At E3 this year, Microsoft dropped a bombshell that could change gaming when Xbox boss Phil Spencer announced that the backward compatibility feature will be extended to Original Xbox titles.
Since the announcement back in June, Xbox has been hush-hush surrounding the Original Xbox backward compatibility feature and when players can expect the launch date. Recently at the Brazil Game Show, Spencer discussed the timeline of when it could launch in an interview with GameSpot.
“We’re close, we’re really close… I have a little dashboard I go to and I can see all the games, where they are in getting approvals in the pipeline. I know the games that are coming for the original Xbox but I don’t think we’ve announced them all. We have to do this in partnership with partners, but we’re still on track. I feel really good. The games look great.”
Spencer was extremely optimistic that fans can expect the feature to launch in 2017, but considering that it’s October, it doesn’t leave much time for Xbox to wrap things up especially with the Xbox One X launching next month. However, he did tease some backward compatibility news for the Xbox One X…
“There’s some stuff we’re going to talk about in that space in terms of how compatibility’s going to work on [Xbox One] X specifically that I think people will find pretty interesting.
“Some of the games hold up really well; some of them don’t. But the gameplay mechanics and the smile [you got] on your face 15 years ago playing those games, those are things that are still there. I see it, like getting back to playing Crimson Skies, [it’s] fantastic, and the game actually looks really good even though it’s obviously been around.”
Well, Mr Phil Spencer, you most certainly have our attention now…
As Xbox has yet to officially announce a date for the Original Xbox backward compatibility feature, three more Xbox 360 titles were added to the Xbox One backward compatibility feature.
These three titles are a welcoming addition to current backward compatible catalogue as two Fable titles were made backward compatible early this month. For the updated list, download the PDF file here or check out Major Nelson’s site.
