Xbox backward compatibility E3 2017
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Microsoft announces backward compatibility for original Xbox games

  • Posted byby Dean Takahashi
  • Updated
  • 1 min

Microsoft said today it will make original Xbox games backward compatible with its Xbox One X and Xbox One S video game consoles.

The Xbox maker issued the announcement at its press event ahead of the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). Phil Spencer, head of Xbox at Microsoft, said onstage that Microsoft has 385 games from the Xbox 360 that are compatible with the Xbox One. But he said that the company had heard requests from fans to do more.

So Microsoft will now add games from the original Xbox to its list of games that are now compatible, including cult hit Crimson Skies. And if you have Gears of War 4, Forza Horizon 2, Minecraft, Halo Wars 2, and others, then you will get Xbox One X upgrades for free.

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Dean Takahashi

Dean Takahashi is editorial director for GamesBeat at VentureBeat. He has been a tech journalist since 1988, and he has covered games as a beat since 1996. He was lead writer for GamesBeat at VentureBeat from 2008 to April 2025. Prior to that, he wrote for the San Jose Mercury News, the Red Herring, the Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, and the Dallas Times-Herald. He is the author of two books, "Opening the Xbox" and "The Xbox 360 Uncloaked." He organizes the annual GamesBeat Next, GamesBeat Summit and GamesBeat Insider Series: Hollywood and Games conferences and is a frequent speaker at gaming and tech events. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.