With Windows 10’s release date nearly upon us, that’s July 29th, and Microsoft’s promise that the OS is a great step forward for PC gaming, an obvious question has been which games will and won’t work for Windows 10.
Microsoft’s answer has been fairly generic, claiming that most games will work with the obvious unfortunate exceptions. That’s not really good enough for anyone who takes gaming seriously.
Seamless device/platform integration, DirectX 12 and everything but the kitchen sink has been thrown at Windows 10, so we expect it to shine, but we still want to know what works and what doesn’t.
To that effect, gamers with access to Windows 10 have tried every game they can get their hands on and created a list of games that are and aren’t currently compatible with the new operating system.
Take each entry with a grain of salt. This list is not established through rigorous, standardised testing, and results will almost certainly vary with each PC setup.
| Compatible | Not Compatible |
|---|---|
| 8BitBoy | Avengers Alliance |
| A Valley Without Wind 2 | BigFishGames.com – Activation errors; DRM issues |
| Alan Wake | Counter Strike Nexon Zombies |
| Alice : Madness Returns | Cry of Fear |
| Alien Isolation | Defense Grid : The Awakening |
| Amnesia | Defiance |
| ArcheAge | Grand Theft Auto 5 iFruit App (Windows Store) |
| Arma 3 | GTA (Original GTA Steam version that came with bundle) – Display Issues |
| Assassin’s Creed | Hamachi |
| Assassin’s Creed : Brotherhood | Metal of Honor : Airborne |
| Assassin’s Creed : Freedom Cry | Quake 3 Arena – Display issues |
| Assassin’s Creed : Liberation | Rift |
| Assassin’s Creed : Unity | Rocksmith |
| Assassin’s Creed II | Shadowgrounds |
| Assassin’s Creed III | Shadowgrounds : Survivor – Crashed after menu at game load |
| Assassin’s Creed IV – Some PhysX issues | Skiddy the Slippery Puzzle |
| AudioSurf | Star Wars Battlefront II – loads menu, fails to load mission. |
| Awesomenauts | Star Wars Commander App |
| Batman : Arkham Asylum – verify game cache integrity first | Stronghold HD |
| Batman : Arkham City GOTY – Win 8 compatiblity mode | The Ultimate Doom (steam ver that plays in DosBox) – freezes at title |
| Batman : Arkham Origins | The Ultimate Doom (Steam version that plays in DosBox) |
| BattleBlock Theater | Tomb Raider (VI) : The Angel Of Darkness |
| Battlefield 2 | Unity Of Command – “Loads into game but gets stuck at loading screen when choosing a game. Plays music, but nothing happens.” |
| Battlefield 3 | Crusader: No Remorse – crashes on exit |
| Battlefield 4 | |
| Battlefield 4 – with Nvidia’s 3D Vision | |
| Battlefield Hardline BETA | |
| Battlepaths | |
| Bejeweled III | |
| Ben There, Dan That! | |
| BF 1942 | |
| Binary Domain – Win 7 compatibility mode | |
| Bionic Commando | |
| Bionic Commando Rearmed | |
| Bioshock | |
| Bioshock 2 | |
| Bioshock Infinite | |
| Blade Kitten | |
| Blake Stone : Aliens Of Gold (Original) – (Apogee Throwback Pack via Steam through DosBox) | |
| Blake Stone : Planet Strike! (Original) – (Apogee Throwback Pack via Steam through DosBox) | |
| Bleed | |
| Borderlands | |
| Borderlands : The Pre-Sequel | |
| Borderlands 2 | |
| Breach | |
| Broforce | |
| Call of Duty : Advanced Warfare | |
| Call of Duty : Black Ops II | |
