The last update of the backward compatible games list before that of last night was presented by Microsoft as the last. But as so often in the world of video games, and in life in general, the plans have changed. The American giant has indeed fired an additional and substantial salvo on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Xbox. And according to the American giant, this time, it is the last of the der.
The Xbox Series X | S and Xbox One will no longer receive a backward compatibility program update, and Microsoft is saying so. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of its first console, the American giant announced yesterday that it has added more than 70 titles from the catalogs of the first Xbox and Xbox 360 to the list of retro games usable on Xbox One and Xbox Series X | S .
We swear it’s over
But the flip side is that they are the last. In an official statement sent to the US site IGN, Microsoft confirms this. And vaguely explains why:
Yes, this is the latest addition of Xbox 360 games and original Xbox games to the Backward Compatibility Program. We have reached the limits of our ability to add additional games to the catalog. This is because of licensing restrictions or legal or technical restrictions. We know we’ve said this before. But we came back to that one last time to add as many fan-requested games to the catalog as possible to celebrate our 20th anniversary.
Long-time fans of Xbox consoles are therefore going to have to make sense of it. The list updated yesterday should not budge. That being said, Microsoft had already made such a claim. And 70 games were added yesterday. Therefore, it is legitimate to wonder if strong demand might not prompt Microsoft to reconsider its position. If the Redmond firm believes it has enough to gain financially or in terms of image, it clearly has the strike force to break down most of the barriers.
In terms of backwards compatibility on Xbox, some mountains are impassable
Even if Microsoft decides to change its mind a second time, its way of handling backward compatibility will still prevent it from making the entire Xbox and Xbox 360 catalogs playable on Xbox One and Xbox Series S | X. Indeed, the addition of each title is done on a case-by-case basis in agreement with the publisher concerned.
Some companies that offered titles on Xbox and Xbox 360 have since closed. The same goes for creators of software used under license to develop these titles. There are therefore situations which legally prevent these titles from being offered again. Especially since backward compatible games can be purchased dematerialized from the Microsoft Store. It therefore appears that Xbox players will have to be content with the current list. With several hundred games on the clock, there is clearly plenty to do.
What do you think of this situation? Is the current list right for you? Do you think Microsoft is really done adding backward compatible games to Xbox Series X | S and Xbox One? What important titles do you think are missing? Tell us all in the comments below.
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