An Xbox user has succeeded in getting the more economical and all-digital version of Microsoft's latest console, the Xbox Series S, to run the Windows 98 operating system. The retro gamer, a YouTuber with the moniker Modern Vintage Gamer, posted a video of the experiment to his YouTube channel where it has since garnered over 95,000 views within 48 hours of its release.
In the video, the YouTuber demonstrates the console’s ability to run retro games with videos of classic PC titles like Half-Life and Unreal. Modern Vintage Gamer also attached the console to an old Gateway VX700 CRT monitor to further achieve the retro aesthetic and provide the experience gamers would ordinarily get in those days.
To achieve this, Modern Vintage Gamer made use of the RetroArch emulator but with the DOSBOX PURE core installed. However, the project wouldn’t be successful without the presence of the Universal Windows Platform that comes with the console and its sister, the Xbox Series X.
While modern game technology puts those available in the 1990s and early 2000s to shame, the fact they are inaccessible has fostered a fascination among some gamers, many of whom are willing to go the extra mile just so they can have the experience. Some game publishers recognize there is still a market for these retro titles and they try to satisfy it with re-releases.
For gamers who yearn to experience these classic titles again, Modern Vintage Gamer’s process is replicable. The first step involves accessing the Xbox Series S’s Dev Mode, which will cost $20 to activate, followed by the installation of Windows 98 on the console’s SSD and so on. Modern Vintage Gamer’s YouTube video provides a step-by-step guide to his process.
Given that the console’s Dev Mode is intended for use by developers, non-tech-savvy gamers might find the process a bit hard to navigate, if not risky.
This isn't the first time a gamer has successfully run an emulation project on the latest Xbox consoles. The Xbox Series X is also capable of running Windows 98 as well as a PS2 emulator.
In other news, Microsoft recently announced four new games for its subscription service – the Xbox Game Pass. The first of them is Soul Hackers 2, which released on February 28. The other three will roll out on March 3.
Also, the company has been embroiled in a battle with regulatory authorities in the US, the UK, and other countries over its attempt to buy Activision Blizzard. Now, according to recent reports, the tech company might sell its Xbox division if the acquisition doesn’t go through, despite the recent comments of Microsoft Gaming head Phil Spencer that the business can stand on its own and exist without the acquisition.
