In Microsoft's keynote for E3 2017, Xbox chief Phil Spencer revealed that the Xbox One backward compatibility program is expanding.
Soon, Xbox One players will be able to play games from the original Xbox on their console, as backward compatibility continues to thrive on Microsoft's video game platform.
Xbox Games On The Xbox One
In the presentation, Spencer revealed that Microsoft is further expanding the backward compatibility program of the Xbox One within the year. Once the feature is updated, players will be able to fire up their games from the original Xbox on the current-generation console.
Currently, the backward compatibility program of the Xbox One allows gamers to play 385 Xbox 360 titles on the console. That list will soon balloon in number to include games from the original Xbox.
"Our team of engineers are working hard to bring some of your favorite original Xbox games to today's Xbox One library," Spencer said, adding that the titles will "look better and play better" on the Xbox One.
Spencer did not reveal much else about the expanded feature. However, we do know that the first Xbox game to receive backward compatibility support for the Xbox One is aerial dogfighting game Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge.
A tweet by Xbox marketing lead Albert Penello further clarifies what gamers can expect from the expanded feature. Penello said that the physical CDs of games from the original Xbox will soon work on the Xbox One. Digital licenses will also carry over to the Xbox One for Xbox games that were purchased for the Xbox 360, and Penello added that players will be able to engage in system-linked play across the three generations of the Xbox console.
The expanded feature is not limited to the Xbox One, though, as players will also be able to enjoy it on the Xbox One X, which was formerly known as the Xbox Project Scorpio.
Recent Issues On Backward Compatibility
While the highlight of Microsoft's presentation is the official unveiling of the Xbox One X, Spencer's announcement on backward compatibility could not be ignored. This is because the topic has once again become a hot issue recently.
A report by Ars Technica claimed that the backward compatibility feature is barely used among Xbox One players. According to a sample of almost 1 million active Xbox One users, only 1.5 percent of the over 1.65 billion minutes of play time was spent on Xbox 360 titles added to the console under the backward compatibility program.
The finding, however, was refuted by Xbox chief marketing officer Mike Nichols, who claimed that around 50 percent of Xbox One gamers have tried the feature, with over 508 million logged hours for backward compatible Xbox 360 games.
With the Xbox One further expanding its backward compatibility, it would appear that the feature is really popular. Backward compatibility, meanwhile, will likely never appear on the PlayStation 4, as a controversial comment made by Sony global sales head Jim Ryan showed what the company thought of on adding the feature to its current-generation console.
