Microsoft is preparing to bring Xbox 360 games to PC, according to a leaked developer document seen by The Verge, extending a programme already under way to port original Xbox titles to PC and Project Helix, the company's next-generation console. The move would let Xbox 360 titles run across "Xbox PCs," handhelds and Helix, building a more portable game library in the mould of Steam and further signalling Microsoft's shift towards a disc-free future, following Sony's earlier declaration that game discs are effectively dead.

Under the plan, developers can opt to make their Xbox 360 games backward compatible and retain control over pricing and Game Pass availability, with a "gradual" rollout pencilled in for 2027 to 2028. The original Xbox PC programme, which launched with just four games in July, is due for a "full launch" in October 2026. The same document details a disc-to-digital scheme letting Xbox One and Series players convert a physical disc into a linked digital licence that transfers if the disc is sold; a public beta was originally slated for July but was delayed, and it remains unclear whether the planned August general availability date still stands.