Microsoft Just Released Blinx The Time Sweeper And 3 Other OG Xbox Games On PC

Back in the day when Microsoft first released the Xbox, it wasn't shy about explaining the device. It was a custom Pentium III-based PC with NVIDIA GeForce 3 graphics and a severely stripped-down version of Windows 2000. We all wondered why Microsoft didn't simply release that version of Windows for us to use on any PC. The company is kind of heading that direction now, but from the opposite path, as it looks like the next Xbox will essentially be a Windows PC, but Microsoft additionally wants us to believe that any Windows PC is also an Xbox. Maybe.

Or maybe not; it's not clear what the messaging is since Asha Sharma took over and took a chainsaw to the Xbox division. In any case, though, Microsoft just announced today that it's adding four more games to the Xbox store on Windows PCs: BLiNX: The Time Sweeper, Conker: Live and Reloaded, Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge, and Fuzion Frenzy. If those sound familiar, that's because they are games that were originally exclusive to the OG Xbox. That's right: Xbox games, on your PC! Only about 25 years late.

I jest, but there's really nothing wrong with this, and Microsoft should be applauded for bringing these games to PC. It's a shame that it took so long for this to happen, but better late than never. Best of all, this is the start of what Microsoft is calling "Xbox Backard Compatibility on PC," which it says is "a broader effort to preserve XBOX games from the past and bring them to PC over time." That's, honestly, very exciting as a PC gamer who lived through that era and has a great nostalgia for the 6th generation of video game consoles.


The four games mentioned above are available right now if you want to go get them. Fuzion Frenzy is on sale for $2.49 this week; its regular price is $10, which is the same as the other titles. Alternatively, if you're an Xbox Game Pass subscriber, you get all four for free as long as you stay subbed. These aren't 100% straight ports, either; Microsoft has taken the time to add graphics settings, customizable language and audio options, and... well, no control configurations; you're going to need an XInput-compatible game pad. But you probably have one of those, right?

Besides the technical improvements, these games are also apparently going to get Xbox Achievements support in the future, which is interesting considering that Achievements weren't a thing until the Xbox 360. Kudos to MS for backporting such a beloved feature to these old games. Really, the only downer is that these games are only listed on the Xbox Store, of course. Our hats are off for Microsoft, and we look forward to seeing what other classic games from the rich history of Xbox end up on the PC platform.