Updated
Updated · digitalfoundry.net · Aug 4
Microsoft Targets 2027-2028 Xbox 360 Back-Compat Rollout for Project Helix, PCs and Handhelds
Updated
Updated · digitalfoundry.net · Aug 4

Microsoft Targets 2027-2028 Xbox 360 Back-Compat Rollout for Project Helix, PCs and Handhelds

3 articles · Updated · digitalfoundry.net · Aug 4

Summary

  • A leaked developer document says Xbox 360 games are planned for Project Helix, Xbox PCs and handheld devices, with rollout slated for 2027 to 2028 across next-generation devices.
  • Developers and rights holders would have to opt in title by title, while retaining control over pricing and whether games join Xbox Game Pass.
  • October 2026 is listed for the full launch of original Xbox games on PC, expanding a program that currently includes only four original Xbox titles on Windows 11.
  • The same document also outlines Microsoft's delayed disc-to-digital plan, which would turn inserted Xbox One and Series discs into account-linked digital licenses usable across signed-in devices.

Insights

If the next Xbox console acts like a PC, will the cost of open storefronts kill Microsoft's hardware business?
Could Microsoft's desperate push for profitability actually force them to abandon PC gaming's biggest storefront entirely?