Classic 1993 Star Wars X-Wing gets new life with Unity engine mod, modern graphics

Why it matters: Although the legendary Star Wars flight sim X-Wing and its sequels have been available on Steam and GOG for some time, playing them on modern PCs can still prove tricky. A new mod simplifies the process while adding numerous optional visual and gameplay enhancements.

X-Wing Virtual Machine (XWVM) is now available in Alpha, allowing Windows and Linux users to apply modern quality-of-life features to the classic 90s flight sim Star Wars: X-Wing. The milestone follows a decade of development, and the developers plan to eventually support the sequel, Tie Fighter.

The description on Mod DB makes XWVM sound like a source port. It allows users who own any version of the 1993 classic to run the game in the modern Unity engine, which alleviates prior limitations on its graphics and controls.

Playing X-Wing out of the box restricts users to a maximum resolution of 640 x 480, and choosing between the DOS and Windows versions determines joystick and keyboard support. XWVM enables higher resolutions, adds support for modern gamepads and HOTAS sticks, and introduces other improvements.

The gamepad mode introduces a radial menu, and the modders added enhanced mouse controls. Furthermore, the new VR option makes some cockpit elements compatible with mouse or motion controls. The mod also lets users rebalance the difficulty using cheats and other optional adjustments.

Additionally, users can customize the music by choosing between the dynamic DOS iMuse MIDI tracks, the CD audio from the Windows version, or new dynamic digital remasters of the iMuse tracks. Furthermore, players can swap between the original floppy version’s flat-shaded ship models, the Gouraud-shaded graphics from the CD edition, the textured ships from the Windows version, or download optional HD assets.

Installing XWVM requires 8GB of RAM, a DirectX 12 or Vulkan-compatible graphics card with at least 2GB of VRAM, and 5GB of storage space. The Linux version only officially supports Ubuntu 22.04 and 24.04 and requires a Gnome desktop environment running on top of X11 or Wayland.

A legitimate copy of X-Wing is also needed. Although applying the mod to the Steam and GOG versions is easier, the original retail floppy and CD-ROM versions also work.

While the developers are still adding a few basic features, XWVM might be the easiest way to install and play the 1993 flight sim on modern PCs. Meanwhile, Tie Fighter fans looking for something more extensive should try Tie Fighter: Total Conversion, which completely overhauls the graphics and adds ray tracing to the 1994 sequel.