Is Star Wars Galaxies Still Playable?

Yes. Although Sony Online Entertainment shut down the official Star Wars Galaxies servers on December 15, 2011, the game lives on through community-run emulator servers. Thanks to the SWGEmu project and servers like SWG Infinity, thousands of players continue to enjoy SWG every single day — completely free of charge.

In fact, the emulator community has grown significantly in recent years. Nostalgia for the original Pre-CU era, combined with frustration at modern MMO design trends, has brought both veterans and entirely new players to SWG. The game remains as deep, rewarding, and social as it ever was.

What is SWGEmu?

SWGEmu (Star Wars Galaxies Emulator) is an open-source project that reverse-engineered the original SWG server software, allowing community developers to run their own Star Wars Galaxies servers. The project has been in active development since 2004 and now faithfully recreates the Pre-Combat Upgrade (Pre-CU) version of the game that the community loved most.

SWGEmu provides the foundation that servers like SWG Infinity build upon. It handles the core game mechanics — combat, crafting, resource spawning, space, housing, and more — while individual servers can customize and extend the experience with their own features and quality-of-life improvements.

What is SWG Infinity?

SWG Infinity is the largest and most active Pre-CU SWGEmu server, with over 800 weekly active players. Founded in 2017, Infinity offers a faithful Pre-CU experience enhanced with thoughtful quality-of-life improvements, active development, and a welcoming community.

Key features that set SWG Infinity apart include:

Authentic Pre-CU gameplay with 34+ professions and the original hybrid skill system
Fully functional Jedi unlock system via the village unlock path
Jump to Lightspeed expansion in active development — pilot professions and ship crafting live now, space combat ~75% complete (Fall 2026)
Active development team shipping regular content updates and patches
Player-driven economy, housing, cities, and guilds
Galactic Civil War (GCW) PvP system
Active community Discord with thousands of members
Zero pay-to-win — 100% free, funded by optional donations

How to Get Started

Getting into SWG Infinity is straightforward. Follow these four steps and you will be in-game in minutes:

Create a Free Account

Visit my.swginfinity.com and register. It takes less than a minute.

Download the Infinity Launcher

Grab the Infinity Launcher for Windows. It is a small, lightweight installer that manages all game files for you.

Let the Launcher Patch

Run the launcher and it will automatically download and install approximately 8–10 GB of game data. No original SWG discs are needed.

Play

Click the Play button, log in with your account, create a character, and explore the galaxy. That is it.

What Version of SWG Does Infinity Run?

SWG Infinity runs the Pre-Combat Upgrade (Pre-CU) version of Star Wars Galaxies, which refers to the game as it existed before the controversial Combat Upgrade (CU) patch of April 2005 and the even more divisive New Game Enhancements (NGE) of November 2005.

The Pre-CU era is widely considered the golden age of SWG. It features the original skill-based progression system where players mix and match skills from 34+ professions, a fully player-driven economy, and deep sandbox mechanics that have never been replicated in another MMO. For a detailed comparison with other servers, see our SWG server comparison.

Is It Legal?

SWGEmu operates in a legal grey area. The emulator is a clean-room reverse-engineered implementation of the SWG server — no original server code was stolen or decompiled. The SWGEmu project has been publicly active since 2004 and has never received a cease-and-desist from Lucasfilm, Daybreak Games (formerly SOE), or any other rights holder.

SWG Infinity and other SWGEmu-based servers do not charge for access. The game is offered entirely free of charge, and any donations go solely toward server hosting and infrastructure costs. No one profits from running these servers.

System Requirements

Star Wars Galaxies was originally released in 2003, so the system requirements are modest by modern standards. Any computer built in the last decade should handle it easily:

OS: Windows 7 or newer (64-bit)
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo or equivalent (any modern CPU will work)
RAM: 4 GB minimum, 8 GB recommended
GPU: Any DirectX 9.0c compatible graphics card with 512 MB VRAM
Storage: 10–15 GB of free disk space
Network: Broadband internet connection

For detailed specs and download instructions, visit the Infinity Launcher page.

Frequently Asked Questions

No. The Infinity Launcher downloads all required game files automatically. You do not need original discs, a Station account, or any prior purchase.

SWG Infinity officially supports Windows. However, many players successfully run the game on macOS and Linux using Wine, Proton, or a virtual machine. Check our Discord for community guides on non-Windows setups.

Yes. SWG Infinity features a fully functional Jedi unlock system based on the village unlock path. Becoming a Jedi is a meaningful journey that requires dedication and exploration. Read our Jedi Unlock Guide for full details.

SWG Infinity is the largest Pre-CU server by active population, with 800+ weekly players. We offer a faithful Pre-CU experience with quality-of-life enhancements and active development. For a detailed breakdown, see our server comparison page.

SWG Infinity has been running continuously since 2017 and has no plans to shut down. The server is funded by community donations and maintained by a committed team. Regular backups ensure player data is protected.

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