Backwards compatibility, or allowing the Xbox One to play Xbox 360 games, is one of the most anticipated gaming features of 2015. The preview is already available and the public rollout happens in November. Many fans have libraries of games from their Xbox 360 days and being able to play them on a the Xbox One eliminates living room clutter, and saves some money. Now, the head of Xbox, Phil Spencer, has commented through Twitter (via IGN) on the possibility of backwards compatibility with the original Xbox. While he didn’t promise anything, he said it wasn’t silly and that he asks the backwards compatibly team about it often.
@HadleeSimons I don’t think it’s silly. I ask the BC team this question a lot. Need to finish 360 BC for now.
— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) August 19, 2015
There have been gigantic leaps and bounds in graphics and other game related advancements since the original Xbox was placed in most people’s basements or garages to rest but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a demand for these games to be playable on the Xbox One. There are timeless games that would be a nice addition to the Xbox One. Many old games get remastered versions which indicates a demand for older games but not every developer is going to take the time to remake a game for a new console.
Xbox 360 backwards compatibility is an amazing feat in itself, and the reason for any hope of compatibility with the original Xbox. Microsoft built a virtual Xbox 360 inside the Xbox One to make it work and would likely have to do something similar for the original Xbox to be compatible.
Phil Spencer’s focus on Xbox 360 backwards compatibility is well founded. With over 100 titles on their way in November and hopes to add many more, Microsoft has to invest their time in getting games from the console that never dies to work on their latest gaming platform. It’s still fun to think about the prospect of taking some original Xbox games out of retirement though.
