Xbox Establishes New Team Dedicated To 'Game Preservation And Forward Compatibility'

Hopefully they add more from the OG Xbox My kids were big fans of Brute Force, they still have the game in mint condition but no way to play it.

Not really sure what to make of this because the immediate preservation problem is self-inflicted, namely Microsoft shutting down the 360 marketplace in July. “Adorably all digital” is also a really bad look on that front.

@Grumblevolcano they might go with an external add on disc drive for a while. As disc drives get harder and harder to get it’s going to be a problem at some point in time. Digital going forward should be fairly easy to manage. Good to see them trying as it is important 😊

@BleedingDreamer yeah! Forgot about that one, used to go with the lizard character iirc

With games requiring online services more and more forward compatibility should be a consideration to developers.

@Beetlebum91 it is a pretty good squad based shooter.

I'm all for maintaining compatability (and furthering backwards-compatability), but this seems like something Microsoft would do if they were adopting different architecture in the next generation, eg: an NVidia GPU or ARM CPU.

Sounds like good news so far, whatever this is- even if details are non-existent.
Hopefully, they'll bring more 360 and especially OG games to current platforms! And if not, at least it shows that they're taking the matter seriously and future-proofing today's games.

Love everything about this and I can’t stress that enough. Bravo!!

This sounds more like they're making sure all current titles will be compatible with future hardware rather than making more games backwards compatible. Still good news either way.

I suspect they re making sure all games work on the new system in 2026 or 2028. as the compatibility is software based not hardware based each game requires some work

@101Force My thoughts exactly. It could also mean they are working on a way for this to work on a broad range of hardware (i.e. PC) so that the next Xbox won’t be a closed system but a PC-based console.

With this and Phil’s comments regarding having multiple storefronts on Xbox is starting to lean in that direction - which was the original goal of Xbox: a PC in the living room.

I hope they don't forget a lot of people have older games on disc. An optional external drive is a must have if they decide to go the digital way in future generations.

This sounds like evidence of a possible project to port xbox titles forward to a different architecture, maybe this rumored pc / console hybrid, if I could play my entire PC library with no extra charge for online play then i'm sold

Xbox looking to it's backwards compatibility efforts to save the console (again). It was the best thing about the Xbox One and if they can add a lot more to the Series X it'll be a nice boost. Now they just need to make emulators official so that the Series X can become the ultimate backwards compatible emulation machine!

I have never been popular with my backwards compatibility stance, probably because been gaming for decades and I have always liked total focus on moving forward with the next generation of console and its improved technology.
I do like a new console to have one step backward compatibility to the console before it, but that’s about it.
It’s strange for me really as I do like watching say an 80s movie so that goes back decades.
But with gaming it’s different for me.
I want to see the new best graphics, AI and gameplay with a new console and leave the old graphics, AI and gameplay behind.

If you stuck say Mario 64 in front of me I would have no interest as say Mario Odyssey to me is miles better and also because I have completed Mario 64 and compared to Mario Odyssey it seems ancient and old.

@OldGamer999
Absolutely get what you're saying and I somehwat feel the same, I don't like replaying games, I like to move forward.

Buttt...

I am also years behind with certain parts of gaming (had Nintendo my whole life until recently) so if not for backwards compatibility, these old games would die with the people that first were able to play them, and that's really sad!

Noone can play everything, but our tastes and situations change as we go through life. You might one day have the urge play Blue Dragon and you just can't >.<

Time to preserve them titles by porting to Sony and Nintendo platforms..

Uh huh, when they're removing the disc drives, this rings hollow as all heck.

its not really preservation as you have to download everything even sticking a disc in of a 360 game makes you download an update the entire size of the game.

Disc or any Physical media is NOT Preservation of a Game. The fact that it is 'locked' to a specific platform is ultimately where its preservation falls down. Take Goldeneye on N64 - that Cartridge ONLY works on N64 hardware. Your OG Xbox games 'not' available via Backwards Compatibility only work on 'Obsolete' hardware too. Without a 'working' OG Xbox, your discs are just useless bits of Plastic...

Since the start of the XB1/PS4 era, Physical media has been nothing but a 'delivery' method to get the 'Software' to the customer but its most important function is as a Key to access that software, proof of ownership! Games don't run from Physical media these days, its all installed on the internal Storage.

