In a post on the Xbox Wire blog, Jason Ronald, Director of Program Management for Xbox Series X, has spoken at length about the next-generation console’s backward compatibility. According to Ronald, “thousands of games are already playable on Xbox Series X today, from the biggest blockbusters to cult classics and fan favourites”.
The team behind implementing this expansive backward compatibility is the same team responsible for the Xbox One’s backward compatibility, which saw 500-plus Xbox 360 games come to the system in 2015. Reporting that the team has put “more than 100,000 hours of playtesting”, Ronald doubles-down on showing Microsoft’s dedication to this feature by claiming that “the team will have spent well over 200,000 hours ensuring your game library is ready for you to jump in immediately.”
In a separate interview with IGN, Ronald was asked whether “thousands” meant all Xbox One games, including already-compatible 360 and original Xbox titles. In response, Ronald said, “the goal is definitely the thousands of titles that run on Xbox One today. If the game runs on Xbox One, it is our goal to get that to run on Series X. There might be some one-off exceptions here or there, [due to] licensing or a technical issue[s]".
In the Xbox Wire blog, it’s also stated that “gaming accessories and peripherals should also move forward with you”, though no further details are provided.
RELATED: The best Xbox One games
The Director of Program Management notes that games hold legacies for gamers, and that bringing these memories and experiences to next-generation consoles is key, rather than leaving them in the past. This apparent honouring of legacy gaming content isn’t just about porting old titles as-is.
Ronald notes how the team has been utilising the full range of the Xbox Series X’s abilities to bring older titles up to a more acceptable modern standard. This unrestricted access to power ensures that all titles “run at the peak performance that they were originally designed for”, with Ronald claiming that many games reach high and stable framerates and resolutions.
Further to this, techniques will be employed to render titles “with increased resolutions up to 4K”, apply “anisotropic filtering to improve the final image quality bring these classic games up to modern standards,” and processes to “double the frame rate of a select set of titles from 30fps to 60fps or 60fps to 120fps.” The blog post also states that the Quick Resume feature will automatically work on legacy titles, providing modern conveniences to more traditional games.
These advanced features will all be handled on-board by the Xbox Series X, requiring “no additional work from title developers”.
Ronald’s candid discussion is in stark contrast to Sony’s near-silence on the PlayStation 5’s backward compatibility.
The Xbox Series X will be launched this holiday season.