Microsoft is throwing it all at the wall this month, and almost everything is sticking—especially if you’re the type who still remembers your Pitfall! score from 1984. The centerpiece of May’s Xbox update is Retro Classics, a hefty new Game Pass drop that resurrects over 50 vintage Activision titles and lets you relive the joystick glory days across console, PC, and the cloud.
But like any good late-night infomercial—wait, there’s more. From PC streaming upgrades to customizable Xbox gift cards, Microsoft’s got a buffet of updates aimed at giving gamers more flexibility, more features, and yes, more nostalgia.
Retro Fever: Game Pass Unlocks the Activision Vault
The big draw is Retro Classics, a curated collection of ’80s and ’90s Activision games. You get Commando, Kaboom!, Pitfall!, MechWarrior 2, Zork, Police Quest, and more—revived with save-anytime functionality, achievements, and modern cloud support. Whether you’re on an Xbox console, a PC, or streaming via a Smart TV or Meta Quest headset, these classics are ready to boot up and blow your hair back.
There are even competitive leaderboards and community challenges baked in—because nothing says “retro” like playing River Raid while chasing clout.
Even better? The collection is just getting started. Xbox says over fifty more Activision and Blizzard titles will join the roster. For anyone raised on the clunky charm of DOS menus and Atari pixel art, this is a digital time capsule worth cracking open. Here’s the list by genre:
Action / Shooter— Atlantis, Beamrider, Bloody Human Freeway, Chopper Command, Commando, Cosmic Ark, Crackpots, Demon Attack, Freeway, Kaboom!, Laser Blast, Megamania, River Raid, River Raid 2, Robot Tank, Sky Jinks, Spider Fighter, Star Voyager, Vault Assault
Platformer / Adventure— Pitfall!, Pitfall II, H.E.R.O., Frostbite, Thwocker, Dolphin, Fathom
Puzzle / Strategy / Card— Bridge, Checkers, Pressure Cooker, Trick Shot, Riddle of the Sphinx, Venetian Blinds
Racing / Sports— Barnstorming, Baseball, Boxing, Decathlon, Dragster, Enduro, Fishing Derby, Grand Prix, Tennis, Title Match Pro Wrestling
Graphic Adventure / Point-and-Click— Atlantis II, Conquests of the Longbow: The Legend of Robin Hood, Freddie Pharkas: Frontier Pharmacist, Police Quest, Quest for Glory I, Space Quest II, Space Quest VI, The Adventures of Willy Beamish, The Dagger of Amon Ra, Torin’s Passage, Zork I: The Great Underground Empire, Zork Zero
Simulation / Strategy— Caesar II
Experimental / Miscellaneous— Activision Prototype #1, Space Treat Deluxe
PC Players, You’re Getting Some Love Too
Alongside the retro rollout, the PC gaming experience is getting a tune-up. Game Bar now features Quick Settings, letting players adjust audio, brightness, keyboard toggles, and more—without interrupting gameplay. The Settings widget has been redesigned, and visual polish has been applied across the Widget List, Gallery, and Home widgets. It’s all a little sleeker, a little faster, and still accessible with a simple Windows + G shortcut.
And coming soon: Microsoft Edge Game Assist. Think of it as an in-game browser made specifically for gamers—walkthroughs, Twitch streams, Spotify, Discord, and your full browser history, all accessible without tabbing out. Whether you’re stuck in a boss fight or vibing with a playlist mid-match, it’s a quiet quality-of-life win.
Stream Your Own Way
Nvidia’s. It’s another play in Xbox’s ongoing “your games, your rules” philosophy—and a nice bonus for players who’ve built libraries across platforms.
If you love streaming your games off-console, you’ll be happy to hear that not only is the title list expanding, so is the Xbox Play Anywhere program. Which means, you only have to buy a game once to play it on your console, your PC, or your handheld— progress and achievements intact.
Recent additions include Oblivion Remastered, Towerborne, Blue Prince, Crime Scene Cleaner, and Lunar Remastered Collection— Oblivion being the big one for most of us.
Plus, coming soon are: Watch Dogs Legion, Anno 1800, Disney Illusion Island, Hello Neighbor 2, Just Dance, Life is Strange: Before the Storm Episode 1, Life is Strange: True Colors, MONOPOLY, Skull and Bones, Sunderfolk.
Xbox Rewards & The Bottom Line
There’s also a small but satisfying upgrade to Xbox Rewards. You can now redeem any amount between $5 and $100. Minor, but why not? It’s not like they’re offering any bundle discount for the $100.
So this month’s update must be like manna from heaven for old school Atari heads. Not only are they getting some real forgotten relics— literally, in the case of Activision Prototype #1, which was found in a salvage yard—on modern consoles, but Xbox went deep and added achievements and a whole host of weird and wonderful features. And for the not-so-nostalgic gamer? It’s nice to finally get some quality of life changes to the Game Bar, isn’t it?