Preservation is much easier in Digital formats - its not 'locked' to a specific console/hardware only, doesn't require you to 'store' hundreds of bits of Plastic as 'keys' to access your library and, like PC, don't lose access or require you to keep your old obsolete hardware if you upgrade. Your 'profile' is essentially a massive 'keyring' holding all the License Keys to 'access' games you bought...

Physical isn't 'better' - certainly not these days with Games often not 'complete' on Disc and worse, barely playable. I feel my Cyberpunk disc is 'useless' for long term preservation as the game is NO longer the same as the Game is today - the best and most playable version...

How will this work with an all digital Xbox future? Will its just be digital gaming that is preserved?

Definitely reading this as MS working on making Xbox games playable on the next gen Windows based "Xboxes." Interesting times ahead.

@BaldBelper78 Microsoft have never said they are going all digital.

@Jenkinss the Xbox OS is already Windows based. Always has been.

@Grumblevolcano Only digital games get truly preserved. Physical games, especially the uncrackeable post-XB1/pS4 ones, are subject to wither, break apart or rust off.

@Grumblevolcano Looks like the point is precisely to stop this sort of shutdown happening again in the first place.

I really hope they change their mind on not doing anymore Xbox 360 backwards compatible. I want them to add more games to the list.

Really I just want them to make Blur backwards compatible. Blur is beautiful and under appreciated.

Don't get me wrong, yay and I hope this includes a external drive that carries on between generations.

But this is reminding me of the BC and FC talk in the past. Where MS pushed hard on the consumer friendly angle because they had nothing to show. Which is insane conaider8ng their massive line up of studios.

@Sifi They don’t need to. It’s pretty obvious.

"Microsoft has reportedly established a new team dedicated to future-proofing and preserving the Xbox game library."

Shouldn't that be, Microsoft have? Only asking because I constantly get confused with this too.

digital isnt preservation you loose your account you loose everything.
games get delisted all the time thats not preservation
if xbox one day didn't exist you loose everything

@Grumblevolcano But everrrryonnnnneee just thinks all digital is greatest thing since sliced bread and the second coming.

I will continually preach nonstop people have no idea the amount of inconvenience and general overall bad all digital would bring and they will absolutely be first ones to cry foul when realized they really screwed themselves.

@GamingFan4Lyf Think we talked about this previously and do appreciate where you're coming from.

But I do not want a PC experience - - ever. If I did, I would go back to a PC.

I quit pc gaming because it was annoying and expensive. Any time wanted to buy a new game, had to go out buy $3,000 graphic card, $29,000 sound card, $80,000 motherboard, and trillion RAM every 6 months. Then had install drivers and call tech support spending 8 centuries getting the drivers configured. Then if moon, stars, and immediate planets were in properly alignment, I could sit in rigid, uncomfortable chair, bent over a 17 inch monitor, clunkily trying to game with a mouse, and search the keyboard trying to find correct keys before my character was destroyed.

I completely, utterly, totally hated that.

With a console, I simply, insert disc, install, sit back on comfy couch with equally comfortable controller, and play in surround sound on 65 - 70 inch television. Done. No issues. Well....unless it's a Series S. But that's a different story.

Definitely can see if Microsoft tried to keep a console they will adopt a PC experience as you are sharing, but would also bring back all the negatives of needing to buy further hardware to play a new games. The expansion cards with proprietary tech at ridiculous overpricing, along with $400-$500 "mid-gen" upgrade machines that we've seen already show Microsoft would inact that on us in blink of an eye.

All I want is my console, that I buy one time, have it for good 7-10 years, and know I'm be able to play ANY games that is out for it.

@OldGamer999 "It’s strange for me really as I do like watching say an 80s movie so that goes back decades."

Nope. Not at all.

Back then, the movies were great, enjoyable, original, not the constant reboots, remakes, and never ending sequels, due to lack of creativity or fear of box office failure, that is forced upon us today.

@BleedingDreamer Original Xbox's aren't hard to find or expensive. Get one of those pound HDMI adapters that is also readily available and inexpensive and probably the best one out of the easily available and affordable ones. Then get a wingman XB2 to use Series X controllers with it. That's all you really need to play original Xbox on original hardware in a modern way.

@Oldgamer03 Thank you for saying this. In today's world your entire post speaks 110% truth.

@Grumblevolcano I get what you're saying, but it's almost been 20 years and most of the games you can get on the new Xbox storefront and still play them on your Xbox 360. They need to bring the rest of the games over to the new storefront. Also, even with the store closed you will still be able to download your previously purchased content unlike PlayStation and Nintendo digital stores.