| Call of Duty : Black Ops II Multiplayer | |
| Call of Duty : Modern Warfare II – Win7 compatibility mode | |
| Call of Duty : Modern Warfare III | |
| Call of Duty IV : Modern Warfare | |
| Call of Juarez : Bound in Blood | |
| Captain America : The Winter Soldier (Free game in Store) | |
| Castle Crashers | |
| Civil War II | |
| Civilization 5 – Needed to install direct X from the game folder | |
| Clicker Heroes | |
| Clickr | |
| Command and Conquer : Red Alert 3 | |
| Command and Conquer 4 : Tiberian Twilight | |
| Commandos 3 : Destination Berlin – Some display flickering issues but played fine | |
| Company Of Heroes 2 | |
| Counter Strike (as well as Condition Zero and Source) | |
| Counter Strike Nexon Zombies | |
| Counter Strike: Global Offensive | |
| Crusader Kings 2 | |
| Crysis | |
| Crysis 2 : Maximum Edition – Windows Defender excluded; in Win 8 compatbility mode | |
| Crysis 3 | |
| Crysis Warhead | |
| Cubeworld – crashes when exiting | |
| D.C. Universe Online | |
| Daikatana – 800×600 or lower screen res | |
| Dark Messiah of Might & Magic | |
| Darkreign 2 | |
| Darksiders | |
| Darksiders 2 | |
| Darkwood | |
| Dawn Of War (Soul Storm) | |
| Dawn Of War II : Chaos Rising | |
| Dead Effect | |
| Dead Island | |
| Dead Rising 3 – Playable but several issues | |
| Dead Space | |
| Dead Space 2 | |
| Deadpool | |
| Defense Grid 2 | |
| Deus EX : Game Of The Year Edition (Steam) – some changes to display settings might be required | |
| Deus EX : Human Revolution | |
| Deus EX : The Fall | |
| Devil May Cry 4 – in DirectX10 | |
| Diablo III | |
| Dishonored – Win 8 Compatbility Mode | |
| Don’t Starve Together | |
| Doom 3 | |
| Dragon Age : Origins | |
| Dragon Age II | |
| Driver | |
| Duke Nukem 3D: Megaton Edition | |
| Dungeonland | |
| E.Y.E. Divine Cybermancy | |
| Earth 2150 Trilogy | |
| Elder Scrolls III : Morrowind | |
| Elder Scrolls IV : Oblivion | |
| Elder Scrolls V : Skyrim | |
| Eldorado : Halo Online | |
| ETHER VAPOR | |
| Europa Universalis IV | |
| Eve Online | |
| Everquest | |
| Extreme Rise Of The Triad (Original) – Apogee Throwback Pack via Steam through DosBox | |
| F.E.A.R. | |
| F.E.A.R. 2 – Verify game cache integrity | |
| F.E.A.R. 3 – . Verify game cache integrity | |
| Fallout : New Vegas | |
| Fallout 3 : Game Of The Year Edition | |
| Far Cry 2 | |
| Far Cry 3 | |
| Far Cry 4 | |
| Farming Simulator (2011, 2013, 2015) | |
| Faster Than Light (FTL) | |
| Final Fantasy IV | |
| Final Fantasy VII | |
| Final Fantasy VIII | |
| Firefall | |
| Five Nights At Freddy’s (I, II, & III) | |
| FORCED | |
| Frogger (1997) | |
| Frogger 2 : Swampy Revenge | |
| Gabriel Knight | |
| Game Dev Tycoon | |
| Garry’s Mod | |
| Ghostbusters : Sanctum of Slime | |
| Giana Sisters : Twisted Dreams | |
| Goat Simulator | |
| GRID | |
| GRID 2 | |
| Grim Dawn | |
| GTA : San Andreas | |
| GTA : Vice City (with patch) | |
| GTA III | |
| GTA III | |
| GTA IV | |
| GTA V – Some screen tearing, vsync, and start up issues | |
| Guild Wars 2 | |
| Guilty Gear Isuka | |
| Guns of Icarus Online | |
| Half-Life | |
| Half-Life : Source | |
| Half-Life 2 : Deathmatch | |
| Halo 2 – Skip intro video using h2launcher | |
| HAWKEN | |
| Heart’s Of Iron 3 | |
| Hellgate London | |
| Heroes Of Might and Magic III (GOG Ver) | |
