Microsoft may be championing Shadowrun and Halo 2 as the forerunners of the new generation of Windows Vista gaming, but a hacking group by the name of warez has released a patch that allows both titles to run on Windows XP, reports MCV.

The news flies in the face of previous claims that neither title could work successfully with DirectX 9 – the previous iteration of Microsoft’s graphics engine – as it was not powerful enough.

This is far from welcoming news for Microsoft, as big titles such as Shadowrun and Halo 2 have very much been part of its drive to encourage gamers to adopt the new operating system.

However, Vista-enabled gamers will still be able to enjoy a host of exclusive features not open to their XP bedfellows, including Windows Live and in-game Achievements.