What the ranking is, and what it isn't
Pure Xbox says the site has passed 900,000 votes. That figure is the outlet's own and I couldn't check it independently. The article gives no exact total, no per-game tallies and no methodology. It also doesn't say whether the number counts people or individual votes cast. Treat "900,000 votes" as a count of votes, not 900,000 people.
Pure Xbox calls the site unofficial. It also says the Xbox team has paid attention to the site in the past. That is the outlet's claim, and nothing here shows any commitment from Microsoft.
The lists, as reported
Original Xbox: Pure Xbox says this list hasn't changed since its July report.
- The Simpsons: Hit & Run
- Sonic Heroes
- Jet Set Radio Future
- Need for Speed: Underground 2
- Shadow The Hedgehog
- Def Jam: Fight for NY
- Sonic Riders
- Spider-Man 2
- Ultimate Spider-Man
- Burnout 3: Takedown
Xbox 360: Skylanders games still dominate.
- Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure
- Skylanders: Giants
- Skylanders: Swap Force
- Skylanders: Trap Team
- Skylanders: SuperChargers
- Skylanders: Imaginators
- Transformers: War for Cybertron
- Transformers: Fall of Cybertron
- Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions
- Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2005)
"Non-Franchise": Only the order changed.
- Alpha Protocol
- Wet
- The Saboteur
- Gun
- Brute Force
- Eternal Sonata
- Darkwatch
- Singularity
- Remember Me
- Lollipop Chainsaw
Pure Xbox says The Saboteur moved from sixth to third, and that Singularity and Darkwatch swapped places. Its text says The Saboteur replaced Eternal Sonata at third, yet Eternal Sonata still appears at sixth in the list as printed. That is a small inconsistency in the source.
Delisted games people want back digitally:
- Left 4 Dead 2
- Left 4 Dead
- Batman: Arkham Origins
- The Orange Box
- Mortal Kombat
- Sonic CD
- Forza Horizon
- Sonic & Knuckles
- Jet Set Radio
- LEGO: The Lord of the Rings
Indie Games (new): Pure Xbox cautions that only a few votes have been cast here, so treat the order as weak evidence.
- Castleminer Z
- Castleminer
- Akane the Kunoichi
- The Impossible Game
- Total Miner: Forge
- Amazing Princess Sarah
- Beat Hazard
- One Finger Death Punch
- Bleed
- Avatar Warfare!
Backward compatibility on PC (new):
- Fable 2
- Banjo-Kazooie
- Sonic Unleashed
- Gears of War 2
- Banjo-Tooie
- Gears of War 3
- Fable 3
- Ninja Gaiden Black
- Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts
- Lost Odyssey
Why the PC category exists
Microsoft's own announcement explains the new category. Xbox says that if you own a digital license for these games on console, it now carries over to your PC or handheld. Xbox Play Anywhere and Xbox Cloud Gaming let you play across console, cloud, PC and handheld.
The program launched on July 22, 2026. It started with four original Xbox titles: BLiNX: The Time Sweeper, Conker: Live and Reloaded, Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge and Fuzion Frenzy. Each game is available for purchase on PC and is included with all Xbox Game Pass plans.
Microsoft calls this an early release and the start of a broader effort to preserve Xbox games and bring them to PC over time. TechPowerUp noted that no timing or hints about future titles were given.
So the PC category rests on a real program. Still, nothing Microsoft has said links the ten requested titles to future additions.
What PC players need to run these games
Microsoft's minimum requirements list an Nvidia GTX 950, AMD Radeon RX 550 or Intel Arc A310 GPU. They also list a four-core, eight-thread CPU, 8 GB of RAM, 4 GB of video memory and Windows 11. The recommended tier, per Microsoft's announcement, calls for a six-core, 12-thread CPU, 16 GB of RAM and 8 GB of video memory. Both tiers specify drivers that were the latest version as of January 2026.
The enhancements Microsoft lists are up to 4x resolution upscaling, VSync support, fullscreen and windowed modes, anisotropic filtering and enhanced anti-aliasing. One community wiki says the games keep their original frame rate and are limited to 4:3. I'd treat that as an unofficial claim, since Microsoft's announcement doesn't mention it.
Slashdot, quoting Tom's Hardware, adds that this appears to be a digital-only effort, so it won't help anyone who only owns physical copies. That is outlet analysis, not a Microsoft statement. It matters because the original Xbox list is full of disc-era games.
Microsoft also said Achievements would arrive for select original Xbox games on console and PC later this year. The first four games are due to be updated in the coming months. The announcement doesn't name the other games. I couldn't confirm whether the rollout has happened yet.
Reading the lists
Skylanders dominate the Xbox 360 list. Six of the ten slots go to one series. That points to a motivated fan base, or possibly a concentrated voting push. The data can't tell us which.
The original Xbox list hasn't moved. Pure Xbox calls it "the definitive selection". It is more accurately a stable snapshot of what this site's voters want.
The PC list leans on Xbox-owned series. Fable, Banjo and Gears of War all appear. That gives a rough sense of Microsoft-first-party demand. It doesn't tell us anything about which licenses are available or technically ready, and I won't guess at why any particular game is missing.
The delisted list is a different kind of request. People are asking for digital storefront availability, not just compatibility. That is a separate ask from a compatibility program.
Treat the speculation with care
Pure Xbox thinks PC titles are the most likely additions and doubts a major console push until "Project Helix". Both are the outlet's opinions. Microsoft's July announcement supports only a general commitment to bring more classic games to PC over time.
For PC players, the practical points are these:
- You need Windows 11.
- You need to meet the hardware requirements above.
- Your existing digital console licenses carry over for supported games.
- Physical-only owners appear to be left out for now.
The vote tally is a fun barometer, but only Microsoft's announcements will show which games arrive. Which games would you want to see next? Let us know.