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Xbox One Backwards Compatibility Could One Day Work With Original Xbox Games

"I ask the backwards compatibility team this question a lot."

400 Comments

Maybe don't throw away your original Xbox discs just yet. Xbox boss Phil Spencer said today that the Xbox One's existing backwards compatibility functionality could one day be extended to original Xbox titles.

Spencer made the tease in an exchange on Twitter. Here's how the conversation transpired:

Question: "Very silly question, but if Xbox One essentially has Xbox 360 emulator, how much work would go into making original Xbox titles backwards compatibility?"

Spencer: "I don't think it's silly. I ask the backwards compatibility team this question a lot. Need to finish 360 backwards compatibility for now."

No Caption Provided

Spencer's comments shouldn't be taken as confirmation that the Xbox One will add original Xbox backwards compatibility support soon, or ever. Clearly, nothing is set in stone at this time.

Backwards compatibility for Xbox 360 games is currently available on Xbox One for Preview Program members only. It will roll out to everyone in November, at which time there will be more than one hundred available games. In addition, all future Xbox 360 Games With Gold titles (starting in November) will be backwards-compatible.

Microsoft has not yet announced the full lineup of supported titles, but you can check out this list to see all of the confirmed games so far. The list may grow later this week, as Microsoft says it will announce the next wave of backwards-compatible games in the next couple of days.

If the Xbox One were to add backwards compatibility support for original Xbox games, which titles would you like to see made playable? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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TheGreatOne023

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Would love to be able to play some Deathrow on my Xbox One!

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TravLadin

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Edited By TravLadin

@TheGreatOne023: deathrow was the ish... loved that game..

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nickpeck36

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@TheGreatOne023: Man, so many games I forgot about lol. That game was a blast.

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suicidesn0wman

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@TheGreatOne023: That game was so much fun, would have been a great game to have on Live, too bad it didn't support it.

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TheGreatOne023

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@suicidesn0wman: I know, man! I prayed for an Xbox Live sequel.

The closest spiritual successor I have seen is Death Ball in Anarchy Reigns. But the maps/Arenas for Deathrow really mixed things up and made it fun.

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sladakrobot

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Edited By sladakrobot

WiiU...your thronechair is isnt safe anymore :-)

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mupet-man

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Edited By mupet-man

@sladakrobot: WiiU?

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sladakrobot

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If i could play Phantasy Star Online I+II(of course offline since online is no more) with imported savefiles of mine...that would awesome. Sadly i see no technicall solution to carry over my savefiles to the X1.
Another game i would like to play would be Panzer Dragoon Orta.
Hey MS,you could offer the old Xbox games digitally and make some money since not many of us kept the old games :-)

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suicidesn0wman

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@sladakrobot: I wonder if some of the games could use a tunneling program like the old XBConnect to emulate the Xbox Live servers using p2p instead.

On a side note, since we were talking RDR in the other back-comp post, I've really wanted to go back and play the original, Red Dead Revolver.

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nickpeck36

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@suicidesn0wman: Yahhhh, xbconnect. So many hours of Halo while using that program lol.

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sladakrobot

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@suicidesn0wman: Noone could make PS I+II Online work on an private server so i guess its near impossible :-(

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suicidesn0wman

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@sladakrobot: It depends on whose making it, if it's a hobbyist then I can see why the failure rate would be high. If it was a team of Sega & MS programmers I can see a solution being found.

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sladakrobot

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@suicidesn0wman: Ones can dream :-)
Or Sega could finally remaster the game for actual consoles.
It would great to do 4 co-op party again and hunt those rare weapons/armors/items and perfecting the teamwork to kill some badass enemies and bosses without dying.
And i still havent found the Milla and the J-Sword! I found the Guld tho :-)

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lrdfancypants

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@sladakrobot:

It would be smart to offer the old ones for purchase digitally.

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sladakrobot

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Edited By sladakrobot

@lrdfancypants: Yeah,Nintendo sells their NES,SNES and N64 games the whole time like that

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YoshiYoshi

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@sladakrobot: you're Krazy, I like that.

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lrdfancypants

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@sladakrobot:

Yeah people would buy them.

In all honesty I would buy it digital over going to store to find it again.

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southsouthsac

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Edited By southsouthsac

Panzer Dragoon Orta

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nickpeck36

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@southsouthsac: YES! Great game.

