All The Classic Xbox Games I Want To See On PC

Xbox Backward Compatibility Is Finally On PC, So Here's All The Games I Want To See Published Jul 31, 2026, 12:00 PM EDT Jade King is Lead Features Editor at The Gamer and University of Sussex journalism graduate with 10+ years covering the video game industry. She has been seen in outlets such as Trusted Reviews, Kotaku UK, VICE, and more over the years covering everything from the latest releases to major events to in-depth interviews. She loves nothing more than speaking with devs, creatives, voice actors, and so many others about the passion behind their craft and bringing that into the hearts of readers everywhere. Xbox hasn’t done much right lately as it raises console prices, cancels big projects, and lays off thousands of people to stay afloat, so I was surprised to see the company pull a surprise smile out of me with news that backward compatibility is coming to PC. Not only that, but as additional games are added to the feature moving forward, there are also plans to add achievements to a number of original Xbox titles. I’ve been hoping this might be in the works for almost a decade now, so to see it announced is a proper treat. But right now the feature is obviously still in its infancy as Microsoft works out the kinks and makes sure its emulator works on a multitude of different systems. Teething pains aside though, the possibilities of seeing a number of classics on PC for the very first time are incredibly exciting, and I’m eager to see how top-of-the-line hardware can take advantage of them like consoles simply never could. Even its early efforts like Conker: Live and Reloaded and Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge boast superior visuals and performance when tested by Digital Foundry. With the backward compatibility programme still in its early days on PC, however, here are a handful of classics I would love to see arrive in the coming months and years. Time for some deep cuts. Oddworld: Munch’s Oddysee Originally in development for the PS2 before becoming an Xbox exclusive closer to release, Oddworld: Munch’s Oddysee is a bold departure from the 2D adventures that preceded it on the original PlayStation. You once again play as Abe, who can possess enemies, boss about his fellow Mudokons, and solve puzzles to progress through a beautifully realised world. But we also have newcomer Munch, who can swim effortlessly through water or scoot about in his wheelchair on land. You can pick up Munch’s Oddysee HD on most platforms these days, but I’ve always had quite a soft spot for the original Xbox release and how it translated this iconic universe into the third dimension for the very first time. It’s not without its flaws, and laughably difficult at points when you need to deal with countless enemies and very few hit points to your name, but it remains an enjoyable jaunt I’d love to see on PC with all-new achievements. Eternal Sonata I hate that in order to play this early Xbox 360-era JRPG you need to have a physical copy and working hardware to hand. It’s never had a digital release or a PC port, essentially turning it into a long-lost cult classic unless something is done to bring it back to life. So, why not kill two birds with one stone by adding it to the backward compatibility program? Eternal Sonata was developed by Tri-Crescendo — who most recently put out Kirby Air Riders — and takes place entirely within the mind of a dying Frédéric Chopin. The Polish pianist acts as one of the key characters alongside a wonderfully adorable cast in a world filled with cute magic and dangerous monsters. It looked tremendous back on the PC, and I would do awful things to see it upscaled to 4K on modern hardware. Dino Crisis 3 This game sucks and killed the Capcom franchise, but it’s also an important piece of history and deserves to be preserved regardless of its mediocrity. Originally set to take place in a sprawling urban city before 9/11 happened and drastically changed its development, Dino Crisis 3 unfolds amidst a derelict spaceship infested with alien dinosaurs and strange eel-like creatures that infect anything they come into contact with. It swaps Jurassic Park for Aliens with mixed results thanks to poor controls, boring gameplay, and a stale story. If 9/11 never took place, perhaps this would have been a hit and Dino Crisis would still be around today instead of us begging Capcom to finally bring it back to life with a reboot. I reckon it’s only a matter of time until that becomes a reality, but for now, Dino Crisis 3 is simply a terrible reminder of what could’ve been that I’d love to see come to PC. Viva Pinata (All Of Them) If I were a billionaire, one of the first things I would do is fund the development of Viva Pinata 3. Screw solving world hunger or giving money to charity; more important things are waiting for my attention. They’re still among the best games Rare has ever made with exceptional art design, satisfying gameplay, and an excess of personality. The first game is great, and darling in its simplicity, but Trouble in Paradise would build upon it with more animals, more biomes, more mechanics, and an overall greater sense of depth. It was critically acclaimed at launch, and since then, each game has become a cult classic. I see countless people fawning over them whenever they come up in conversation. While I didn’t go into detail about them in this article, other games I’d love to see on PC include WrestleMania 21, Shin Megami Tensei: Nine, Kingdom Under Fire: Heroes, and Blood Wake. Hell, throw Blinx 2 in there as well. Unfortunately, aside from a Games For Windows port that doesn’t play nicely with modern PCs and isn’t available on modern digital marketplaces, the series is in Xbox purgatory. I’d love to see this change and for Microsoft to add fresh versions to backward compatibility. A lot of the emulation work was already done through Rare Replay, not to mention how much potential there would be for modding. Star Wars: Obi-Wan Released back in 2001 as an Xbox exclusive and set amidst the events of Phantom Menace, this game has you play as, you guessed it, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Star Wars video games were a dime a dozen back in the day, but this one was special because it was only ever released on the giant black and green box. Now it isn’t a great game, but in a landscape where The Phantom Menace had already let us down, it was an interesting glimpse into the life of a beloved character at a younger age. The combat is decent, the exploration is fun, and the license is well-executed enough that I’d love for this game to escape its original Xbox purgatory. I don’t understand why the box art ended up being super green, even though Obi-Wan has a blue lightsaber... Panzer Dragoon Orta Yet another banger that has remained exclusive to the original Xbox for its entire existence. I love a bit of Panzer Dragoon, and never had a chance to play this entry when I was a kid. An absolute shame because it received rave reviews and was one of several examples of Sega providing extra third-party support to Xbox and taking advantage of its processing power. It has you riding dragons, firing lasers, and soaring across gorgeous landscapes, all tied to a fun yet hollow narrative. If you can forgive that last point, it’s one hell of an adventure that deserves a new lease of life through backward compatibility. Brand Microsoft Original Release Date November 15, 2001 Original MSRP (USD) $299, £299, €479 Operating System Proprietary, Windows NT-based