@Oldgamer03 Thank you for saying this. In today's world your entire post speaks 110% truth.

@GuyinPA75 I can't tell if you're being sarcastic or not 🤔

@GuyinPA75 I see where you are coming from, but I am coming from something like the Steam Deck where it's a very "console" experience, but is also a "PC".

What if the experience was more like Xbox looks now, except the entire backend is PC-based? It can play PC versions of games. PC games get "Xbox certified" with settings automatically set for optimal experience on the "Xbox PC". Legacy games can run in an official emulator (or whatever Microsoft uses to still support older titles that can't cross-save to a PC version).

It basically marries the console experience with PC.

Much like the Steam Deck, PC versions can be validated against the "Xbox PC" during development to ensure a solid experience there while still able to scale games accordingly for different hardware.

Short story, long: take the concepts that Valve started with the Steam Deck and make it even more user-friendly so that one still gets the console experience of insert disc/download game and play except it's just that it's the PC version instead. All the user sees is what they see now.

Keeps options available for those who are power users to allow them to go in and tweak stuff if they want, but the base experience is no different that what we see now.

@BAMozzy Your physical version of Cyberpunk will be just as playable as the digital version as long as the digital version is available.

@Jenkinss Xbox is already Windows based.

@ZYDIO Really does depend on where you end up playing in say 10yrs time and/or whether or not you can still buy some 'hardware' that you can use that disc to 'download' the most up to date and 'best' version.

If Xbox drops Physical on the 'next' gen machine, that could limit you to only playing on XB1 or Series X because you can't put a disc in to verify ownership or to 'download' the Software/patches on newer hardware. There are 360 games that are NOT playable without a 360 and the hardware is 'obsolete' - its not made anymore. It doesn't matter if I own a XB1 or Series X, those 360 discs are 'useless' with an Xbox 360.

My Cyberpunk Disc is nothing more than an Access key. The software that's included on it is completely useless and not worth playing - a LONG way from where the game is today so its NOT preserving the Game at all. Its technically locked to the Console it was released for and no guarantee that 'next' gen will have Bluray media players. It could be like those upgrading to Series S with no way to play their XB1 discs, like PS5 digital not allowing gamers to play their PS4 disc games via BC. However, their Digital Libraries are all there....

The discs are nothing more than a License Key to grant you 'access' to Software - the only thing you actually bought. You don't own the software.

@ZYDIO @Markatron84 to be clear I'm talking about actual Windows machines with Xbox branding, which is the direction it looks like we're heading. Not the directx machines we have now which have very little in common with Windows, practically.

If you think MS will be able to allow you to play your Xbox discs and digital games on Windows PCs because hey, Xbox consoles have always been Windows! You're in for a rude awakening. They're not, and the past generations of games are absolutely not licensed to run on Windows natively. That's what I believe this team is being put in place for, to begin ironing that out.

In related news, over 100 360 games are about to be lost.

"...the next Xbox won’t be a closed system but a PC-based console."

@GamingFan4Lyf : Now that would be interesting.

If Microsoft produced a gaming orientated Windows OS — something that could be used solely with gamepads and provided a console-like experience — it would probably kill Steam OS and a lot of the alternatives. Support for NVidia GPUs and wider support for Windows-based games would be a game-changer in that market, and depending on how it's implemented it could have a huge effect on traditional gaming consoles too.

@ZYDIO Most is an exaggeration. Yes, they did do a good job with backwards compatibility in 2015 - 2019 and the bonus batch coinciding with Xbox’s 20th anniversary in 2021 but there is still a lot being lost. Not just games but DLC too.

Granted, if this announcement turns out to be a tease where at the June showcase they announce that Series X|S is getting full backwards compatibility with all 3 previous Xbox generations (even stuff like Project Gotham Racing, peripheral games like The Beatles Rock Band, Kinect 360/XB1 games and broken games like Sonic 06) with that being their workaround for the 360 shutdown in July then fair enough.

But their current actions are leaning in the opposite direction. Killing off physical and closing down stores that haven’t been rescued on modern platforms yet.

As for your comment about Sony and Nintendo, you can currently still redownload Wii/3DS/Wii U content you purchased and Sony backtracked on the PS3/Vita store shutdowns (PSP content can still be bought and played on PSP via the PS3 store). I wouldn’t be surprised if things change in the near future though.

Well they need to make sure all their ports will be compatible with the PS6 so it makes sense.

