- Microsoft confirms that its Xbox Backwards Compatibility Program will return in some form this year
- The company has committed to the program for its future consoles
- It will “roll out new ways to play some of the most iconic games from our past” this year
Microsoft has committed to its Xbox Backwards Compatibility Program for its future consoles, confirming that it will return in some form later this year.
During its keynote at GDC 2026, where brand new details about Project Helix were announced, Jason Ronald, VP, Next Generation, Microsoft confirmed that it will share new ways to play some of its most popular Xbox games sometime this year (via Windows Central).
“We’re committed to keeping games from four generations of Xbox playable for years to come. As part of our 25th anniversary later this year, we’ll be rolling out new ways to play some of the most iconic games from our past,” Ronald added in an Xbox Wire post.
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“As gaming increasingly spans devices, we’re breaking down the barriers between console and PC gaming for more seamless play across devices, and we’re making the Xbox experience consistent across screens. This also gives developers a simpler, more unified path to reach more players, while helping to reduce development costs.”
The Xbox Backwards Compatibility Program was announced in 2015 and allows players to play older games released for the original Xbox, Xbox 360 and Xbox One that can be played on current generation hardware such as the Xbox Series X.
In 2021, the last wave of backwards-compatible titles was released, and Microsoft said there were no plans to add more games.
“While we continue to be focused on preserving and improving the art form of gaming, we have reached the limit of our ability to bring new games to the catalog from the past due to licensing, legal and technical limitations,” it said at the time.
Microsoft also announced that an ‘Xbox Mode’, a full-screen controller-friendly interface for Windows 11, will arrive in April.
Now that the company has committed to its Xbox Backwards Compatibility Program, there’s a likelihood that classic Xbox and Xbox 360 games will soon be playable on Windows 11 PCs, as well as its next PC/console hybrid, Project Helix.
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