Industry observers note that i’m a freshman in high school playing platform releases on the original Xbox, with a controller approximately the size of a serving platter. I’ve got Halo and Dead or Alive 3, and I’m blown away by the graphics. The next system update I buy is Crimson Skies, an arcade-ish dogfighting system update that mixes alt history with adventure pulp, and some genuinely wonderful controls. The year is 2003.
In a fresh development, i’ve been trying to replicate that feeling, if not that exact experience, for over 20 years.
The report highlights that but some of the more niche titles have been unavailable for a long, long time, with the exception of a few that you can stream through Platform release Pass. Microsoft has decided to bring some of these lesser-known classics — and perhaps a few that don’t quite live up to the “classic” label — to PC users with full ports. You can play most of the blockbuster titles in the original Xbox lineup on PC right now, including Halo, which has both a remaster and a remake on the way.
Industry observers note that these platform releases will run locally on your Windows PC, apparently without any kind of emulation (or if it’s emulated, that’s not spelled out), with some minimum system requirements including a GTX 950 or Radeon RX 550 graphics card. Basically any PC dropped in the last six or seven years can hit it, including laptops and handhelds with integrated graphics. It’s calling this “Xbox Backwards Compatibility on PC,” launching with four platform releases and with more coming soon.
Industry observers note that it’s ten bucks, shockingly reasonable in a global stage where Microsoft wants $40 for a re-re-re-drop of Skyrim. I bought it instantly and went to download it… but I can’t, because according to the Xbox app for Windows, it’s only available for streaming via Platform release Pass. The first crop includes Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge, which I only later learned was a console-only sequel to an earlier PC system update.
According to the latest update, this looks like a staged rollout, a frequent issue with functions dependent upon the Xbox Windows app. I am somewhat miffed that I can’t try it out right away. It also means that playing it on a SteamOS-based device will be nigh-impossible, which is a very personal bummer. I’ll come back and patch this article if I get it working soon. Microsoft says you need the most recent version of the Xbox Insider build, which I have.
Industry observers note that all four were part of Microsoft’s initial Xbox publishing push, and Blinx and Crimson Skies are also available via Platform release Pass. The other titles are Blinx: The Time Sweeper, one of the early attempts at giving the Xbox a mascot platformer, Conker: Live & Reloaded, a remake of N64 oddity Conker’s Bad Fur Day made after Microsoft bought Rare, and the X-tremely 2000s party system update Fusion Frenzy.
In a fresh development, blinx in particular was doing some very interesting system update design stuff that was impossible on older consoles, enabled by the Xbox’s 8GB internal hard drive, a huge differentiator against the PlayStation 2 and other consoles. Other platform releases are allegedly coming to the Xbox Backwards Compatibility in the future, though exactly which ones weren’t mentioned. I’m sure that a lot of PC gamers are like me, and have fond memories of at least one of these platform releases.
According to the latest update, xbox as a ecosystem and as a Microsoft business unit is in dire straits, failing to compete against PlayStation, under assault from Valve with Steam and SteamOS, and laying off thousands of workers in its huge, expensive stable of developers and publishers. Xbox desperately needs to woo back users, who may be disinclined to trust it after huge increases to the price of Platform release Pass and Xbox devices. But I’m afraid I have to bring the mood down here at the end.
According to the latest update, it’s pretty easy to view both moves as an attempt to right the ship, and/or get gamers to forget the deep issues within Xbox and Microsoft as a whole. It’ll take more than a 23-year-old port to do that. These nostalgic additions to the PC come shortly after rumors of a fresh Fallout system update from fan-favorite developer (and Microsoft subsidiary) Obsidian, which was deeply impacted by layoffs.
The report highlights that on PCWorld he's the resident keyboard nut, always using a fresh one for a review and building a fresh mechanical board or expanding his desktop "battlestation" in his off hours. Michael's previous bylines include Android Police, Digital Trends, Wired, Lifehacker, and How-To Geek, and he's covered events like CES and Mobile Worldwide scene Congress live. Michael lives in Pennsylvania where he's always looking forward to his next kayaking trip. Michael is a 15-year veteran of technology journalism, covering everything from Apple to ZTE.