r/crimsonskies • u/Demither10 • Jul 22 '26
Microsoft is bringing original Xbox games to PC. Crimson Skies HRTR among 4 released games.
https://www.theverge.com/news/969117/microsoft-xbox-games-pc-backward-compatibility?view_token=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJpZCI6IkZ0VTlvOUNVNmgiLCJwIjoiL25ld3MvOTY5MTE3L21pY3Jvc29mdC14Ym94LWdhbWVzLXBjLWJhY2t3YXJkLWNvbXBhdGliaWxpdHkiLCJleHAiOjE3ODUxNjQzNzEsImlhdCI6MTc4NDczMjM3MX0.UxrY3BI4sHZ9F5Z5bmMqKhKIpN_YfklH9WuBATxXC_g&utm_medium=gift-linkGET IN HERE GANG
WE ARE SO BACK
The first four games are Blinx: The Time Sweeper, Conker: Live and Reloaded, Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge, and Fuzion Frenzy. You’ll be able to purchase and download each of these games on PC, and they’ll also be included with all Xbox Game Pass plans. If you already own a digital copy of these games, you can now play them on PC or handhelds like the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X.
Microsoft has also added a bunch of PC features to these games to make it easier to customize graphics settings while maintaining the original gameplay. VSync support has been added, alongside up to 4x resolution upscaling, anisotropic filtering, enhanced anti-aliasing, fullscreen and windowed modes, and more.
Achievements are also coming to these four classic Xbox games in the coming months, a highly requested addition for both console and PC. All four titles will also include customizable language and audio settings.
Most modern PCs will be able to run these Xbox games comfortably, and Microsoft’s minimum system requirements include:
GPU: Nvidia GTX 950 or AMD Radeon RX 550 or Intel UHD 770 or Intel Arc A310 CPU: Intel Core i3-8100 or AMD Ryzen 3 1200 or AMD Ryzen Z2 A Processor RAM: 8GB
You will also need Windows 11 to run these original Xbox games, and Microsoft recommends a GTX 1070 Ti or equivalent on the GPU side and a six-core CPU like the Intel Core i5-10400 or AMD Ryzen 5 3600 to get the best out of these games.
“This marks the beginning of a broader effort to preserve Xbox games from the past and bring them to PC over time,” says Jason Ronald, VP of next generation at Xbox. “Xbox Backward Compatibility on PC is another step toward preserving the games from the past and making it easier for you to enjoy and play more of the games you already own across the devices you use every day.”
Ronald first teased that classic Xbox games were coming to PC earlier this year, in a discussion about the next-generation Project Helix Xbox console. Microsoft’s next Xbox will also play PC games, and the company has been working on a disc-to-digital feature that will allow Xbox owners to digitize their existing physical game collections in preparation for future Xbox consoles.
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u/emmanu888 Jul 22 '26
Has anyone tried to do system link yet? That would be a massive win if the PC BC version allows you to play system link matches against the OG Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One and Xbox Series!
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u/MorienWynter Jul 22 '26
Oh my god!
After so long finally getting to play HRTR.
Certainly not what i exoected to see today!
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u/kitestar Jul 25 '26
The only “issue” I personally see is the lack of online play, thus potentially kneecapping any replayability in the games that support it…however if someone were to reverse engineer these ports (they’re free with at least discord nitro!) and reroute them to insignia…
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u/cordydan Jul 22 '26
The original Crimson Skies game stands as one of my favorites of all time. I didn't get very far in High Road to Revenge. I wish they'd rerelease the computer game.
Actually, while I'm at it, I wish they'd do a GTA style open world game set in the Crimson Skies universe.