@Jenkinss

If you think MS will be able to allow you to play your Xbox discs and digital games on Windows PCs because hey, Xbox consoles have always been Windows! You're in for a rude awakening.

Not sure where you got the idea that that's what I was saying, but yes you're right.

All pointing towards stronger PC links and/or architecture. The recent Digital Foundry video covered this and for the first time Microsoft’s strategy now seems to make sense. If they can make the front end more of a console than a PC experience then they can achieve a master stroke which solves backwards compatibility, removes (or at least massively reduces) the cost of converting to PC and maybe even makes PlayStation games playable on Xbox (ie the PC ports of those PS games). If they can pull that off then that would be genius.

Great idea! Shame it's Microsoft doing it. Don't trust them or Sony.
The current state of the industry is largely a result of their combined incompetence.
A large, dedicated third party should take responsibility for a program like this that includes games on all platforms, not just Xbox.

@BAMozzy I didn't think of it like that, I was thinking more along the lines that both versions will be the same. Meaning since the server will be there to keep the game updated you would be playing the same version of the game whether you had the digital or physical.

@Jenkinss Yeah that licensing bull$h!t seems to be causing a lot of problems. Hopefully part of this future proofing is the licensing. Since Microsoft is well aware of backwards and forward compatibility, hopefully they will build it into the licensing and we won't have to deal with any of this nonsense ever again.

@VoidPunk And I'm about to buy every single one that I don't have already. Well, the ones I like.

@101Force I really think that's where it's going. The developers should love it because it's less versions of a game they have to develop. It will eliminate the problem we have with the Series S and Series X. They will just do what they've been doing on PC all this time. Especially if they decide to come out with different tiers of hardware which would actually work very well in that scenario. Maybe the Series S and X are just the precursors to that, to get people used to it.

@Grumblevolcano I was not aware that PlayStation backtracked on closing the stores. When they do eventually, I wonder if they will still make the content available or if it will go away as they originally planned.

@101Force It would have an effect on PC development as well - developers would finally have a standardize hardware profile to develop against in the desktop PC specific space (not the handheld PC as the Steam Deck made room for that) and can branch out accordingly from there.

It would be similar to developing against a closed Xbox console, but not since it's just the PC version with specific system specs to work against. Again, something the Xbox was trying to do in the first place all those years ago.

Time will tell, but I would love Microsoft to play into its strengths (PC and software) rather than continue going down the traditional console path.

@Feffster I'm guessing they are going to do something similar to steam's big picture mode but with the Xbox interface on Windows and maybe even allow PC games to play as well as Xbox games. I think down the line they will be one in the same. Xbox games will just be PC games with certain profiles for Xbox branded PC hardware. PC games already have automatic benchmarking on some of them and tell you what settings to put them at as well as the Nvidia game ready stuff. I can't imagine it would be very hard for them to do something similar for specific Xbox branded PC hardware.

I just thought of something else, they may get out of hardware altogether and just tell PC manufacturers what specifications to make for certain tiers of Xbox profiles and sell them as certain tiers of Xbox PC. That would make it a lot easier on Microsoft and they could focus on software.

@Feffster

This nonsense again? Sony will just block their games and the games they have deals with.

Microsoft can not put games from Sony on their systems no matter how desperate you are for them.

Offer Pitfall Lost Expedition, TimeShift, Prototype 1 & 2, Blur (will never happen) and more and I'll be interested. If not I couldn't care less. IF they have the source code fine, if not I'll good with the second hand market only use of them then Xbox One/Series use instead.

Or whatever else. If Brute Force or others that were on 360 BC for OG Xbox games to Xbox One then sure but most of those more than 50 on Xbox One as it's what 491 or something a lot won't come over let alone if they cut support for it I'll be really annoyed.

PGR 1-4 won't be coming over any time soon. Whacked as well.

Forward compatibility makes sense I guess but preservation nah uh that isn't going to happen. We know they can try with the licensing or whatever the case or the games they can 'preserve' of their own IPs (cough where is Blinx 2 Microsoft to mention not preserved games on your BC program source code or reverse engineering it) but otherwise since when can companies do it/actually care about preservation?

It's hard to do and they can't anyway on a wider scale so it's not really that compelling to us customers if it's only select games Microsoft will offer to preserve of their own IPs let alone all of their own IPs versus whatever licensing with third parties THEY want to keep alive and milk the current ones but don't care about their older titles anyway so the second hand market preserves them instead because they don't have to deal with IPs, licensing or complexities like companies have to deal with they just do because they care/if they can afford them and come together to preserve them.

