Microsoft has announced that a number of “iconic” games from the original Xbox and Xbox 360 will be returning later this year.
Microsoft’s Backwards Compatibility Program was first launched in 2015 and let gamers play “thousands” of Xbox, 360 and Xbox One titles on modern consoles. The company explained that the Backwards Compatibility Program aimed to “not only preserve the games you know and love, but also to enhance them using the latest technology so they look and play better than ever before while still staying true to the original creator’s vision.”
In 2021, Microsoft announced no further games would be added to the library. “We have reached the limit of our ability to bring new games to the catalog from the past due to licensing, legal and technical constraints.”
However following the reveal of Project Helix, last night (March 11) Microsoft confirmed the Backwards Compatibility Program would be returning this year. “We’re committed to keeping games from four generations of Xbox playable for years to come. As part of our 25th anniversary later this year, we’ll be rolling out new ways to play some of the most iconic games from our past,” said Xbox’s Jason Ronald.
"As part of our 25th anniversary later this year, [the game preservation team] will release some iconic games from the past that are now going to be able to be played in entirely new ways," says Jason Ronald
pic.twitter.com/LFuNT3SUUM
— Tom Warren (@tomwarren) March 11, 2026
Microsoft hasn’t said what classic games will be added but a fan-created website lets players vote for their favourites. As it stands, the most-requested classic Xbox game not currently available for Series X/S users is Sonic Heroes. The Xbox 360 reboot Sonic The Hedgehog is second with The Simpsons: Hit & Run the third most-requested icon.
Earlier this year, original The Simpsons Hit & Run developers Radical Entertainment returned as New Radical Games after shutting down in 2013. The studio says it “specialises in remastering classic games” and their new website features a lot of The Simpsons: Hit & Run artwork.
Following uncertainty about the launch date for the next-generation of Xbox, which will play both console and PC titles, Microsoft also confirmed that “alpha versions” of Project Helix will be shipped to developers in 2027.
In other news, the complete soundtrack to the original Slay The Spire is coming to vinyl.
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