Microsoft says these aren’t just untouched ROMs dropped into the app, either. The PC versions get up to 4x resolution upscaling, VSync, anisotropic filtering, and better anti-aliasing to smooth out the image on modern displays. If you’ve wanted a simpler legal way to go back to these games without dragging out an old console or turning to unofficial emulation tools like Xemu, this Xbox app update is an easy one to recommend.

The bigger story is what comes next. Microsoft says this is the start of a wider preservation effort, with more classic Xbox games headed to PC, plus Xbox achievements coming to select original Xbox titles on both console and PC over the next few months. You can grab the first batch now through the Xbox app on Windows 11. It also turns a long-discussed Xbox idea into something real: back in 2017, Xbox chief Phil Spencer said the console’s x86 roots could open a path to PC emulation. Now it finally has.