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Microsoft has announced the return of the Xbox Backwards Compatibility Program, which allows older games to be played on newer Xbox devices. The information was revealed during the 2026 Game Developers Conference. The program is set to return later this year and introduce new ways to play classic titles from earlier console generations.
Four Generations of Xbox Games
Microsoft emphasises that it wants to maintain the ability to play titles from four generations of Xbox consoles for many years to come. This means support for games from Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X. The backwards compatibility programme was launched in 2015 and quickly became one of the most important features of the Xbox ecosystem. Thanks to it, players can revisit classic titles without needing to own an older console.
According to Microsoft's announcements, new ways to launch older games will be introduced later this year. Details are not yet known, but the company suggests that classic titles may also make their way to other platforms. One of the development directions is the integration of Xbox games with computers running on Windows 11.
Project Helix and the Future of Xbox
Everything points to backward compatibility being an important element of future Xbox devices. Microsoft is currently working on a new hardware platform called Project Helix, which aims to bridge the world of consoles and PCs. This means that older games can run on both new consoles and Windows computers.
Microsoft is increasingly developing the idea of a single ecosystem for gamers. The company is working on solutions that aim to make playing across different devices easier and transferring progress between them simpler. One example is the recently announced Xbox Mode, which will turn a Windows 11 computer into an interface resembling an Xbox console.
The return of backward compatibility is great news for fans of older games. Microsoft wants not only to preserve classic titles but also to make them available on new platforms and devices. In practice, this could mean that in the future, many iconic Xbox games will be able to run on both consoles and PCs.
Source: techradar.com
