The backward compatibility of games from previous generation consoles is one of the challenges of the Xbox Series X: Microsoft confirms this by giving more details about what to expect with its new platform.
This is not new, Microsoft has been betting on backward compatibility for a while: if the trend started gradually on Xbox One in 2015, with the arrival of backward compatibility for Xbox 360 games, on the Xbox Series X , it will be intensively used right out of the console. In a blog post, published today, Jason Ronald, in charge of the design of this new platform, announces the color: the Xbox Series X will “Launched with thousands of games”, understand by this that its backward compatibility will make it the richest console on the market in terms of accessible titles.
The engineer explains that the team behind the work on the backward compatibility of Xbox 360 games on Xbox One “Pushing the boundaries with Xbox Series X”. “Maintaining compatibility is a huge technical challenge as the fundamental architectures of systems and processors evolve from generation to generation”says Jason Ronald.
A console designed for backward compatibility
The Xbox Series X is the first Microsoft console that embeds advanced backward compatibility from the start, and it was necessary to integrate this parameter very early in its development. “To make the Xbox Series X a model of compatibility, we had to innovate significantly, both in the design of its personalized processor and in that of the operating system at the heart of this new generation platform. “
The development team in charge of backward compatibility has already carried out over 100,000 hours of game testing, and by the time the console comes out, that number should double. “Thousands of games are already playable on Xbox Series X today, from blockbusters to great classics loved by fans”comments Jason Ronald, who suggests the list is not frozen at this point.
“All games run better on Xbox Series X”
Unsurprisingly, Jason Ronald adds that not only will games from previous generations of consoles run on the Xbox Series X, but they will also run ” better than ever “. “Backwards compatible games run natively on the Xbox Series X and harness the power of its CPU, GPU and SSD. No boost or underfrequency mode, the console runs at full power for each compatible game. “
Jason Ronald also promises Significantly reduced load times thanks to Xbox Velocity architecture and NVME SSD embedded in the Xbox Series X, as well as support for HDR for backward compatible titles. “Since this technology is managed by the console itself, it is possible to activate HDR without affecting the performance of the game, and we can apply it to Xbox 360 games and even to games of the original Xbox developed more than 20 years ago, long before HDR existed. “ In addition, the Heutchy method, already used in the backward compatibility of Xbox 360 games on Xbox One, has been further refined to allow upscaling of old titles to 4K in some cases.
Finally, the Quick Resume feature, touted as one of the major innovations in the Xbox Series X, will also be offered for backward-compatible games. As a reminder, it allows you to pause several tracks and quickly restart them exactly where they were stopped.
One console to rule them all
The Xbox Series X is therefore presented as the ultimate platform for backward compatibility. If the Microsoft framework explains the will of “Allow generations of players to enjoy timeless titles while respecting and honoring their creators”, the idea is also to praise the huge catalog of games that this represents for this new console. The titles exclusive to the Xbox Series X will undoubtedly be counted with the fingers of one or even two hands when it is released, but with several thousand compatible games from its launch, the machine presents itself as with great gaming potential.
And to get there, the Xbox division of Microsoft has not skimped on resources and has developed its own tools, to refine its approach to retrogaming. “With all the power and additional advancements of Xbox Series X, the compatibility team now has a real playground for new capabilities to innovate and push the boundaries of preservation and enhancement games. “ Enough to finally want to see what all this gives in practice.
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By akazan, Editing jeuxvideo.com
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