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sladakrobot

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@southsouthsac: +1000

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Andycreep1

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not a good idea on xbox 360 only 10 games work the rest are stutter and skip for the 150 original xbox games listed , now on xbox one xbox 360 games don't run as good as they did on the 360 so my guess is original xbox game will run like shit too LOL ty ms

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Burriscold

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@Andycreep1: get an X1 first, then get into the preview program before saying something doesnt run well. Im in the program and all the titles Ive played ran very well.

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dlCHIEF58

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@Andycreep1: Actually they could get original Xbox games running perfectly very easily since the CPUs in the systems are of the same architecture and there is a big difference in the system's power. They would assumably write a new emulation program and not rely on the 360 BC as running under 2 layers of emulation would affect performance and would fix none of the problems those had. Also a native emulator would enable more games to work than did on the 360.

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skizzel

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@dlCHIEF58: THIS

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beowulf1211

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@Andycreep1: you're an idiot. the backward compatibility program is under beta and only for preview members. and each week MS has patched performance enhancements for most games including Gears. So shut it wankwad.

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Burriscold

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@beowulf1211: he dont even have an X1.

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FanboyzRtrash

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@Andycreep1: Please spewing bs because the only games I had problems with was perfect dark zero and mass effect and those been patched and working better I dislike people like you.

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Andycreep1

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@fanboyzrtrash: get a job fgt to.ot

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mupet-man

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@Andycreep1: WTF stop changing the subject you landed your self in this pile of shit

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benleslie5

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Edited By benleslie5  Moderator

If original Xbox games were compatible on Xbox One would mean that more people could pick up and play both Psychonauts and Jet Set Radio Future

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freedom01

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freedom01  Moderator

I hope this will really happen

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mupet-man

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Don't get your hopes up@Adam802:

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kishapawpad

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A ridiculous nothing saying article only Eddie Ma-shit can write.

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IndoJimbo

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This would be badass. I have lots of favorite original xbox games that I'd love to be able to play again. Gladius was such a great tactical rpg that I would get back back into.

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DrunkenPunk800

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I figured this would be possible. If you could emulate some 360 games, not why emulate the 360 emulating the XBox?

Kind of like using DosBox to emulate Nesticle or KGen98.

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DrunkenPunk800

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Edited By DrunkenPunk800

I would REALLY buy an XBox One if they did that. I have 100+ XBox games.

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suicidesn0wman

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@DrunkenPunk800: Almost 400 OG Xbox games for me.

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skeletormyah

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I REALLY WANT THIS

alot of my favourite games are on Original XBOX

games I want to play

Shenmue II, Jet Set Radio Future, Mortal Kombat Armageddon, All The Star Wars Games, Leisure Suit Larry, Tony Hawk 2x-Underground 2, Mechassault, Simpsons Road Rage, Panzer Dragoon Orta, Jade Empire, Voodoo Vince, Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy, Morrowind, Prince of Persia Trilogy, 007 Nightfire, GTA Vice City, Manhunt, Ninja Gaiden, Ultimate Spiderman.

Those are some I'd love

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suicidesn0wman

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@skeletormyah: You know, one of the reasons this might happen is because Voodoo Vince is one of Phils favorite games of all time. I believe he talked about his love for that game during the IGN interview with him, Peter Moore and Seamus Blackley after E3.

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Fartman7998

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That would be neat, but I basically own all the original Xbox games that matter on Steam now.

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deactivated-64efdf49333c4

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Unlike the 360, the original Xbox is a tank, plus I've already replaced nearly all of my games with PC versions.

It's just not the same as compatibility on the other consoles. You can't get the Japanese games any other way, but nearly every Xbox game is on PC, and they're (usually) the better versions.

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Flyin3lvl

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the x one new slogan

""we may or could"" - never confirmed :D

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gamerboy100

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@Flyin3lvl: Sounds like Half-Life 3. lol

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lrdfancypants

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Cool maybe some of the Xbox games that I bought in anticipation for 360 BC that never worked might work now.

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DaVillain

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Edited By DaVillain  Moderator

Now that's was unexpected to hear that from MS, original Xbox games could one day work on Xbox One and although I have some of those original Xbox games on PC, I would like to be able to play Blinks the time sweeper on my Xbox One, a very underrated gem of a game. Edit: Also Brute Force as well.

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XenomorphAlien

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Halo CE.

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