Microsoft announces retro classics with game passes, starting things with over 50 activation games from the 80s and 90s

Microsoft has teamed up with Antstream Arcade to announce Retro Classics, in partnership with Antstream Arcade to collect over 50 classic Activision Games from the 1980s and 1990s to Game Pass members.

This list includes Commando, Grand Prix, Kaboom! , Mech Warrior 2: 31st century battles and traps! Some games date back to 45 years. Players can even save their own progress and continue later, which is the first of many such games.

Microsoft says the retro classic with the game pass is “a step in our commitment to game saving and backward compatibility.” Retro Classics will be used for all games in the currently available game pass area through membership options.

The platform section includes Atari 2600, DOS and Amiga. It is worth noting that Retro Classics has a PlayStation (PSX) section that currently includes Mechwarrior 2: Battles in the 31st century. Mechwarrior 2: The Battle of the 31st Century was developed and published on PC by Activision in 1995, before coming to Playstation and Sega Saturn in 1997. The only game in the SNES section is Mechwarrior in 1993.

Over time, Microsoft will add more classic games, from Activision and Blizzard's Back Catalog to Game Pass, expanding the Retro Classics Collection to over 100 games. Expect to add other games every month.

Retro classic with game pass launch lineup:

• Activision Prototype #1
• Atlantis
• Atlantis II
• barnstorming
• baseball
• Beamrider
• Bloody human highway
• boxing
• bridge
• Caesar II
• checkers
• Chopper command
• Commando
• Conquer the Longbow: The Legend of Robin Hood
• The Ark of the Universe
• crack
• Decathlon
• Devil Attack
• dolphin
• pull
• Enduro
• fathom
• Firefighters
• Fishing Derby
• Freddy Pharkas: Border Pharmacist
• highway
• Grand Prix
• hero
• kaboom!
• Laser explosion
• Mechwarrior
• Mechwarrior 2: Battle of the 31st Century
• Giant
• Trap II: The Lost Cave
• trap!
• Police Mission 1
• Pressure cooker
• Sphinx
• River raid
• River Raid II
• Robot tank
• Sky
• Space Mission 2
• Space Mission 6
• Treat luxury in space
• Spider fighter
• Stars Travel
• tennis
• Willy Beamish's Adventure
• Amon La's dagger
• Thwocker
• Champions League Professional Wrestling
• Torin's Pass
• Skill shooting
• Vault Attack
• Venetian blinds
• Zork I
• zorc
• frostbite
• Pursuing glory 1

Here is Microsoft's official promotion:

With Retro Classics, Game Pass members can expect seamless gaming experiences on consoles, PCs, and support devices with cloud gaming. Whether it's playing on an Xbox console, an Xbox app on your PC, or on supported LG and Samsung smart TVs, Amazon Fire TV devices, and Meta Quest Headsesset, Retro Classics offers a universal and easy-to-access way to enjoy these nostalgic titles.

Game Pass members can access Retro Classics through their game through membership, searching for and installing the feature through their console or Xbox app on their PC. In addition, players can face unique challenges from friends, competitors, or the world. There are some new players for the Achievement Hunter, and for newer players, the ability to save and reload progress is many classic champions.

This announcement follows Xbox Game Pass's 2nd Wave Confirmed'May 2025 Lineupand announcements Hellblade 2 will be on the PS5 this summer.

Wesley is IGN's news director. Find him on Twitter via @wyp100. You can reach Wesley via [email protected] or secretly visit [email protected].