Backwards Compatibility of Xbox 360 Games Finally Comes to the Xbox One

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Microsoft's E3 press conference has wrapped up, and perhaps one of the biggest items out of that was not a game was the fact that the Xbox One now has backwards compatibility. More than 100 Xbox 360 games can be played on the Xbox One, with more capable of being supported. All a developer has to do in order to get their X360 game to play on the XBO is to approve it; Microsoft handles the rest. Gamers can even submit titles they want to see with backwards compatibility via Xbox Feedback, so if your favorite game isn't available, maybe your voice can help it get there. In order to play these X360 games, all you need to do is simply drop in the disc or download the game, and then start playing. The exact technical details aren't yet known, so whether the XBO actually pulls off the disc or just installs it and emulates, we're still a bit in the dark. Microsoft has released some information on how it works, although technical details are still missing. Any digital X360 or XBLA games you own automatically show in the "Ready to Install" section. Disc games are inserted into the console and then install to the hard drive, but the disc must still be kept in the console while playing.

All the Xbox One features are available on these older games, so you can use voice commands to take screenshots, broadcast your gameplay, and utilize the Game DVR. Game streaming to Windows 10 is also a possibility with the X360 games. Oh, and multiplayer is possible, too, so if your X360 games have multiplayer, you aren't left out on the XBO.

Perhaps the best element of the backwards compatibility on the Xbox One is how it is entirely free. If you own the game, you can play it. Sony has PlayStation Now on its consoles, and while you can play games you own, you still have to pay for them. It'll be interesting to see what Sony changes about PS Now, because as it stands, Xbox One has the definite leg up in that regard. Backwards compatibility will be available later today for Xbox Preview members, while everyone else will get it towards the end of this year.

Source: Microsoft, Twitter, Xbox, and Game Informer

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