Microsoft has added more than 70 original Xbox 360 and Xbox games to its Backward Compatibility Program on Xbox Series X / S and Xbox One. It also enabled FPS Boost for 37 more titles and began rolling out the technology to Xbox Cloud Gaming.
The announcement was made during Microsoft's Xbox 20th Anniversary Celebration Show and continues the company's commitment to preserving games that span Xbox's 20-year history.
Xbox owners can now take advantage of the full Max Payne and FEAR franchises, as well as the entire Skate franchise since Skate 2 was added. Over 20 original Xbox titles are also playable, including Dead or Alive Ultimate, Star Wars. : Jedi Knight 2 and the Otogi franchises.
If you own these games on disk or digitally, they will now be available to play, and most will be available for purchase through the Microsoft Store.
As we've seen with older, backward-compatible titles, every game added will benefit from enhanced visuals and Auto HDR on displays that support it. Original Xbox games will get a 4x resolution increase on Xbox Series X and Xbox One X, a 3x resolution increase on Xbox Series S, and 2x resolution increase on Xbox One S and Xbox One.
Titles that support FPS Boost will also allow games previously locked at 30fps to run at 60fps. Binary Domain, Nier, the entire Gears of War franchise, and all three FEAR games will all benefit from FPS Boost, including many more.
For those who enjoy Xbox games via the cloud, 34 titles will get FPS Boost, including Fallout 4, Fallout 76, and The Evil Within 2.
Of course, gamers can enable or disable FPS Boost and Auto HDR by going to the "Manage Game" section if they want to play each title without any enhancement.
Analysis: it is important to keep old games alive
Microsoft's commitment to backward compatibility is admirable. Video games can often become inaccessible as hardware evolves and digital stores close, a trend we've seen in the console gaming space for far too long.
With Microsoft's latest console now compatible with all Xbox generations, long-forgotten classics can be played and discovered once again, and often better than ever.
Microsoft's backward compatibility program has also shown competitors like Sony and Nintendo that consumers enjoy the games they already own rather than having to pay for remasters and remakes. It is also an essential step in the preservation of video games and prevents games from being lost in the annals of time.
To celebrate Xbox's XNUMXth anniversary, we look back on Microsoft's big bulky box and our favorite memories, games, and moments. It may not have been the best console of all time, but there is no question that the Xbox has made a huge impact on the gaming industry as a whole.
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