- Microsoft confirms that its Xbox backwards compatibility program is returning in some form this year
- The company has recommitted itself to the program of its future consoles
- This year, it will “offer new ways to play some of the most iconic games from our past.”
Microsoft has reaffirmed its commitment to its Xbox backwards compatibility program for its future consoles and confirmed that it will return in some form later this year.
During his keynote at GDC 2026, where new details about Project Helix were announced, Jason Ronald, Microsoft’s vice president of next generation, confirmed that it will share new ways to play some of its most popular Xbox games 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 a post on Xbox Wire.
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“As games expand more and more across devices, we’re breaking down the barriers between console and PC gaming for smoother cross-device play, and we’re making the Xbox experience consistent across all screens. It also gives developers a simpler, more unified path to reach more players while helping to reduce development costs.”
The Xbox Backward Compatibility Program was announced in 2015 and allows players to play older games released for the original Xbox, Xbox 360, and Xbox One on current-gen hardware like the Xbox Series X.
In 2021, the latest wave of backwards compatible titles was released and Microsoft said there were no plans to add more games.
“While we continue to focus on preserving and improving the art form of games, we have reached the limit of our ability to introduce new games from the past into the catalog due to licensing, legal and technical constraints,” he said at the time.
Microsoft also announced that an “Xbox Mode,” a user-friendly full-screen interface for Windows 11, would be arriving in April.
Now that the company has recommitted to its Xbox backwards compatibility program, it’s likely that classic Xbox and Xbox 360 games will soon be playable on Windows 11 PCs, as well as its upcoming PC/console hybrid console, Project Helix.
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