Not with digital till they change the licensing let alone let us use the disks to be more install optional or something (like 360 offered the option to) and not keep the disk hostage in the disk drive to license check all the time which we know won't happen. It will never happen because it's too risky of course. They need the control over them for security after all.

That aside offering ABK games if they have source code/reverse engineering for BC would be nice. Otherwise I couldn't care less got no reason to use my Xbox One/Series other than YT/Soundcloud/smart delivery games, backwards compatibility and Blu-rays not current gen games at the moment like they want me to. Sure it's still 'using it' but not in the way Microsoft wants us to. No Gamepass, no current gen games they want me to use the console for.

Gamepass I'm not joining up for and never will.

@ShadowofTwilight They are already on PC, how and why would they block them? Are they going to now dictate which PC hardware we can play our purchased games on? I don't see how they're going to pull that off.

This is THE only reason I buy all 3rd party on Xbox, and repurchased most of my ps library on Xbox. Despite all the doom and gloom one thing they're continuously clear on us prioritizing the persistence of digital libraries and that's really the one and only thing in here for. Not the exclusives, but the long term library support. Even if that library is just in the cloud someday at least I have access to what I paid for. Only steam is the only other store I trust, and even steam is only as good as the lifespan of Gabe. Who knows what happens with new/public ownership.

@GamingFan4Lyf I wish all the pundits and fans "got" this the same way, you, me, Phil, and Gabe do. To is it so makes perfect sense, is exciting, and isa decade behind when we expected it. For everyone else, the sky is falling.

@NEStalgia You should check out GOG for PC games. They are DRM free and they allow you to download the install files. So, you could make a fully functioning physical copy or just store the files on a backup drive. It's the way it should be for digital purchases.

@ZYDIO I love me some GOG...though it's mostly for games from the 80's - early 2000s.

Even still...love me some GOG!

@ZYDIO

God of War is on Nvidia and yet Sony blocked it from being playable on the Internet Browser on Xbox.

They will absolutely block the games being played on Xbox, deal with it.

In this context 'Games Preservation' & 'Forward Compatibility' are presumably the same thing, and they only need to say Forwards Compatibility.

@GamingFan4Lyf @ZYDIO Yeah gog is a great concept and it's a shame it's one of a kind, but most of what's on there is stuff so old a surface pro could run it. Plus a few new things and a LOT of games with the word "lust" in the title 😂

@ShadowofTwilight two different things. That's blocking streaming on a competing console, not blocking native play on a genuine PC.

I don't doubt they'd do it, it's a very Sony thing to do, but it's also something that could land them a lawsuit if we're taking real PC hardware running real Windows.

@NEStalgia "but most of what's on there is stuff so old a surface pro could run it."

Which is exactly why I love it!

Stuff like this really makes a difference in keeping me on the Xbox ecosystem. That and I’d take Gears, Halo and Forza over any other brand’s exclusives lol

I’ll believe it when I see it

@GamingFan4Lyf lol true enough.

..... But....I already own most of those games on PC....
........ Physically.....
........... From when they came in the BIG boxes...
...
.... Am I dating myself?

Edit: I mean the old games, not the lust games 😆

In practice it sounds good. We'll see.

we remain committed to bringing forward the amazing library of Xbox games for future generations of players to enjoy.

Fantastic, I'm all for it!
It's one of the (many) reasons why the Xbox ecosystem is/will remain my main gaming platform.....reads through the comments section 😀, ..yep the usual Sony suspects are very much present to pour cold water on this news 😅.

@OldGamer999 With all due respect I think those days are long, long behind us simply because it's a mature technology and medium now. The breakneck pace of change in those days was because everything was new and rapidly changing as fast as it could be refined. Now? The hardware squeezes some performance here and there but it's largely static. $400 doesn't buy you double the hardware 4 years from now than it bought you today, it buys you a little bit more.

And games now take so much time and money and are so big, they can't really afford to do much more with them and like with Hollywood they can't risk losing the money by making something other than what's already a proven winning formula

The games of 2 gens ago are the same games today, just shinier. The focus on that technology and graphics is what broke the finances of the industry. So it's not about new generations and new tech demo games anymore. It's about how to get your VHS tapes into YouTube. The future is going to be more about low powered portable hardware that retreads the past bit portable than about bigger shinies that nobody can afford to make.

