The sci-fi game "X2 - The Threat" is strongly reminiscent the classic, genre-defining space simulation "Elite". The gamer cruises around space in his or her spacecraft and earns money by going on missions. The pay is then invested into ever larger, faster and better-equipped ships, allowing the player to build a trading empire complete with a merchant marine and factories. A storyline helps contribute to the atmosphere.

Since patch v1.1, the game also offers multi-display support. Owners of ATi cards won't be able to take advantage of it, though, since it requires horizontal span. If the Windows desktop utilizes this mode, the game detects the second display on startup and shows additional views on the second (and third) monitor. Therefore, X2's multi-monitor mode is very similar to simple SurroundGaming titles. However, it goes beyond the simple extension of the field of view, offering additional information and external views of the player's or an enemy's ship(s) on the additional displays. The settings can be changed in the options menus.