Gaming Challenges
- Steam has discontinued support as of January 2019. There are workarounds to get it to work partially on Windows XP but are unofficial.
- EA's Origin client only supports XP in legacy versions.
- GOG Galaxy doesn't support XP.
- Uplay supports XP only in legacy versions.
- Discord chat doesn't support XP.
- GeForce Now doesn't install at all.
- Epic Game Store/Launcher doesn't install at all.
- Nexon Launcher doesn't support XP.
- Rockstar Games Launcher has discontinued support for XP as of September 2018.
- Roblox doesn't support XP.
List of Compatible Games[edit]
Game | Windows 98/ME | Windows 2000 | Windows XP | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Unreal Engine | Up to Unreal Engine 2.5 | Up to Unreal Engine 3 (DX9 renderer) | ||
Rune Classic | No (built against Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 toolchain) | Yes | ||
POSTAL 2 (5100) | No | Yes | ||
Duke Nukem Forever (2010) | No | Yes | ||
BioShock | No | Yes | ||
CryEngine | Up to CryEngine 1 (Far Cry) | Up to CryEngine 3.4 (DX9 renderer) | ||
Dunia Engine | No | Up to Dunia Engine 2 (Up to Far Cry 3 + Blood Dragon) | ||
PhyreEngine | No | Yes | ||
Diesel Engine | Yes | |||
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon series | No | Up to Advanced Warfighter 2 | ||
Bionic Soldiers series | No | Yes | ||
Payday series | No | Payday: The Heist | ||
Chocolate Doom | Up to version 2.3.0 (Crispy Doom 3.2) | Up to build 20220428 | ||
Strife Veteran Edition | Using official Chocolate/Crispy Strife | |||
ZDoom | Yes | |||
GZDoom | Up to version 1.8.00 | Up to version 1.8.02 | Up to version 4.1.2b | |
eDuke32 (Duke Nukem 3D) | Up to build 20100101-1576 | Up to build 20100425-1623 | Up to build 20211006-9631 (supports Duke Nukem 3D World Tour, Ion Fury and Electric Highways) | |
Quake Engine (WinQuake, GLQuake, Hexen II, QuakeWorld, HexenWorld) | Yes | |||
Quake Enhanced Edition (2021) | No | Using QuakeSpasm | ||
DarkPlaces | Up to version 20110328beta2 | Yes | ||
Xonotic | Up to preview version 0.1 | Yes | ||
id Tech 2 (Quake II, Daikatana, Heretic II, Soldier of Fortune, SiN, KingPin) | Yes | |||
Alien Arena (CRX Gaming Engine) | Up to 2011 | |||
id Tech 3 | Yes | |||
Quake Live | No | Up to version 0.1.0.967 (2015) | ||
Infinity Ward engine | Up to IW2.0 (Call of Duty 2) | Up to IW4.0 (Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2) | ||
id Tech 4 | Theoretically compatible | Yes | ||
DOOM 3 | Can be run without KernelEx with an unofficial patch | Yes | ||
The Dark Mod | 1.xx (DOOM 3 mod) | Up to version 2.07 | ||
Enemy Territory Quake Wars | No | Can be run with an unofficial patch | Yes | |
Wolfenstein (2009) | No | Yes | ||
DOOM 3 BFG Edition | No | Yes (on x64 Edition) | ||
GoldSrc | Up to 2009 releases | Up to 2022 releases (before 25th Anniversary update) | ||
Source Engine | Up to 2007 releases | Up to build 7227 (2019 release) | ||
Counter-Strike Source | Up to v34 | |||
Portal series | Up to Portal 1 | Up to Portal 2 | ||
Left 4 Dead series | No | Yes | ||
Source Engine 2 | No | Up to 2019 releases (matches older versions of Dota 2 Reborn that are no longer supported) | ||
Serious Engine | Up to Serious Engine 1 | Up to Serious Engine 2 | Up to Serious Engine 3.5 | |
LithTech | Up to LithTech Jupiter | Yes | ||
FEAR series | No | Up to FEAR 1 | Up to FEAR 2 | |
Cube Engine | Yes | |||
AssaultCube | Up to version 1.2 | Up to version 1.3 | ||
Cube Engine 2 | Yes | |||
Red Eclipse | No | Up to version 1.6.0 | ||
Tesseract | No | Yes | ||
Gamebryo | Yes | |||
