Xbox Series X Will Be Backwards Compatible

Whereas backwards compatibility in consoles in the past was something of a foregone conclusion, these days it definitely isnt something to be taken for granted. The PS4 wasnt backwards compatible with the PS3 at launch, nor was the Xbox One for the Xbox 360, or the Switch for the Wii U although the former two would later get something like backwards compatibility which you could buy separately, and the latter would at least get another pared-down version of the virtual console for their classic library of games.

With next-gen consoles on the horizon, then, one has to wonder if this long-demanded yet infrequently-offered feature will be making a glorious comeback, or if it will be shelved for another generation.

That question has been answered for our Xbox playing friends, however: and the news is good, according to Xbox boss Phil Spencer.

"We wanted to make sure we had that, day one, we could deliver on the compatibility promise, and so I've been playing quite a few [Xbox 360] games on my [Xbox Series X] and Xbox One games on the [Xbox Series X] and that's just to ensure that we can be there day one.

Yep, not only will you be able to play Xbox One games on the Xbox Series X, but also your old Xbox 360 library as well, which is both extremely cool and, frankly, a little unexpected. Xbox director of program management Jason Ronald explains further:

"We want those games to be able to come forward with you but we also want your services to come with you. We want your gaming legacy to come with you, whether that's your Gamerscore, whether that's your friends list, all your Achievements, your game saves, all of that should come forward so there are no barriers for you as you think about moving forward."

How absolutely charming.