xHCI98 v3.0.0.0 brings experimental USB4 and Thunderbolt 3/4 support to Windows 98 SE
Older Windows versions gain a route to xHCI-only hardware that would otherwise lose keyboards, mice and storage.
Yeo Kheng Meng has released xHCI98 v3.0.0.0, a driver set that gives Windows 98 SE and other older Windows versions experimental support for USB 3.x, USB4, and Thunderbolt 3/4 hardware. The release is aimed at xHCI-only systems from the mid-2010s that lost legacy EHCI support, where keyboards, mice, flash drives, Ethernet, and audio can fail without BIOS fallback. xHCI98 replaces Windows USB port and hub drivers and adds separate components for UAS storage and for Thunderbolt 3 and USB4 docks and NVMe enclosures. Meng says the project is a solo effort with AI assistance, and he names Claude Fable 5.1, Claude Opus 5.5, and Codex GPT 6 Astra as part of the workflow. He also provides compatibility notes, install options, update guidance, and tuning advice for older Windows versions, standby, and hibernation.
Why it matters
Owners of mid-2010s PCs that dropped legacy EHCI support, and who want to keep running Windows 98 SE or other older releases, now have a third-party way to use basic peripherals and newer port types, which previously could fail without a BIOS fallback. The project is experimental and a solo effort, so its reach and reliability remain untested, and the author's account of AI assistance in building it is his own claim.
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Sources
- Tom's Hardware