The Elder Scrolls series | Up to Morrowind | Up to Oblivion | Yes | |
Fallout series | No (tied to XInput) | Yes | ||
Prism3D | Yes | |||
Hunting Unlimited series | Up to Hunting Unlimited 4 | Up to Hunting Unlimited 2009 | Yes | |
Euro Truck Simulator series | No | 2008 version | ||
18 Wheels of Steel series | No | Up to Extreme Trucker | ||
Infinity Engine (BG, BG2, Icewind Dale, Planescape: Torment etc.) | Yes | |||
Aurora Engine | Yes | |||
Jefferson Engine (Van Buren "Fallout 3" and BG3: The Black Hound) | Yes | |||
RenderWare | Up to version 3.x | Yes | ||
Rockstar Advanced Game Engine (Grand Theft Auto IV, Max Payne 3) | No | Yes | ||
Crystal Engine | No | Yes | ||
Refractor 2 (classic Battlefield series) | Up to Battlefield Vietnam | Up to Battlefield 2 | Yes | |
Frostbite | No | Up to Frostbite 1.5 | ||
Unity | No | Up to version 3.4 | Up to version 5.3 | |
Plague Inc | No | Yes | ||
Cocos | No | Yes | ||
Microsoft XNA Framework | No | Yes | ||
Terraria | No | Up to version 1.2 | ||
Phoenix Engine (Fallout Tactics, Hot Wheels Bash Arena) | Yes | |||
X-Ray Engine (S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series) | No | Up to version 1.0 (Shadow of Chernobyl) | Up to version 1.6 (Call of Pripyat) | |
Retro Engine | No | Yes | ||
RealLive | Yes | |||
SiglusEngine | No | Yes | ||
M.U.G.E.N | Up to version 1.0 | Yes | ||
Ren'Py | Officially up to version 6.7.0 | Officially up to version 6.11.1 | Officially up to version 7.3.5 | |
Macromedia/Adobe Flash | Up to Player 9.0 r289 | Up to Player 10.3 | Yes | |
Macromedia/Adobe Shockwave | Up to version 10.3 | Yes | ||
ScummVM | Up to version 1.8.1 | Yes | ||
Java | Up to Java 6 (J2 series) | Up to Java 8 (J2 series) | ||
Minecraft Java Edition | Up to version 1.11.2 | Up to version 1.16.5 | ||
Other/unknown engines (Real-time strategy) | ||||
Age of Empires series | Up to AOE 2 (no remasters) | Up to AOE 3 (no remasters) | Up to AOE 3 (no remasters) | |
Age of Mythology | Yes | |||
Command and Conquer series | Up to Generals | Up to Tiberium Twilight (no remasters) | ||
Dune 2000 | Yes | |||
Total War series | Up to Rome | Up to Rome 2 | ||
Populous | Yes | |||
The Settlers | Up to The Settlers V: Heritage of Kings | Up to The Settlers 7: Paths to a Kingdom | ||
Starcraft | Up to Starcraft I with expansion (no remasters) | |||
World in Conflict | No | Yes | ||
Europa Universalis series | Up to EU 2 | Up to EU 3 | Up to EU: Rome | |
Anno series | Up to Anno 1602 | Up to Anno 1701 | Up to Anno 2070 | |
Sengoku | Yes | |||
Crusader Kings series | Up to CK 2 | |||
Company of Heroes series | No | Company of Heroes 1 | ||
Wargame | No | Yes | ||
Hearts of Iron series | Up to HOI 2 | Up to HOI 3 | ||
Spellforce series | The Order of Dawn | Up to Spellforce 2 | ||
Empire Earth series | Up to EE 2 | Yes | ||
Imperial Glory | Yes | |||
Warhammer 40,000 series | Up to Dawn of War | Up to Dawn of War II – Retribution | ||
Stronghold series | Up to Crusader | Up to Legends | Up to Crusader 2 | |
Star Wars series | Galactic Battlegrounds and Force Commander | Up to Empire at War | ||
Lord of the Rings series | Up to War of the Ring | Up to The Battle for Middle-earth II | ||
American Conquest | Yes | |||
Hegemony series | No | Up to The Rise of Caesar | ||
Warcraft series | Yes (no remasters) | |||
Victoria: An Empire Under the Sun | Yes | |||
Castle Strike | Yes | |||
Other/unknown engines (Turn-based strategy) | ||||
Sid Meier's Civilization series | Up to Civilization IV | Up to Civilization IV | Up to Civilization V | |
