Xbox Ally Archives

AppWizard

July 28, 2026

Xbox console players now get select Ubisoft PC versions for free via Xbox PC — it’s not Xbox Play Anywhere, but hey it’s something

Ubisoft and Microsoft have announced an extended collaboration that will allow owners of select Ubisoft titles on Xbox Series X|S to gain complimentary access to their PC counterparts, excluding those who purchased games through the Xbox PC store. Ubisoft has added over 80 games to the Xbox PC store, many of which are part of the Ubisoft+ Classics lineup included with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. However, the Ubisoft Connect PC app has faced criticism for its reliability, and while some games feature progression syncing between PC and Xbox consoles, it often does not match the functionality of Xbox's Play Anywhere feature. Many gamers express frustration over Ubisoft's lack of integration of key Xbox features into their PC games.

AppWizard

July 27, 2026

Some Ubisoft games on Xbox Series X|S now come with PC versions for free

Microsoft and Ubisoft have announced an extension of their partnership, allowing players who own select Ubisoft titles on Xbox to access their PC versions at no additional cost, excluding those who purchased through the Xbox PC store. Ubisoft has added over 80 games to the Xbox PC store, many included in the Ubisoft+ Classics subscription with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, but none support the Xbox Play Anywhere feature. Customers purchasing digital versions of specific titles will receive both Xbox console and PC versions, with existing owners receiving the PC version by August 4. Players need to use the Ubisoft Connect PC app to access these titles, which has experienced technical difficulties. Some games are optimized for handheld devices, and certain titles offer progression syncing between PC and Xbox consoles via Ubisoft Connect.

AppWizard

July 27, 2026

Classic Xbox 360 exclusives may be coming to PC in the future

Recent datamines indicate that Xbox 360 games may soon be available on PC as part of Xbox's backwards compatibility update. Jason Ronald from Xbox announced the introduction of Xbox Backward Compatibility on PC, allowing players to enjoy classic Xbox games, including four currently available titles: BLiNX: The Time Sweeper, Conker: Live and Reloaded, Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge, and Fuzion Frenzy. The datamine findings suggest that Xbox 360 titles could be included in this initiative, with an emulator running within another emulator to facilitate compatibility. The Xbox One translation layer software, XWine1, has already successfully run several Xbox 360 games on PC. Although Microsoft has not officially confirmed the inclusion of Xbox 360 games for PC, the release of original Xbox titles may signal a broader initiative to bring more classic games to the platform.

AppWizard

July 26, 2026

Halo: Campaign Evolved Looks Worse Than Master Chief Collection on Steam Deck and Xbox Ally

Halo: Campaign Evolved has been released for early access. It features impressive visuals on high-end PCs and current consoles but struggles on lower-end hardware, particularly handheld devices like the Steam Deck. The game requires an Intel Core i7-10700K and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Super, which are beyond the capabilities of the Steam Deck and base Xbox Ally. On the Xbox Ally, the game runs at 1280x720 resolution with Very Low settings and achieves around 30 fps, occasionally dipping into the mid-20s. Despite being technically playable, the visual quality is poor, with bland textures and a lack of environmental detail. In contrast, the Master Chief Collection runs at 65-70 fps on the Xbox Ally and offers superior visual fidelity. The Steam page claims Campaign Evolved is Steam Deck Verified, although performance is lacking compared to other titles. For those wanting to experience the original Halo campaign on the Steam Deck, the Master Chief Collection is recommended.

AppWizard

July 25, 2026

Xbox backwards compatibility now available on PC, starting with four original Xbox games

Microsoft has launched a pilot program allowing select original Xbox titles to be played on Windows 11, with four classic games now available: BliNX: The Time Sweeper, Conker: Live and Reloaded, Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge, and Fusion Frenzy. Players can access these games via a Game Pass Essential subscription or purchase them individually, and those with previous digital copies on Xbox consoles can download them at no extra cost. The games can be played at resolutions up to 2,560 x 1,920 pixels, maintaining their original aspect ratios and framerates, with options for enhanced graphics settings. The system requirements include at least an Nvidia GTX 950 or AMD Radeon RX 550, with recommended specifications for optimal performance. There are uncertainties regarding the expansion of the game library due to recent organizational changes within Microsoft, including layoffs in the backward compatibility program.

AppWizard

July 25, 2026

Forget Ultra settings, Halo: Campaign Evolved looks nearly as good with everything set to Low

