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Xbox 'Remains Committed' to Backward Compatibility, Game Preservation

Microsoft is "moving full speed ahead" on its "next-generation hardware," Xbox President Sarah Bond says in a leaked email.

Ian Sherr Contributor and Former Editor at Large / News
Ian Sherr (he/him/his) grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, so he's always had a connection to the tech world. As an editor at large at CNET, he wrote about Apple, Microsoft, VR, video games and internet troubles. Aside from writing, he tinkers with tech at home, is a longtime fencer -- the kind with swords -- and began woodworking during the pandemic.
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Ian Sherr
2 min read
An Xbox Series X console and controller against a green background.

Games for the Xbox Series X (pictured) should be compatible with the next-gen Xbox console.

 CNET/Microsoft

When Microsoft launched the $500 Xbox Series X four years ago, it promised that the device would be able to play games from as long ago as the first Xbox launch in 2001. On Monday, the company expanded on that promise by creating a new team within its Xbox division devoted to backward compatibility, ensuring old games can still play on newer devices -- like the next Xbox.

"We have formed a new team dedicated to game preservation, important to all of us at Xbox and the industry itself," Sarah Bond, Xbox's newly minted president, said in an email to staff that was made public Monday by Windows Central. "We are building on our strong history of delivering backwards compatibility to our players, and we remain committed to bringing forward the amazing library of Xbox games for future generations of players to enjoy."

Microsoft is "moving full speed ahead" on its "next-generation hardware" -- a likely reference to successor to the Xbox Series X -- Bond, who was promoted late last year to oversee Xbox hardware and software, said in her email.

Microsoft hasn't said much about its plans for its next major console after the Xbox Series X, but Bond wrote in her email that the team is "focused on delivering the biggest technological leap ever in a generation."

Microsoft didn't immediately respond to a request for comment about the email, though Windows Central said the company had confirmed its authenticity.

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The Xbox team's moves are the latest way the tech giant is hoping to differentiate itself against competitors including Sony, Nintendo and Valve, whose Steam Deck line of portables has helped increase popularity of gaming on PCs. 

Microsoft has been marketing backward compatibility for years, offering Xbox players the ability to play hundreds of older Xbox games with either a disk or through an online purchase. As Microsoft's Xbox division increases its emphasis on its Xbox digital storefront and Xbox Game Pass subscription service, that promise of compatibility could become even more compelling.

There's also a planned refinement upgrade for the Xbox Series X coming, codenamed Brooklin. That device, which was leaked by Microsoft last year in a reportedly accidental legal filing, is expected to offer a new look along with better accessories connections and power management when it launches later this year.

Read more: PS5 vs. Xbox Series X: How do They Hold Up?