FreeCiv | Up to version 2.2 | Up to version 2.2 | Up to version 2.3 | |
Worms series | Up to Worms 4: Mayhem | Up to Worms Clan Wars | ||
Master of Orion III | Yes | |||
Might and Magic series | Up to Heroes of Might and Magic IV | Up to Heroes of Might and Magic V | Up to Might & Magic Heroes VI | |
Warhammer Rites of War | Yes | |||
Romance of the Three Kingdoms | Up to Romance of the Three Kingdoms X | Yes | ||
X-COM: Enemy Unknown | No | Yes | ||
Galactic Civilizations series | Up to Galactic Civilizations II | |||
Battle for Wesnoth | No | Up to major version 1.14 | ||
Disciples series | Up to Disciples 2 with expansion packs | |||
Chessmaster series | Up to 10th Edition | Up to Grandmaster Edition | ||
Other/unknown engines (First/third-person shooter/sandbox) | ||||
Turok series | Up to Turok 2: Seeds of Evil | Up to Turok (2008) | ||
Necrodome | Yes | |||
Take No Prisoners | Yes | |||
Soldier of Fortune: Payback | Yes | |||
Medal of Honor series | Up to Allied Assault | Yes | ||
Alien vs Predator [2010] | No | Yes | ||
Gore (Ultimate Soldier and Special Edition) | Yes | |||
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six series | 1998 version | Up to Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 | ||
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell series | Yes | |||
Delta Force series | Yes | |||
Brothers in Arms series | Up to Road to Hill 30 | Up to Earned in Blood | Yes | |
The Punisher | Yes | |||
Dead Space series | No | Yes (no remasters) | ||
S.W.A.T series | Yes | |||
Red Faction series | Up to Red Faction 2 | Up to Armageddon | ||
Hitman series | Up to Contracts | Up to Blood Money | ||
Arma series | No | Arma: Armed Assault | Up to Arma 2 | |
Operation Flashpoint series | Up to GOTY | Yes | ||
Star Wars Battlefront series | Up to 2005 version of Battlefront 2 | |||
Star Wars Republic Commando | Yes | |||
Star Wars Jedi Knight series | Yes | |||
Star Trek (Voyager) Elite Force series | Yes | |||
Metro Last Light | No | Yes | ||
Singularity | No | Yes | ||
Call of Juarez series | No | 2006 version of Call of Juarez | Yes | |
Borderlands series | No | Up to Borderlands 1 | Up to Borderlands 2 | |
Sniper Elite series | No | Sniper Elite 1 | ||
Sniper Ghost Warrior series | No | Up to SGW 2 | ||
F.3.A.R | No | Yes | ||
Biohazard / Resident Evil series | Up to Resident Evil 3 (no remasters) | Up to Resident Evil 4 (no remasters) | Up to Resident Evil 6 (no remasters) | |
Commandos: Strike Force | No | Yes | ||
Descent series | Up to Descent 3 and FreeSpace 2 | |||
Ace of Spades (2012) | Yes | |||
Minetest | Up to version 0.2.20110406_0 | Up to version 0.3.1 | ||
ClassiCube | Yes | |||
HROT | No | Yes | ||
Other/unknown engines (Topdown, fighting, platformers and other action games) | ||||
Mortal Kombat | Up to Mortal Kombat 4 | |||
Alien Breed series | No | Yes | ||
Spider-Man series | Up to Spider-Man 2 | Up to Spider-Man 3 | Up to Shattered Dimensions | |
Prototype series | No | Yes | ||
Assassin's Creed series | Up to Assassin's Creed II | Up to Assassin's Creed III | ||
Transformers series | No | Up to War for Cybertron | ||
Rockman / Mega Man series | Up to Mega Man X8 | |||
Rockman DASH / Mega Man Legends series | Yes | |||
C-Dogs SDL | Yes | |||
Genocide | Yes (excluding Remixed) | Yes | ||
Return Fire series | Yes | Yes | ||
Crimsonland | 2003 version | |||
Alien Shooter series | Original series | Up to Alien Shooter 2 series | ||
Zombie Shooter series | Original series | Yes | ||
Super Mario 64 EX | Yes | |||
Neverball | Up to version 1.5 series, theoretically up to 1.6.0 | Yes | ||
