Whether you want to jump back in time and enjoy some classic retro games or are looking to play older games on a less bloated Windows operating system, this article will cover all you need to know about Windows XP and gaming.
Is Windows XP Good for Gaming In 2023
No, you should not choose to use Windows XP for gaming in 2023 due to the operating system now being outdated and having reached its end of life back in April 2014.
So nearly a decade on there have been 4 new Windows operating system releases which are:
- Windows 7
- Windows 8
- Windows 10
- Windows 11
- And shortly Windows 12
Now with the above being said you can still game on Windows XP if you happen to be running it on one of your gaming PCs but you must know all the disadvantages of using Windows XP in 2023.
Can Windows XP Play The Latest PC Games
No, you won’t be able to play all the latest PC games as they have been made for the newer Windows 10 and Windows 11 which are also optimized better to handle the stress on your CPU and RAM which the latest games bring to your PC.
You will find Windows 11 is the best OS version as it supports newer gaming technologies even over the previous Windows 10.
See The Difference Between 32 Bit Windows And 64 Bit.
Can Steam Work On Windows XP?
Currently, no Steam will not work as of January 1 2019. This is due to Steam officially stopping the support of their Steam product due to Windows XP being end of life and some features not being able to be run on Windows XP that Steam now uses.
there have been reports of people being able to still download and install Steam on their Windows XP in 2023 but none of the games within Steam will work.
But it’s not all doom and gloom for you retro Windows XP folk as you can still enjoy all the PC games that were out when Windows XP was in use which we will give you a list of below.
Best Retro Windows XP Games You Can Still Play
You will need to make sure ideally you have a 32-bit version of Windows XP due to some compatibility issues that the 64-bit Windows XP had, and ideally 4GB of RAM minimum to play the below Windows XP games.
- Call of Duty
- Call Of Duty 2
- Uplink
- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
- Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
- Halo 1
- Age of Mythology
- Starcraft
- Quake 3
- Roller Coaster Tycoon
- Battlefield 1942
- The Sims 2
- Fable
These are just a handful of some of the best Windows XP games you can still play on Windows XP if you have a favorite one we have not mentioned, then let us know in the comments.
See if you should Turn Game Mode ON Or Off In Windows 10/11.
How To Game On Windows XP
Luckily there are ways you can bring Windows XP back to game on if you don’t have a PC or laptop with Windows XP on.
You can run Windows XP emulators or grab a free copy of Virtual Box then install Windows XP on it.
When using virtualization it might not be the best way to game unless the games where minimal graphics, but for the more heavy-duty games think of Grand Theft Auto and Halo, We recommend getting a cheap laptop or PC tower and having just Windows XP on it.
Final Thoughts
Now it’s not ideal to use Windows XP anymore for gaming unless you are looking to play older retro-type games that’s fine but remember be aware of the security issues that arise from using Windows XP in today’s day and age.