| Heroes Of Might and Magic III : HD Edition (Steam Ver) | |
| Heroes Of Might and Magic IV (uPlay Ver) | |
| Heroes Of Might and Magic V (uPlay Ver) | |
| Heroes Of Might and Magic VI | |
| Heroes Of Might and Magic X Legacy | |
| Hitman : Absolution | |
| Hitman : Blood Money | |
| Hitman : Codename 47 | |
| Hitman : Contracts | |
| Hitman : Sniper Challenge | |
| Hitman 2 : Silent Assassin | |
| How To Survive – Win 8 Compatibility Mode | |
| Imperialism 2 | |
| Injustice : God’s Among Us Ultimate Edition | |
| Interstellar Marines | |
| Judge Dredd : Dredd vs Death | |
| Just Cause – Windows XP Compatibility Mode | |
| Just Cause 2 – verify integrity of game cache | |
| Just Cause 2 : Multiplayer Mod – verify integrity of game cache | |
| Kane & Lynch : Dead Men | |
| Kane & Lynch 2 : Dog Days | |
| Killing Floor | |
| Killing Floor 2 – Need to set KFGame.exe to run as admin | |
| Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light | |
| Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris | |
| Left 4 Dead | |
| Left 4 Dead 2 | |
| Legacy of Kain : Defiance – Minor display issues due to lower resolution upon start. Fixed easily in game | |
| Legacy of Kain : Soul Reaver – Minor display issues due to lower resolution upon start. Fixed easily in game. | |
| Legacy of Kain : Soul Reaver 2 – Minor display issues due to lower resolution upon start. Fixed easily in game. | |
| Legendary | |
| LEGO MARVEL Super Heroes | |
| Magicite | |
| Maplestory | |
| Mark Of The Ninja | |
| Marvel Online | |
| Mass Effect 1 – launcher throws a UAC warning, if you still have UAC turned on | |
| Mass Effect 2 | |
| Mass Effect 3 | |
| Max Payne 3 | |
| Meltdown | |
| METAL GEAR RISING : REVENGEANCE | |
| Metal Gear Solid : Ground Zero | |
| Metro 2033 | |
| Metro 2033 : Redux | |
| Metro Last Light | |
| Metro Last Light : Redux | |
| Middle Earth : Shadow of Mordor | |
| Might & Magic : Clash of Heroes | |
| Minecraft | |
| Mirror’s Edge | |
| Mortal Kombat Komplete Edition | |
| Mortal Kombat X | |
| Moto Racer Collection | |
| Narco Terror | |
| NBA 2K 2015 | |
| Need For Speed : Carbon | |
| Need For Speed : Hot Pursuit | |
| Need For Speed : Most Wanted (Original DVD Ver – 2005) | |
| NiGHTS into Dreams… – Steam Ver. Issues with full screen at 1080 | |
| Nosgoth | |
| Obi & The Blind Forest | |
| Operation Flashpoint : Red River | |
| Orbital Gear | |
| Orborun | |
| Orcs Must Die | |
| Orcs Must Die 2 | |
| Oregon Trail : Directors Cut | |
| ORION: Prelude | |
| Overlord | |
| Overlord II | |
| Painkiller Hell & Damnation | |
| Path of Exile | |
| PAYDAY 2 | |
| Peggle | |
| Planetside 2 | |
| Plants Vs Zombies : Garden Warfare | |
| Platypus II | |
| Portal | |
| Portal 2 | |
| Pressure | |
| Primal Carnage | |
| Quake | |
| Quake (GL Quake) | |
| Quake 2 – full screen issues with certain resolutions; Original CD ver has install issues. | |
| Quake 3: Team Arena – Menu has some display issues, but played a multiplayer game with no issues. | |
| Quake 4 : Special Edition | |
| Quake World | |
| Quake World (QL Quake World) | |
| Rage | |
| Rayman : Legends | |
| Remember Me | |
| Resident Evil 4 / Biohazard 4 | |
| Resident Evil 5 | |
| Resident Evil 6 / Biohazard 6 | |
| Resident Evil Revelations / Biohazard Revelations UE | |