Other/unknown engines (Role playing) | ||||
Dragon Age series | No | Up to DA2 | ||
(MMORPG) Old School RuneScape | Using the standard client | |||
(MMORPG) Ultima Online | Yes | |||
Fallout and Fallout 2 | Yes | |||
Mount and Blade series | No | Up to Warband 1.132 with "With fire and Sword" expansion | Up to Warband with "With fire and Sword" and "Napoleonic Wars" expansions | |
E.Y.E Divine Cybermancy | No | Yes | ||
System Shock 2 | Yes (excluding Reborn) | Yes | ||
The Witcher series | No | Up to The Witcher 2 | ||
Diablo series | Up to Diablo 2 (no remasters) | |||
Gothic series | Up to Gothic 2 | Up to Gothic 3 | ||
Titan Quest | No | Up to Gold Edition | ||
Might and Magic series | Up to M&M 9 | |||
Nox | Yes | |||
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic series | Up to KOTOR 1 | Up to KOTOR 2 | ||
Vampire the Masquerade | Redemption and Bloodlines | |||
Darkest Dungeon | No | Yes | ||
Chinese Paladin series | Up to Chinese Paladin 3 | Up to Chinese Paladin 4 | ||
Other/unknown engines (Adventure and visual novel) | ||||
Myst series | Up to Myst IV (no remasters) | Up to Myst V (no remasters) | ||
McPixel | No | Yes | ||
McPixel 3 | itch.io version | |||
Other/unknown engines (Racing) | ||||
Need for Speed series | Up to Underground 2 | Up to ProStreet | Up to Hot Pursuit (2010) | |
Test Drive series | Up to Test Drive 6 and Off Road 3 | Up to Test Drive Unlimited | Up to Test Drive Unlimited 2 | |
Colin McRae series | Up to Rally 2005 | |||
DiRT series | No | Up to DiRT 3 | ||
GRID series | No | Up to GRID 2 | ||
Juiced series | Juiced (2005) | Up to Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights | ||
Trackmania | Up to United Forever | |||
FlatOut series | Up to FlatOut | Up to FlatOut 2 | Up to FlatOut: Ultimate Carnage | |
F1 series | Up to F1 Pro 2004 | Up to F1 2011 | ||
Death Rally | 1996 version | 1996 and 2012 versions | ||
Crazy Frog Racer series | Yes | |||
Big Red Racing | Yes | No | ||
Game Stock Car series | No | Yes | ||
Stunt Rally | No | Up to version 2.2.1 | ||
Speed Dreams | No | Up to version 2.2.3 | ||
Other/unknown engines (Simulation) | ||||
SimCity series | Up to SimCity 4 | Up to the 2013 version of SimCity | ||
A-Train series | Up to A-Train 7 | Up to A-Train 9 V4.0 (excluding A-Train 8) | Up to A-Train 9 V4.0 | |
Cities series | No | Up to City Life 2008 Edition | Up to Cities in Motion | |
Football Manager | Up to Football Manager 2006 | Up to Football Manager 2013 | ||
OpenTTD (Transport Tycoon Deluxe) | Up to version 1.8.0 | Up to version 1.10.3 | ||
Latest versions can be source-compiled to run | ||||
Rollercoaster Tycoon series | Up to Rollercoaster Tycoon 3 | |||
Industry Giant series | Yes | |||
Democracy series | Up to Democracy 1 | Up to Democracy 3 | ||
Kudos series | Up to Kudos 1 | Yes | ||
Tropico series | Up to Tropico 2 | Up to Tropico 3 | ||
Microsoft Flight Simulator | Up to Flight Simulator 2004 | Up to Flight Simulator X | ||
Microsoft Train Simulator | Yes | |||
X-Plane | Up to X-Plane 8 | Up to X-Plane 10 | ||
DEFCON | Yes | |||
The Sims series | Up to The Sims 2 | Up to 2014 "Legacy Edition" of The Sims 4 | ||
CivCity: Rome | No | Yes |
Playing Multiplayer
Given the fact that about 99% of all of these games above have no online support or active servers,there are certain tweaks,patches and mods that allow custom servers to be unlocked. Specifically an easy way to play multiplayer is by using either Game Ranger or another app called Voobly which also have support for XP.