Now if cold reality doesn't do it for you and you just yearn for the old days if wild West frontier gaming where the hardware capability constantly changes and every weird idea is thrown at the wall to see what sticks, there is one last place where you can still taste that world: VR. It's the old world you remember. And even more expensive than you remember it.. and it will never ever achieve mainstream popularity for many reasons. But I guarantee you'll grin like an idiot inside your RoboCop visor the entire time more than any other modern platform. I love Xbox for my pancake digital library. But my heart belongs in VR because it's exactly like going back to the 16 and 32 bit era in pure magic. Now if the theoretical multi store Xbox PC lets me plug a Quest 4 into it, I'll be in bliss.

Why dont they just make an official emulator for original xbox and 360? There are some emulators out there from some people that started making them for fun without resources, i dont see how Microsoft can have a hard time making one that will work better and add it to the newer consoles.

@ShadowofTwilight - I can assure you I’m not desperate for it to happen (and if I was then I’d simply go and buy a PS5). I’m just saying there’s a suggestion that the next Xbox will effectively be a PC (by another name). Joining the dots beyond that isn’t too tricky.

@ZYDIO - I agree that might be an option, I think the DF video said something similar too.

@Feffster

And as I said, Sony will block the games they make or have deals with from appearing on the competitions console.

@NEStalgia lol, the Xbox community is an absolute riot.

Yes, Sony would find themselves in court for assuring their own games don't appear on the competition or that games they have deals for remain honoured.

Absolutely incredible.

I'm glad they're considering this. All big publishers should be pretty much required to have teams dedicated to archiving their work. So much of the work is done, basically illegally, by fans with less and less access to the data. Unless some employee saves some code at home when the company shuts down loads of games will/have been lost forever.

@ShadowofTwilight

If a game is designed for a PC (through MS Windows), it will work on any adequate hardware running MS Windows.

That's regardless of what brand that hardware has. If a future Xbox runs a variant of MS Windows, then all PC software (hardware permitting) would be arguably compatible.

Including Playstation games released for PC.

To add: Not sure what Sony could do about that.

Make their PC games incompatible with Windows? Lol.

@ShadowofTwilight They would find themselves in court for releasing a PC game that artificially restricts certain PCs. We're not talking about a bespoke console. We're taking based on the theory of the next Xbox being a PC packaged like a console like steam deck but running Windows instead of Linux.

I.e. blocking games would be like Ubisoft blocking only Lenovo PCs, or ABK/King blocking only Google Pixel phones on candy crush. You can't do that on open platforms.

Now what Sony could do is release games ONLY in their own theoretical future store or only on steam assuming steam isn't on Xbox. That would prevent it in a natural way. But hackers will unlock it anyway with mods. Otoh, Sony is ALSO seeking to maximize game sales under new oversight and the only reason they're not looking at porting to Xbox is because it's too small a market share to warrant the effort. If Xbox was as big as PlayStation, they may well have put their PC ports on Xbox too.

Remember when og Xbox first launched Sony did intend to put their games on it. It was Kutaragi that shut it down in his console war. Kutaragi is long gone, and management, like ms management, wants their games everywhere. Xbox isnt a big market so not worth it. But odds are games that can will even end up on mobile.

The console wars are over. They're all just trying to find more market share anywhere they can find it to sell their games.

All that having been said, Sony games aren't really selling that great on PC and I don't they will in mobile or theoretically Xbox either. Seems like everyone that wants Sony games already bought PlayStations. That's a problem for them. The customer that buys only exclusives isn't actually very profitable and they need market reach expansion yesterday.

@ZYDIO That's the server keeping the Digital version up to date. The game, if installed on your internal storage, will be updated by being connected to the internet - but the version on 'disc' is still that Day 1 version, it doesn't get updated.

If you can't use a disc drive on the next gen hardware, its just a useless plastic disc. It's only use is on 'old/obsolete' hardware as a 'key' to access. The Software on the disc is 'useless'. The game is NOT the game Digital get and if the 'old' hardware loses access to internet servers, you'll have a hard job downloading the most up to date version that's 'Preserved' in digital.

All those '360' Digital Only games I owned were instantly available on my Series X - in MY Games - ready to download and play as soon as I signed in. All my XB1 Digital Purchases too of course. No need to find a disc to 'download' the digital version of a game to install on my Internal storage and use my 'disc' as my Licence key, my key to access and play the software as 'proof' of ownership...

Hopefully this will include ways to play our old disc based games when they go 'all digital'.

