One of the first big surprises of E3 2015 is here, and it's a huge one that nobody saw coming.
At Microsoft's E3 press briefing, it was announced that Xbox One owners will soon be getting backwards compatibility for Xbox 360 games. Up until now, the Xbox One could only play games made specifically for it. Xbox 360 games were stuck on the 360 console.
PlayStation 4 addressed this same problem with its PlayStation Now service, which lets gamers stream older games for a subscription fee. Xbox One has had a major void in this area, but now, Microsoft has made it known that it too will let its current-gen players access older games — but in a much more consumer-friendly way.
Instead of streaming, Microsoft will use emulation software to allow Xbox One users to insert their Xbox 360 discs right into the machine and begin playing. Downloaded games can be re-downloaded to Xbox One as well. And the best part, according to the executives at the event, is that "we won't charge you to play the games you already own."
At this point, somewhere in Los Angeles, Sony's executives went "Snap ..."
Xbox 360 games will play smoothly on Xbox One and will get to take advantage of X1's more advanced features, like voice control, screen shots, game DVR, game streaming and more. Even better, no work is required from developers who want to port their games from 360 to X1.
One hundred titles will be available by holiday season 2015, when backwards compatibility goes live. Xbox Preview members can access some 360 titles today.
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