Xbox Series X will launch with support for thousands of games

The Xbox Series X is the most-compatible next-generation console. Or, at least, Microsoft is making that claim in a new blog post today. But time will likely prove the company correct — especially when you take into account the considerable effort it continues to put into backward compatibility. And Microsoft is serious about continuing that on Xbox Series X. It is promising that its upcoming next-gen hardware will support thousands of existing games when it debuts this holiday season.

In his blog post, Xbox Series X program management director Jason Ronald explained the thinking behind Microsoft’s backward compatibility work. He pointed to his own history with picking up Final Fantasy XIII after falling in love with the game on Xbox 360. The company doesn’t want Xbox fans to have to leave those relationships they have with games behind. But backward compatibility is not as easy as flipping a switch. With that in mind, Microsoft approached the Xbox Series X from the beginning with legacy support in mind.