Microsoft's Preservation Focus: How Xbox One Set the Stage

Today marks the 10-year anniversary of the Xbox One, November 22, 2023. We take a closer look at how its challenging launch unexpectedly led Microsoft to embrace its history.

It's a familiar observation, but the Xbox One was ahead of its time. Digital-only consoles are now the norm, and gaming systems are not just for playing games, but also for watching TV and movies. However, the Xbox One was released during a time when the industry was still gradually transitioning to a digital-focused future. Microsoft quickly reversed its policy on connecting disc-purchased games to Xbox accounts and removed the online check-in requirement. Despite its unsuccessful vision of the future, the Xbox One's stumble led to an unexpected shift towards embracing the past.

Backwards compatibility was initially planned to be a launch feature for the Xbox One, but was put on hold when Microsoft changed the console's online policies. However, in 2014, the company began developing an internal emulator in secret to enable the feature. On November 9, 2015, 104 Xbox 360 games became playable on the Xbox One. Microsoft continued to add hundreds of games to the backwards compatibility list, offering a diverse range from well-known titles like Halo: Reach to lesser-known gems like Binary Domain.

This program made the Xbox One an attractive choice for gamers interested in accessing a wide range of gaming history on a single device. It allowed players to explore the evolution of popular AAA franchises such as Gears of War and Call of Duty, as well as indie games like Super Meat Boy and Anodyne 2: Return to Dust. For me personally, the Xbox One became my console of choice because I wanted to bring my Xbox 360 collection forward. It's important to note that while the Xbox One offered a comprehensive selection, it couldn't do everything without modification. If you wanted to delve into a wider range of retro games or play titles released before 2001, you would need to invest in other physical consoles or emulation. Nevertheless, the backward compatibility program was a unique investment in preserving gaming history, something that no other major console manufacturer was doing at the time. This trend continued into the next generation, to the benefit of gamers.

Since the release of the Xbox One, other companies have largely abandoned backwards compatibility. The Wii allowed access to previous game generations, while the Switch is more limited, providing only Wii U ports and a subscription-locked selection of approved classics. The PS5 can play PS4 games, but lacks compatibility with older titles without a subscription or new purchase. In contrast, the Xbox Series X|S can play games from all previous Xbox models, some with improved performance compared to the Xbox One's emulation.

However, it's important to not overly praise Xbox's approach to backwards compatibility. It was primarily a strategic business decision. Backwards compatibility boosted Game Pass by including games from Microsoft's backlog, such as the original Gears of War trilogy and Blinx. Notably, the program does not include thousands of games from Xbox Live Indie, as they disappeared when the service shut down in 2017. Additionally, out of 2,155 games released for the Xbox 360, only 655 are compatible, although some of the remaining titles were made available through Xbox One ports. Xbox has emphasized a corporate-centric history, favoring established hits from the Xbox 360 and original Xbox.

Even by those standards, the approved games have clear limitations. For instance, if you want to play any of the three Armored Core games released on the 360, you'll need to purchase an original model of the 360. Despite the franchise having a new critically acclaimed title, you'll need to spend money and storage space to access any of the previous entries, unless you want to emulate them. There are no announced plans to add more games to the backwards compatibility list, making it harder for millions to play minor classics like The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena and Condemned 2: Bloodshot. This is partly due to many publishers and developers no longer existing and specific games being tied up in legal issues with licensed music.

It's also important to note that the Xbox's backwards compatibility program requires digital check-ins. The Xbox servers read your Xbox 360 game disc not to play it, but to confirm that you own it and trigger a download from Microsoft's servers. If Microsoft were to decide in a future console generation to discontinue the program, you would not be able to play backward compatible games if you haven't already downloaded them.

Preservation of cultural works will never be achieved through large corporations, as it is not a profitable endeavor. The Xbox One's backwards compatibility program was a temporary solution rather than a genuine preservation effort. However, it still holds value: The Xbox One, and the Series X|S by extension, allows both casual and dedicated gamers to experience a variety of older video games on the same platform they use for new ones. This has provided me, and likely others, with a sense of exploration and curiosity about older games I haven't had the opportunity to play. In an industry where novelty often takes precedence, the ability to look back is undeniably refreshing.

Editor's P/S

As a hard fan of Xbox, I have mixed feelings about Microsoft's preservation focus and the Xbox One's role in it. On the one hand, I appreciate that Microsoft has made a significant effort to preserve and celebrate its extensive library of games. The Xbox One's backwards compatibility program is a major achievement, and it has allowed me to play many of my favorite Xbox 360 games on my Xbox One. I also appreciate that Microsoft has continued to add new games to the backwards compatibility list, even after the release of the Xbox Series X|S.

On the other hand, I am disappointed that Microsoft has not done more to preserve the entire history of Xbox gaming. The Xbox One's backwards compatibility program is still incomplete, and there are many Xbox 360 games that are not playable on the Xbox One. Additionally, Microsoft has not made any effort to preserve the games from the original Xbox. I understand that there are technical and legal challenges to preserving these games, but I believe that Microsoft could do more to make them available to players.

Overall, I believe that Microsoft's preservation focus is a positive development. The Xbox One's backwards compatibility program is a major step forward, and it has allowed me to enjoy many of my favorite Xbox 360 games on my Xbox One. However, I hope that Microsoft will do more to preserve the entire history of Xbox gaming in the future.