Phil Spencer: Xbox 360 backward compatibility on Windows possible, but unlikely

By Brad Jones February 7, 2017

xbox backward compatibility windows 360 controller — 123RF/Sebastien Coell

At E3 2015, Microsoft dropped news that select Xbox 360 games would be playable on the Xbox One via backward compatibility. Since then, the library of supported games has swelled to over 300, and players are eager to see this kind of functionality introduced elsewhere in the company’s gaming empire.

Yesterday, Xbox head Phil Spencer was responding to queries on Twitter when he was asked whether backward compatibility for Xbox 360 games was ever likely to make its way to Windows 10. He responded with a realistic assessment of the work involved, but indicated that such a project wasn’t outside the realm of possibility.

Spencer stated that the difficult part of bringing Xbox 360 backward compatibility to Windows 10 would be the wide range of different hardware set-ups implemented by users. The Xbox One is a standardized system, meaning that engineers know what kind of horsepower they have to play with, but PCs can vary wildly from one build to another.

Games added to the Xbox One’s library of compatible Xbox 360 titles are tested extensively to ensure that the experience is just as good on newer hardware as it was in the past. As a result, players can expect a certain standard of performance, and Microsoft wouldn’t be able to offer that standard consistently on such a broad range of hardware.

Having stated the reasons why backward compatibility was unlikely to make its way to Windows 10, Spencer offered a hint of encouragement, according to a report from Gamespot. He said “never say never,” indicating that this long shot project might yet come to fruition, even if the chances are slim.

Offering up even a portion of the formidable Xbox 360 library could be a boost to Microsoft’s ongoing effort to carve out its own slice of the PC gaming market. However, management will no doubt want to consider whether the resources necessary to implement backward compatibility on Windows 10 could be better spent elsewhere.

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Brad is an English-born writer currently splitting his time between Edinburgh and Pennsylvania. You can find him on Twitter…

Gaming

Xbox’s Phil Spencer responds to blockbuster leak: ‘So much has changed’

Xbox Series X on a table.

Head of Xbox Phil Spencer has finally commented on the massive Xbox leak that happened earlier today. In his public statement, he explained that "so much has changed" since many of the documents were created and asked fans to be excited about Xbox's future.
On Tuesday morning, unredacted versions of a lot of documents pertaining to the Xbox vs. FTC trial appeared. These emails and documents, most of which were created or written sometime between 2020 and 2022, revealed a lot of unannounced information. That included things like a mid-gen refresh for the Xbox Series X and S, some unannounced Bethesda games, and even Microsoft's early goals for its next-generation console. Hours later, Spencer commented on the leak.
"We've seen the conversation around old emails and documents," Spencer explained on X (formerly known as Twitter). "It is hard to see our team's work shared in this way because so much has changed and there's so much to be excited about right now, and in the future. We will share the real plans when we are ready."
https://twitter.com/XboxP3/status/1704233222752571842
At first, people didn't know where the leak came from, with the FTC quickly denying that it leaked these things. Ultimately, United States District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley revealed that Microsoft had done it to itself while trying to provide the court with a secure cloud link to relevant exhibits for the trial. The Verge went on to report that Phil Spencer also sent out a memo internally about the leaks today, echoing the statements in his tweet.
"Today, several documents submitted in the court proceedings related to our proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard were unintentionally disclosed. I know this is disappointing, even if many of the documents are well over a year old and our plans have evolved," Spencer's memo reads. "I also know we all take the confidentiality of our plans and our partners’ information very seriously. This leak obviously is not us living up to that expectation. We will learn from what happened and be better going forward. We all put incredible amounts of passion and energy into our work, and this is never how we want that hard work to be shared with the community. That said, there’s so much more to be excited about, and when we’re ready, we’ll share the real plans with our players. In closing, I appreciate all of the work that you pour into Team Xbox to surprise and delight our players."
The fact that Microsoft did this to itself is an embarrassing accident, especially when some of the information contained within the documents and emails is no longer accurate. For now, all we can do is wait and see if Microsoft will actually release new versions of its Xbox Series X and S consoles next year and if games like Doom Year Zero, a sequel to Ghostwire: Tokyo, and Dishonored 3 get announced.

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Close up of Microsoft Surface Pro 6 keyboard.

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Gaming

Rebuild your own nostalgia with this detailed Xbox 360 toy set

xbox 360 mega building set replica

Although Microsoft is shutting down the Xbox 360 Store next year and definitely wants you to pick up its newest console for Starfield, it has still found a new way to appeal to the nostalgia of Xbox 360 players. It's doing so through the new Mega Showcase Microsoft Xbox 360 Collector Building Set, which will be available this October.

This set will be available starting on October 8 and will cost you $150 dollars; that said, you'll only be able to pick one up at Target. Mega makes Lego-like replica models of things for people to build, and this one is intricately designed to look like the launch version of Xbox 360. It's at 3:4 scale and made up of 1342 pieces. With it, players can build a version of the Xbox 360, a controller, and a case and disc for Halo 3. Even the packaging it comes in looks like the boxes Xbox 360 consoles came in at release.
Once built, this model will actually have working lights and a disc drive, as well as a hard drive and side shell panels that are removable. It obviously won't be able to play actual Xbox 360 games, but it still looks like a faithful recreation of Microsoft's classic game console. This is far from the first time we've seen video games and their consoles branch over into the work of buildable toys, as Nintendo patterned with Lego to create various Mario sets as well as a replica NES.
The Mega Showcase Microsoft Xbox 360 Collector Building Set releases exclusively at Target on October 8.