This Xbox ghost story is the nicest thing you'll read all day

Gamers never die - they just become ghost data

Near-forgotten Xbox racer Rally Sports Challenge preserved a lost memory of a gamer's father for over a decade.

In an online discussion as to whether games could ever be a spiritual experience, YouTube commenter 00WARTHERAPY00 said an Xbox brought him face to face with his father's ghost.

According to a report by Yahoo Autos preserving the comment, after 00WARTHERAPY00's father died his Xbox languished untouched.

"I couldn't touch that console for ten years," the bereaved gamer wrote.

When 00WARTHERAPY00 finally felt able to fire the console up to play Rally Sports Challenge - a game the pair had played together - it yielded something beautiful: their father's ghost data.

"Yep, you guessed it - his ghost still rolls around the track today," 00WARTHERAPY00 said.

"And so I played and played, and played, until I was almost able to beat the ghost. Until one day I got ahead of it, I surpassed it, and...

"I stopped right in front of the finish line, just to ensure I wouldn't delete it."

Holy s**t. For those unfamiliar with ghost data, many racing games allow you to save a replay of your best time on each course. You can race alongside this semi-transparent, intangible vehicle. It's an effective training aid for improving your performance - and also for gently breaking your heart, apparently.