Xbox Adds Console Games to PC, With Achievements for KOTOR
Microsoft is bringing 21 more original Xbox games to PC through backward compatibility, taking the total to 25. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Morrowind lead the batch, and several classic titles gain achievements for the first time.
Microsoft said it is expanding Xbox backward compatibility on PC with 21 additional original Xbox games, bringing the total to 25. The announcement, made on Xbox Wire, means Xbox adds console games to PC in a batch that includes Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind.
The games are available to players in supported countries starting from the day of the announcement.
What is new
Microsoft also is adding achievements to more original Xbox titles, including Knights of the Old Republic. That gives players a way to earn Xbox achievements in games that predate the feature.
"XBOX is expanding its backward compatibility offering on PC with 21 additional original XBOX games, bringing the total to 25," Microsoft wrote. It added that the achievements give players "new ways to revisit and celebrate classic games."
Games named so far
Microsoft's list of the 21 new titles includes several Star Wars games. These are Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II – The Sith Lords and Star Wars: Starfighter – Special Edition.
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and Grabbed by the Ghoulies are also in the batch. Microsoft said both are also available with Xbox Game Pass, its subscription service.
Four original Xbox games were already on PC: BLiNX: The Time Sweeper, Conker: Live and Reloaded, Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge and Fuzion Frenzy. Microsoft said each of them is also available with Game Pass.
Background
Microsoft first brought a handful of original Xbox games to Windows 11 through the Xbox PC app last summer, using emulation. That launch raised hopes that the company would keep growing the program.
The wider backward compatibility effort began on consoles. Hundreds of original Xbox and Xbox 360 games now run natively on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.
Some fans had hoped for different titles. Players have asked for games such as Singularity and Skylanders, which Microsoft now owns through Activision, and the Xbox Game Preservation website has tens of thousands of votes for games. Neither of those titles is in this batch.
What comes next
The release lands during Xbox's 25th anniversary celebrations, which will continue through the week with a series of smaller announcements. They include a nostalgia-focused feature called Playback.
