Microsoft explores bringing Xbox 360 backwards compatibility to PC
Developing story first seen 4 hours ago
Microsoft is developing a way to bring Xbox 360 games to PC, according to a leaked document sent to developers and viewed by The Verge. The plan would let older titles run on "Xbox PCs" — any machine running the Xbox app, including handhelds such as the ROG Xbox Ally — as well as on Project Helix, Microsoft's next-generation console, with a gradual rollout planned between 2027 and 2028. It follows Microsoft's recent confirmation that original Xbox games are coming to PC, targeting an October 2026 launch, and points to Helix being built to run PC games natively.
Under the plan, developers would be able to toggle backwards compatibility on for their own Xbox 360 titles, set prices, and choose whether to include them in Game Pass. The same document also touches on a separate disc-to-digital feature, which would let players insert Xbox One and Series discs into either console to claim a digital licence tied to both their account and the physical disc, allowing it to be shared or resold. That feature had reportedly been expected to enter beta last month and launch officially this month, but this has not happened, suggesting its timeline has slipped alongside the newly revealed 360 compatibility plans.
- Leaked document shows Microsoft plans Xbox 360 games for PC
- Rollout expected gradually across 2027-2028 on Xbox PCs and Helix
- Disc-to-digital feature also detailed, but its launch appears delayed
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Microsoft is a maker of gaming hardware and software, best known for its Xbox consoles and its Windows-based PC platform. It also runs Game Pass, a subscription service giving access to a library of games, and has been working to blur the line between its consoles and PCs so that games can be played across both. Backwards compatibility refers to the ability to play older games, originally made for past hardware, on newer systems.
The Xbox 360 was Microsoft's console from the mid-2000s to mid-2010s, and many of its games are not currently playable on PC. This report concerns internal Microsoft plans, seen by the technology news site The Verge, to change that by letting these older titles run on PCs equipped with the Xbox app, as well as on a future Microsoft console codenamed Project Helix. It builds on Microsoft's separate, already-confirmed plan to bring original Xbox games to PC.
This matters because it reflects a broader shift in how Microsoft positions Xbox: less as a single physical console and more as a software platform that works across many devices, including handhelds and PCs. It also touches on how game ownership works, since a related idea under discussion would let players convert physical game discs into digital licences they can keep, share or resell.
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Originally published by Eurogamer as “Microsoft is working on making Xbox 360 games playable on PC, leaked document reveals”.