During E3 2017, Microsoft announced that they are adding original Xbox games to their list of backward compatible titles for the Xbox One. This got many nostalgic fans excited, but as the news simmered, Microsoft released a statement on the matter, saying it's difficult to know how many titles will be part of the gallery of games.
Xbox 360 currently sits at 385 games capable of backward compatibility on Xbox One. The original Xbox may have significantly less. According to Microsoft's Dave McCarthy, it is "too early to say."
Speaking to GameSpot, McCarthy stated that the company has already confirmed Crimson Skies and Fuzion Frenzy for the project, but he was adamant about the fact that there was more. “We have multiple games up and running–we just decided to tease the first one[s],” he said. “There will be a library of games available, for sure.”
Phil Spencer was vital in the role of getting Xbox 360 games on the Xbox One, championing the idea until engineers found a way to make it happen. Apparently, the same thing happened with the original Xbox titles as well.
“Phil is really good for this, in terms of audacious challenges we give the team,” McCarthy stated. “It fit nicely into our compatibility story–games will play great across all our lineup. They’ll play best on Xbox One X. It kind of fit the whole vibe that we were trying to get in terms of choice for our customers. It is going to be a big program for us.”
The classic Xbox backward compatibility program will be live later this year on Xbox One.
