Backwards compatibility was launched with the Xbox One New Experience update in November. It lets owners of supported Xbox 360 games play titles for free on their Xbox One, using the original game disc or via a download from the store. The initial release included 104 compatible games and a pledge to keep adding more.
Microsoft has now launched the next wave of supported games, adding 16 fan-favourite titles to the mix. The company has worked with publishers to bring games including Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Fable III, Halo: Reach, Motocross Madness, Peggle, Portal: Still Alive and Spelunkey to its current-generation console. The full list is published on Xbox Wire.
More games will continue to be added over time. Microsoft says this is “just the beginning” of its plans for Xbox One backwards compatibility and it intends to expand the catalog “on a regular basis.”
Gamers have spent over 9 million hours playing Xbox 360 games on their Xbox One since the feature launched in November. The most popular titles to date have been Fallout 3, Gears of War 3, Just Cause 2, Assassin’s Creed II and DiRT 3.
Microsoft has previously explained why it sees backwards compatibility as a key asset. Xbox Program Manager Mike Ybarra said at the New Xbox One Experience’s launch: “At Xbox, we believe that gaming is universal and should be enjoyed by everyone, everywhere. Our philosophy since launching Xbox One two years ago has been to put gamers at the centre of everything we do and to create the best, most seamless gaming experience possible.”
Microsoft encourages fans to have their say on what games should be next to gain Xbox One support by posting in the Xbox UserVoice forums. The company says that feedback from its fans “is essential” when considering how to shape future development, noting that it was the regular requests from players that made backwards compatibility a reality at all.
The next batch of games is likely to arrive at some point in mid-January. Microsoft has to customise each game to work on the Xbox One and so can only work on a few titles at any one time. Popular games already confirmed to be coming in the near future include the BioShock franchise and Call of Duty.