During testing of Halo: Campaign Evolved, a notable performance dip of around 20% was observed when transitioning from Low to Ultra settings, averaging nearly 200 fps on high-end hardware. On an RTX 4070 Super rig, maintaining 60 fps at 1440p without upscaling is affected by these settings. Performance metrics for the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X at 1080p with Very Low settings and FSR Medium upscaling showed: - FSR Low: 49 Avg FPS, 39 1% Low FPS - FSR Medium: 43 Avg FPS, 34 1% Low FPS - FSR Ultra: 33 Avg FPS, 27 1% Low FPS - FSR Native: 22 Avg FPS, 19 1% Low FPS - TSR Low: 33 Avg FPS, 30 1% Low FPS - TSR Medium: 32 Avg FPS, 28 1% Low FPS - TSR Ultra: 31 Avg FPS, 26 1% Low FPS - TSR Native: 20 Avg FPS, 14 1% Low FPS For Low settings, the performance metrics were: - FSR Low: 32 Avg FPS, 27 1% Low FPS - FSR Medium: 26 Avg FPS, 22 1% Low FPS - FSR Ultra: 23 Avg FPS, 27 1% Low FPS - FSR Native: 16 Avg FPS, 14 1% Low FPS - TSR Low: 29 Avg FPS, 23 1% Low FPS - TSR Medium: 29 Avg FPS, 25 1% Low FPS - TSR Ultra: 29 Avg FPS, 25 1% Low FPS - TSR Native: 16 Avg FPS, 14 1% Low FPS For Medium settings, the performance results were: - FSR Low: 28 Avg FPS, 24 1% Low FPS - FSR Medium: 24 Avg FPS, 23 1% Low FPS - FSR Ultra: 21 Avg FPS, 18 1% Low FPS - FSR Native: 14 Avg FPS, 12 1% Low FPS - TSR Low: 29 Avg FPS, 24 1% Low FPS - TSR Medium: 28 Avg FPS, 25 1% Low FPS - TSR Ultra: 27 Avg FPS, 24 1% Low FPS - TSR Native: 15 Avg FPS, 14 1% Low FPS It is recommended to use Low settings for better performance and to disable motion blur for an improved gameplay experience.

AppWizard

July 24, 2026

Halo: Campaign Evolved early adopters were unable to play the game on Steam as it kept forcing them to look at the art book instead

On the early access launch of Halo: Campaign Evolved on Steam, players faced an issue where they were repeatedly opening the art book instead of accessing the game. A member of the Halo team addressed the problem on Discord within forty minutes, stating that a Steam Client restart would resolve the issue. A workaround suggested on Reddit involved uninstalling the art book through Steam properties. The art book is a standalone application featuring artwork, a game manual, a short story, and a musical score, but it overshadowed the game at launch. Additionally, players needed to link their Microsoft accounts to access the game, which was complicated by server issues on launch day. Performance tips include avoiding Ultra graphical settings for better performance and disabling motion blur for improved clarity.

AppWizard

July 24, 2026

I would only play Halo: Campaign Evolved on handheld with upscaling

The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X features a Zen 5 AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme processor and 24 GB of LPDDR5X memory. Playing Halo: Campaign Evolved without upscaling yields visually appealing graphics but poor performance, as players cannot fully disable upscaling. The device operates at approximately 17 W in performance mode when plugged in. The TSR setting averages 31 fps with lows of 25.6 fps, while FSR Medium averages 43 fps with lows around 34 fps, making it the optimal choice for smoother gameplay. FSR Low averages 49 fps but sacrifices visual clarity. Halo: Campaign Evolved includes a very low graphical mode exclusive to the ROG Xbox Ally X, which improves performance. The difference between low and ultra graphics settings is minimal, and disabling motion blur is recommended for better experience.

AppWizard

July 23, 2026

Microsoft just brought four OG Xbox games to PC, with more console classics to come

Microsoft has enabled players to access original Xbox titles on Windows PCs and handheld devices through the Xbox Backward Compatibility scheme, eliminating the need for third-party emulators. The initial game lineup includes titles like Blinx: The Time Sweeper, Conker: Live and Reloaded, Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge, and Fuzion Frenzy, available via the Xbox app or Game Pass subscriptions. Players who previously purchased these games do not need to buy them again due to the Xbox Play Anywhere program. The games utilize Microsoft's emulation technology, allowing enhancements such as increased resolution up to 2560×1920, anisotropic filtering, and MSAA anti-aliasing. The minimum system requirements include an AMD Ryzen 3 3100 or Intel Core i3-10300 CPU, 8GB RAM, AMD Radeon RX 550 or Nvidia GeForce GTX 950 GPU, 4GB VRAM, and Windows 11 with updates until January 2026. Microsoft plans to expand the Xbox Backward Compatibility library on PC in the future.

AppWizard

July 22, 2026

Original Xbox Games Are Coming to PC Starting With Four Fan Favorites

Microsoft has launched its Xbox Backward Compatibility preview, enabling four original Xbox games—Blinx: The Time Sweeper, Conker: Live and Reloaded, Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge, and Fuzion Frenzy—to be played on PC and handheld devices. These games feature enhancements such as 4x resolution upscaling, VSync support, multiple display modes, anisotropic filtering, and improved anti-aliasing. They are available for purchase on the Xbox Store and can be accessed on PC or handhelds through Xbox Play Anywhere or Xbox Cloud Gaming. All four titles are also included in Xbox Game Pass. Minimum system requirements for playing these games include: - GPU: Nvidia GTX 950 or AMD Radeon RX 550 or Intel UHD 770 or Intel Arc A310 - CPU: Minimum 4 Cores Intel Core i3-8100 or AMD Ryzen 3 1200 or AMD Ryzen Z2 A Processor - RAM: 8GB - OS: Windows 11 - Drivers and Versions: Latest Version as of January 2026 Recommended specifications include: - GPU: Radeon RX 68005 or Nvidia GTX 1070 Ti or Intel Arc A770 - CPU: 6 cores and 12 threads Intel Core i5-10400 or AMD Ryzen 5 3600 or AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme - DirectX Version: DirectX12 API, Hardware Feature Level 11 - GPU VRAM: 8GB - OS: Windows 11 - Drivers and Versions: Latest Version as of January 2026