| Rise Of The Triad (Original) – Apogee Throwback Pack via Steam through DosBox | |
| Rise Of The Triad (Redux. Steam Ver) | |
| Risen | |
| Saints Row IV – Verify game integrity first | |
| Sanctum | |
| Sanctum 2 | |
| Section 8 | |
| Serious Sam 3 : BFE | |
| Shadow Warrior (2014) | |
| Shadow Warrior : Classic Redux | |
| Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri | |
| Sid Meier’s Civilization V | |
| Sim City 2000 | |
| Sleeping Dogs (Original) | |
| Sleeping Dogs : The Definitive Edition | |
| Slender The Arrival | |
| Space Engineers | |
| Space Hulk | |
| Spec Ops II : The Line | |
| Star Trek Online | |
| Star Wars : The Old Republic | |
| State of Decay | |
| Station Launcher | |
| Strider | |
| Stronghold 2 | |
| Stronghold 3 | |
| Sugar Cube : Bittersweet Factory | |
| System Shock 2 | |
| Team Fortress 2 | |
| Tera | |
| Terraria | |
| The Bureau: XCOM Declassified | |
| The Cave – Needed to verify game integrity | |
| The Cursed Crusade | |
| The Darkness II | |
| The Escapists | |
| The Forest | |
| The Joylancer : Legendary Motor Knight | |
| The LEGO Movie | |
| The Secret World | |
| The Showdown Effect | |
| The Witcher (Enhanced Edition) | |
| The Witcher 2 : Assassin’s Of Kings (Enhanced Edition) | |
| The Witcher III | |
| They Bleed Pixels | |
| Thief (2014) | |
| Time Gentlemen, Please! | |
| Titan Quest | |
| Titan Quest : Immortal Throne | |
| Titanfall – works in latest build as of 6/20/2015 | |
| To End All Wars | |
| Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six : Vegas | |
| Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six : Vegas 2 | |
| Tomb Raider (2013) | |
| Tomb Raider : Anniversary | |
| Tomb Raider : Chronicles | |
| Tomb Raider : Legend | |
| Tomb Raider : The Last Revelation | |
| Tomb Raider : Underworld | |
| Tomb Raider I | |
| Tomb Raider II | |
| Tomb Raider II : Adventures of Lara Croft | |
| Torchlight II | |
| Toxikk | |
| Trine : Enhanced Edition | |
| Trine 2 | |
| Tropico 4 | |
| Ultima VII | |
| Ultima VIII | |
| Unreal | |
| Unreal Tournament III : Black Edition | |
| Unturned | |
| Valiant Hearts : The Great War | |
| Viscera Cleanup Detail : Shadow Warrior | |
| Warface | |
| Warframe | |
| Warhammer 40,000 : Kill Team | |
| Warhammer 40,000 : Space Marine – verify integrity of game cache first | |
| Watch Dogs | |
| Watchmen : The End is Nigh | |
| Wildstar | |
| Wingcommander III | |
| Wingcommander IV | |
| Wolfenstein New Order | |
| Woolfe : The Red Hood Diaries | |
| World In Flames | |
| World Of Warcraft | |
| X-Com : Enemy Unknown | |
| Ys VI |
*Table courtesy of WCCF Tech
That’s the list thus far, but expect it to grow quickly as Windows 10 grows closer to release and more users get their hands on it.
Of course, expect Microsoft to continuously work on the operating system, so this list will likely see a number of updates and changes for some time to come.
Either way, the good news is that there’s a great assortment of games that work on Windows 10, most do in fact.
Sadly, some of the games that don’t work for the moment are certainly games we’d love to play or recommend: games like Unity of Command, Star Wars: Battlefront 2, Quake 3 Arena, Defense Grid: The Awakening and more.
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