Microsoft came out swinging at E3 this past June, showing off sizable chunks of gameplay from some of its highly anticipated titles like Halo 5: Guardians, Gears of War 4, and Rise of the Tomb Raider. The event also wowed the crowd by showing off new VR technology called Hololens and the potential a device like that could have with games like Minecraft.
For many however, one of the biggest surprises came when Microsoft announced that they were bringing backward compatibility to the Xbox One. For the first time ever, Xbox Live Gold members will be able to play Xbox 360 games on the Xbox One, with more and more compatible titles being added over time. With the program already becoming popular with Preview Program users, Microsoft is looking to potentially do more with the service.
In a discussion with a fan on Twitter, Xbox head Phil Spencer revealed that the backward compatibility team is actively investigating how to potentially add original Xbox games to the service. Spencer added that the development team is focused on completing work for Xbox 360 games first but could potentially shift to original Xbox titles once the service is live and available for everyone.
Currently, the feature is limited to only including certain Xbox 360 titles, which fans can help actively shape by voting on titles they’d like to see added to the program over time. Currently, Microsoft is planning on making over 100 titles available when the service launches for free later this year with news about the finalized list expected sometime this week.
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The popularity of backwards compatibility for the Xbox One has had a strong impact throughout the industry since its reveal at E3 2015. Third party companies are jumping on board by offering Xbox fans deals (preordering their games will unlock older installments) and it sounds like gamers are definitely interested in these bundles. Upcoming games like Fallout 4 and Rainbow Six Siege are offering compelling arguments for players undecided on which platform to pick as doing so on the Xbox One will net players Fallout 3 and Rainbow Six Vegas respectively.
Gears of War Ultimate Edition may just have the best deal for fans of backwards compatibility however. For players who purchase and play the game prior to the end of 2015, they’ll be able to download the rest of the Gears of War franchise for free. So while the first title is on the disk at the outset, fans are actually getting four additional games as well including Gears of War 2, Gears of War 3, and Gears of War: Judgment for free on Xbox One. The offer also presents a strong incentive for people who have not yet purchased an Xbox One considering that the game is going to be bundled with the hardware going forward.
Are you excited for the Xbox One backwards compatibility potentially letting players experience the original Xbox library? What games would you love to play again?
Xbox One Backward Compatibility is available now for Preview Program members and should go live sometime this November for everyone.
Source: Phil Spencer Twitter
