Microsoft looks set to revive its backwards compatibility program for Xbox’s 25th anniversary
Old games never die
👏 Microsoft could bring back the Xbox backwards compatibility program for Xbox’s 25th anniversary
👀 It’s been teased by Xbox’s VP of next generation, Jason Ronald, at this year’s GDC event
🎮 Microsoft is also adding ‘Xbox Mode’ to all Windows 11 PCs in April, tightening the integration between Xbox and PC
📆 It seems like a big step towards “Project Helix”, the teased next-gen Xbox that’ll be a hybrid console for PC and Xbox games, and could release in 2027 or 2028
Microsoft could revive its Xbox backwards compatibility program for the 25th anniversary of the platform.
That’s been teased by Xbox’s VP of next generation, Jason Ronald, at a keynote at this year’s GDC conference, where Xbox Project Helix was discussed. If true, this would revive an effort Microsoft stopped in November 2021 after re-releasing 76 games.
Granted, this wasn’t confirmed outright, but Ronald said in the keynote that Microsoft’s game preservation team would “release some iconic games from the past that are now going to be able to be played in entirely new ways”.
This is a vague statement, and could mean anything from remasters to brand new backwards compatible games.
Another thought (thanks, Pure Xbox) is that it could mean backwards compatibility for Xbox games running on PC or the Asus ROG Xbox Ally handhelds. At the same GDC event, Microsoft announced ‘Xbox Mode’ for Windows 11, which sees the Xbox Full Screen Experience mode come to all types of Windows 11 PCs, including desktops, laptops and more, which suggests a tighter integration between Xbox and PC.
In any case, it seems classic games are on the agenda for Microsoft to celebrate Xbox’s 25th anniversary – it had been previously teased that the brand was expecting big things to celebrate some important milestones.
Moreover, Microsoft said it was “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.”
Up next: Here’s why the next Xbox Project Helix won’t release next year
Reece Bithrey is a journalist with bylines for Trusted Reviews, Digital Foundry, PC Gamer, TechRadar and more. He also has his own blog, UNTITLED, and graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in International History and Politics in 2023.