The original game was sold as something like an interactive movie, with over two hours of video storyline between missions starring Mark Hamill, Malcolm McDowell and John Rhys-Davies. Technological limits of the era meant that footage shipped at 240p and heavily compressed, and later console ports did little to improve it. While the 1996 sequel Wing Commander 4 received a DVD-ROM re-release with much better video quality, the third game never got the same treatment, leaving fans worried the source footage might have been lost. According to Vessella, much of it has now been recovered and catalogued.

The anniversary edition will also run at up to 60 frames per second and include an enhancement patch built with members of the Wing Commander fan community. A presentation slide also listed Kilrathi Saga integration, referencing a 1996 compilation of the first three games and four expansion packs, though it is not yet clear whether that means the earlier games are being restored or how the new version fits in.