Xbox Backward Compatibility Explained: How will it work on next-gen consoles?

Ever since the reveal of the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, Microsoft has constantly stressed the massive role backward compatibility will play in the philosophy of its upcoming console ecosystem. 

It wants to create a landscape where players never have to leave anything behind, and that includes their entire digital library, saves, achievements and friends they’ve made along the way. Upon logging into Xbox Live on your next-gen console, it will be like you never even left, making it easy to jump into existing games without much trouble at all. 

So, the importance of Xbox backward compatibility shouldn’t be understated, as it will continue to evolve and be a major element of many platforms in the coming years. Knowing this, we’ve compiled everything you need to know about the feature including all the latest news, games and how exactly it will work on next generation consoles. 

Related: Best Xbox Series X Games 

Xbox Backwards Compatibility – How will it work on the Xbox Series X and S?

Microsoft recently published a new blog post on Xbox Wire which detailed how backward compatibility will work on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, including exactly what improvements we can expect to our existing library of games. 

It turns out that the enhancements will be rather substantial, especially if studios put in the extra effort to make their titles both look and run better than ever. Even without this extra push, the hardware does more than enough to natively bolster existing games, with Final Fantasy 15 now running at a locked 60 frames per second with vastly improved loading times. To be blunt, such changes can be downright transformative.

We’ve compiled some of the defining features of next-gen backwards compatibility alongside a video from Microsoft showcasing major performance improvements in Fallout 4, which has its framerate doubled on both of the new consoles. Here’s some of the key features: 

• Automatic HDR implementation for titles that did not previously support it 
• Games will run natively on the hardware, resulting in naturally increased performance and resolution 
• Improved loading times across the board thanks to increased hardware specs and SSD installation, although enhancements will still be present on a standard HDD. 
• Select titles will receive bespoke performance bonuses, with Fallout 4 being one of the first major examples. 

Xbox backward compatibility list – What games are supported?

 

 

What games would you like to see added to Xbox One Backwards Compatibility? Let us know on Facebook and Twitter @trustedreviews.