@ShadowofTwilight

lol, the Xbox community is an absolute riot

Sure, yet somehow the PlayStation community puts them to absolute shame in the riot stakes......figures 🤣🤣. Glass houses and all that 🙄

Yes, Sony would find themselves in court

Depending on how Sony approaches the situation. DF Direct were talking about a scenario where that could potentially happen. You should watch it.

@Markatron84 110% sincere. Woke has gone way too far, way too much, too often in all aspects of everything today. Gaming no doubt getting full force dose of the insanity.

Look no further than that Sweet Baby stuff. Or whatever the name is.

@GuyinPA75

110% sincere. Woke has gone way too far, way too much, too often in all aspects of everything today.

Cool, now I know to hit that ignore button. Thanks for clarifying 👍

@GamingFan4Lyf Absolutely understand your enthusiasm.

But I truly believe companies will extort that business model into making it so have to buy additional hardware to open and place inside. For exorbitant amount of money. And at that point everything I want, enjoy, desire, and like in having a console is completely gone.

@Markatron84 Your welcome. If it allows, please hit that ignore button two or three times.

Always fascinating how people that pretend and give the facade to be open minded yet lash out when a thought different than theirs is presented. Amusing as well.

@NEStalgia I used to as well. But, I gave them to my brother when I joined the military and they are lost in the void.

@ShadowofTwilight I think it would significantly impact Sony's PC market share to block that.

Let's say the next Xbox is an Xbox PC and it has Steam integration.

Valve could very well tell Sony to "pound sand" if it tries to block games on a PC platform brand simply because it's seen as "competition" to Sony. It's a PC game, not a PlayStation game at that point.

Any of the other store fronts (GOG, Epic, etc.) could tell Sony the same thing as these store fronts want to be in front of as many players as possible.

Sony needs Valve in the PC space way more than Valve needs Sony (same for the other storefronts).

Plus, PC gamers could see Sony as being a bunch of babies by attempting to block it on a PC just because it's manufactured by Microsoft (my Microsoft Surface Book 2 isn't blocked from Sony games, so why should an Xbox-branded PC?).

Sure, Sony could create its own launcher and leave the other storefronts, but if it did that just so it could control its games in the PC space, it will cut significantly into sales.

PC players don't play into this console wars garbage.

Sony has to "play nice" in the PC space because it has very little weight in the market - unlike Microsoft. If it doesn't, it might as well pull out of the PC space and continue to live in its own island and bleed money.

Market leader or not, it's clearly shown it needs to branch out beyond the plastic box.

@GamingFan4Lyf

Irrelevant, Microsoft can not put their competitors games on their console without their consent.

Sony is fully within their right to block their games and games they have deals for to be playable on their competition and will do so.

@Sol4ris

I mean, you got defensive so that says it all.

I forgot that the Xbox community seems to be full of armchair analysts and businessmen nowadays that know more than these massive companies do.

@GeeForce

They fully blocked God of War being playable on Xbox through Nvidia and will do the same here.

It will not happen, need to accept that.

@Feffster Shouldn't be tricky to realise that Sony will block their games being playable on their competitors console as well then.

@ShadowofTwilight We'll just have to agree to disagree.

An Xbox branded PC is a PC, not a closed console. Even if Microsoft was able to make that PC feel like a console (like the Steam Deck does), it's still not competing with PlayStation anymore. It's competing with all the other gaming PCs on the market.

Sony can absolutely try, but the backlash would be pretty intense. Sony would literally be blocking a purchased game from being installed on a PC simply because it has "Xbox" in the branding. The consequences wouldn't be in Sony's favor on that one.

I just don't see the PC market taking too kindly to Sony dictating what brands of PC they have to buy to install its games on an open platform.

Sony may very well be in its right to block such a thing, but the court of public opinion would probably force a change of heart after:

Massive refund requests
Petitions
Boycott of Sony PC games
etc.

It wouldn't even be a Microsoft vs Sony thing, this would be open-platform supporters vs Sony.

@ShadowofTwilight I'm not sure you understand what you're talking about. For example, I have Horizon Zero Dawn on PC, I purchased it from GOG. How can Sony stop me from playing that game on an Xbox branded PC? DEAL WITH IT!

@NEStalgia They have a lot of new stuff on there as well. Like Baldur's Gate 3. I don't know if they have all the new releases but I saw quite a few on there.

@ShadowofTwilight

I mean, you got defensive so that says it all

Says the Sony guy whilst arguing with half a dozen posters about what Sony might or might not do😅.
Like I've said, DF Direct touched (last week)on the subject and it can have legal ramifications depending on how they (Sony) approach this(assuming Microsoft will have an Xbox branded PC). But hey, you just dig your trenches deep and keep fighting that good fight...😅

I forgot that the Xbox community seems to be full of armchair analysts and businessmen nowadays

Right, so not at all unlike the Sony community then, huh?

@ZYDIO They have certain select games. Mostly "edgy" publisher stuff. Cyberpunk is obviously their own game (GoG is CDPR), BG3 because Larian is a bunch of "screw the Man" edgelords. Handfuls of other stuff. And that's awesome. But yeah, it's unfortunately not going to cover most of mainstream new gaming. I wish a moment would happen like when Amazon decided to compete in digital music and went "screw it, everything's DRM free!" They probably regret that now, but it was awesome.

If MS really wanted to dominate gaming they should just do a PC console throw open the doors on their storefront and go "DRM free!" LOL. Sadly, though we all know gamers would abuse it to no end. GoG caters to a hardcore enthusiast in-the-know crowd, and lets face it, mostly old folks that still try to game on AOL because....look at the era of those games lol. But the masses would be screaming from the rooftops to just torrent the game to everyone everywhere. I hate people. Every nice thing gets ruined.

What really shocks me though is Sony putting anything on GoG. I mean when I think Sony I think the most excrutiating DRM imaginable. That's the company that controlled the RIAA during the war against digital music. The company with their own music DRM management tool. The company behind the MPAA and it's DCSS movie encryption, and it's war to have online downloaded ciphers required to play a physical BD disc. The company that destroyed CD drives with it's abusive on-CD DRM schemes designed to punish rippers. Putting games on GoG, lol.

@GamingFan4Lyf @GuyinPA75 LOL that rant on PC hardware is hysterical and echoes every reason I finally bailed from PC and went back to consoles probably when you did. I'm 10000% with you on that.

BUT, that's the reason why I'm excited about the xbox PC idea. All the benefits of PC, and all the benefits of console combined, omitting most of the bad (other than maxing your hardware.) Like Steamdeck, it's like a console. You buy your brick, you play games on your brick, games are certified for your brick, and when it's obsolete you buy a newer brick. It absolutely would not be about modular hardware because if it were.....you'd just have built a normal PC, you don't need an Xbox for that. You need XBox to build a standardized "adorable" PC for everyone and set game dev standards and "massdrop" type cost savings.

I think it is the best middle of the road. Basically they match the hardware and drivers for you, get a bulk mfr discount, and tell the devs to target your hardware specifically. Removes a lot of the problems of managing the variables of PCs, both for consumers, and also for devleopers targeting it, but also still makes everything bog standard PC stuff with all the capabilities PCs open up (game mods, copying saves around, multiple stores, etc.) And of course traditional PC upgrade garbage is still there for those thaat want $5000 extreme power and those that want a cheap potato.

@NEStalgia I’m excited about the prospect too and really hope it comes to fruition.

It puts the Xbox in a place where Microsoft is strongest: PC. It brings things back full circle to the Xbox original mission of bringing PC to a console experience.

And it gives me a PC more powerful than my Surface Book 2 that wouldn’t cost an arm and a leg!

@GamingFan4Lyf Yep, me too. Everyone celebrates the 360 but to me it was kind of a weird Sega retro future Rather than Xbox 2. Cool, but not what Xbox was cool because of. An Xbox PC would be so cool.

@shoeses
Personally I think this article is mis-titled. Forward compatibility is the ability of something today to take advantage of new tech as it becomes available. For example, if the game is 4K when 8K consoles come out it can take full advantage of the 8K device because the assets of the game were actually made in 8K.

Games Preservation is more about the ability to keep a game running as it is today on future devices. Building into the firmware/OS of devices the ability to continue to run the games well into the future on future device. That does not mean they will take advantage of the device capabilities though.

There is no mention of forward compatibility in the quote of the article though. So that is why I say it is mis-titled.

@NEStalgia it is very interesting times in the video game industry. Just when I was thought it was going downhill enough for me to not really exit gaming, but exit new gaming on console, it seems like things are turning around a little bit. I guess I'll just have to wait and see. I still think I made a good decision to buy two more Series X when they were dirt cheap to prepare for the all digital console refresh. I really hope if they go all digital with the next Xbox that they at least have a Blu-ray attachment drive.